timetable now on the FGW website

"Commuter train"

Yes, sadly the morning train that was too early for most users already has moved earlier, and the evening train that was about right for most people has now moved dramatically later ...

Until Friday, 8th December commuters from Frome, Westbury, Trowbridge and Melksham arrive in Swindon at 08:18. As from Monday, 11th December the only train available to them will arrive at 07:50. That's 28 minutes earlier.

Until Friday, 8th December commuters can leave Swindon to return home at 17:43. As from Monday, 11th December they'll have to hang around until 18:42 - that's 59 minutes later.

A day extended by 87 minutes will be a significant change for most users, and I would anticipate many of those becoming "ex-users" with a schedule such as this. I have not seen any suggestion that there's an untapped market out there of people wishing to travel at the new times, and agree with another poster elsewhere that the timings offered on this line are intentionally "marginal" to allow the stock to be used afterwards (morning) and before (evening) for true peak hour services on the Stroud Valley line.

"Visitors to Melksham"

My own involvement with the train services on this line mostly relate to visitors to my workplace in Melksham; some 40% or my customers come by train, arriving just after 9 in the morning and leaving a few minutes after 5 at night. It's been a near-ideal service and it's been a delight to see a quiet train just 5 years ago grow into a pretty busy one at present.

Under the new timetable, 8th December may as well be a "last day of service" as far as our customers are concerned. None of them will want to reach Melksham at 06:46, nor hang around until 19:50.

It's been suggested that the 234 bus provides an alternative. Evidence posted elsewhere on this site shows already that only one in four people will use a bus rather than a train on this route, and that the journey time is extended by nearly an hour with the awkward interchange at Chippenham, and the need to treck across the town. This alternative also pre-supposes that people can find the signs, know where to go, and are confident enough to do so.

Other Uses

It's been suggested that the new service provides a London commuter option, and indeed it does. I use the train to / from Oxford and London occasionally, and on rare occasions in the future (if the timetable sticks and is the total service) I would use it to Oxford and perhaps to Gloucester. For London, it's so expensive that I resent the price I have to pay - I'm not on expenses from some big employer - and I'll probably drive up to Andover or Basingstoke and get the train in from there; a little longer journey, but much cheaper and arrives in Waterloo which (personally) I find much more convenient.