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Topic: Who's responsible for promoting the line? (Read 2687 times)
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Nick Field
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After reading some recent posts I have this question nagging in my head. It seems that very few people I talk to even know that the current service exists at all and I find that a little disheartening. I hardly see anything about it in literature from either the county or district councils. I am sure passenger growth could be even greater if organisations such as Wessex Trains or Wilts County Council would advertise it or make mention of it in their newsletters etc etc.
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Graham Ellis
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Sadly, Nick, I think the answer is that no-one is responsible for promoting the traffic and that really, over the years, no-one has really taken it on to do the marketing and promotion. There's a lot of very interested / concerned / active folks out there but, alas, they're backroom people and not folks who want to stand on a soabox and shout "Have you see this useful service". I was somewhat shocked at how quickly / easily I seemed to be able to get elements of attention and publicity as just a private individual .... At this stage, I don't think anyone's going to want to take on commercial responsibility for publicisiing a service that's slated for withdrawal and so it's that much more up to folks like you and me to be the ambassadors for the line. Paradoxically, the fact that there's been something of a vacuum there in the past makes it a little easier to move into the field .. people who perhaps have a little influence are going to listen more to a story the first time they hear it ... although they're also going to need to hear it lots of times for it to be taken as a general view. I've sent out a circular letter and put text up in the "stoppress" of the site ... and I guess I'm saying that ... Nick - it's you, and me, and all the other people who live and work around here who are responsible for promoting the line.  |
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Gareth Evans
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Graham, Am just wondering, have you heard of the Association of Community Rail Partnerships ( http://www.acorp.uk.com)? They are an organisation who are interested in promoting and sustaining local rail through community partnerships. One line ACoRP support is the Heart of Wessex ( http://www.heartofwessex.org.uk/partnership.html) which connects with the Melksham service at Trowbridge and Westbury. Perhaps the two could be integrated as a single partnership? Apologies if this is old news to you! Gareth |
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Graham Ellis
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Graham, Am just wondering, have you heard of the Association of Community Rail Partnerships ( http://www.acorp.uk.com)? They are an organisation who are interested in promoting and sustaining local rail through community partnerships. It's a fair and good question, Gareth. My "Save the Train" Web site is just that - my web site - through which I am raising awareness to the best of my time and ability for the TransWilts train service through Melksham. Acorp is there to service and work with Rail Partenships and not individuals. I have been in touch asking for assistance / advise. A polite response from the first person I approached who passed it on to the correct Gent. His reply: There is a Melksham Station Development Group.
The address of the treasurer and vice-chairman is ... I get on very well with the Melksham Railway Development Group (which is what he meant), who do sterling work behind the scenes; I took the decision early, though, to NOT throw my lot in with them as, working alone I have my own authority to say something, ask questions, make a bit of a name for the campaign even if it takes a route / makes a suggestion that the MRDG committee wouldn't endorse. This choice of mine, alas, precludes assistance form Acorp. |
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chrisbastian
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Who's responsible for promoting the line? Well, not the Department for Transport, for one. Their website www.transportdirect.co.uk , which plans your route between any two points in Britain, ignores the direct trains from Swindon to Southampton. Ask to go from station to station without changing and it returns an error message, except for the early morning train. I have pointed this out to them over a month ago and they still havn't fixed it. Ways of promoting the line? The Heart of Wessex line run a sucessful promotion with the Ramblers Association. So why not walks from Westbury, Warminster, Salisbury, Dean, Dunbridge & Romsey from the Swindon/Melksham trains? You'd be amaized how many members the Ramblers Associastion has. Current time table a little tricky however. |
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