I have in my email / intray a mouthwatering suggestion that one of our regular contributors / background helpers has come up with that would provide an alternative to the DfT's proposals ... allowing Melksham to have a slightly increased train service over the current level, retaining most trains near to there current timing, and NOT requiring First to add any stock at all.

It's been a difficult decision for me whether to throw caution to the wind and publish the suggestion in full. For this weekend at least, I think we have a better 11th hour chance of simply slotting in a regular 2-hourly "153" to the timetables that, surely, are nearly finalised for December by now.  And that's consistent with what I've been saying for about 9 months.  I do wait to hear back from First, who's MD has promised that I'll hear when they ARE final.

In coming months, there will be another round of bid award / refine for the South West franchise ... at first glance this doesn't effect the service through Melksham.   But at second glance it could.  The Southampton to Westbury / service transfers to SWT of their sucessor in December 2007, and there's a strong timetabling case for their trains to form part, or even all,  of the service  from Swindon via Westbury to Salisbury and beyond.  For sure, we might be back to the "bad old days" of the Wessex train being an unadvertised guest at Swindon and Chippenham, but frankly I've not heard many recent reports of better pubclicity at either, and I've searched nearly in vain for notices at Chippenham.