Extracted from a question I asked Julian Crow of First Great Western, who was commenting on the 35% growth on the lilne in Devon and the improvements they are making in light of the extra traffic

I commended Julian on the 35% grown in a year on the Barnstaple line and congratulated them on looking to step up services as a result. I pointed out that the ORR had quoted 35% growth for the TransWilts through Melksham, and yet the service there had been cut by 60%.  I asked Julian for his advise on how to achieve a similar result in Wiltshire - a growth of service.   Answers provide both by Julian and by other expert campaigners in the room:

i) Grow the passenger numbers
ii) Engage the community and bodies
iii) Look to show ways of helping reduce the cost of provision
iv) Make it visible to the Government ("embarrass them" says soneone else)
v) Note the co-operative funding in Devon and Cornall. Bring similar to bear.

It was pointed out that there would probably be the need to justify an extra unit (ah, but we may have the South of Salisbury leg of the FGW Soton shuttle?) and crews.

Talk of using a 142 (but unlikely, since they're all to be shedded at Exeter). I flew the idea of working one up from Exeter each morning, giving a Axminster / Yeovil / From to Swindon commuter train arriving there at around 08:50, round trips during the day, heading off back home at 17:45 via the same route.