The Tourist Information Centre has asked me to update my "minitimetable" .... so here's a link to a draft.   Please have a look at it and let me know of any stupid mistakes I have made!


http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/melkshamrailway/235_Trains_to_and_from_Melksham_Timetable_from_Dec07_to_May08.html

Table 1 - Swindon to Westbury

(N.B. First two trains MONDAY TO FRIDAY only, next two SATURDAY ONLY, final train SUNDAY ONLY!)


Westbury to Swindon

(N.B. First two trains MONDAY TO FRIDAY only, next two SATURDAY ONLY, final  two trains SUNDAY ONLY!)

Notes for Table 1 (Swindon < - > Westbury):

w - change at Westbury
s - change at Swindon
c - change at Cheltenham Spa
b - change at both Swindon and Cheltenham Spa
g - change at both Swindon and Gloucester

Table 2 - Melksham to Bath and Bristol and back

Monday to Friday

Saturday


Sunday


Notes for table 2 - Melksham <-> Bath and Bristol

Chi - Chippenham
Tro - Trowbridge

Notes for both tables:

* Although technically possible to travel from Melksham to London (Paddington) via Westbury, there are no useful connections via this route in the current timetable.

* Alternative journeys to Gloucester, Cheltenham and Worcester are possible via Trowbridge.

* Connections with a minimum of 5 minutes are shown.

* Intending passengers should check with First Great Western / Network Rail - Engineering works frequently effect the timing of trains at weekends and over public holiday periods, and trains are too frequently cancelled or amended due to lack of trains and staff, overrunning works on the line, weather conditions, the use of the line as a diversion route for expresses, and other reasons.

Every attempt has been made to get this page correct, but I'm only human. Please let me know  of any mistakes.  I think E&OE is the term I'm supposed to use, isn't it?

Long and complicated story ... and still just developing

The prospective timetable that's on the pledge site was presented in February, but with a "draft, may change a bit" health warning, which is why the pledge says "or similar".   I was told this had a price tag of 110k per annum, and that it had been resourced and validated.

Last month, a similar grouping told me that had changed to another draft timetable which wasn't given to me in such detail, but from what I was told it is similar / very slightly better in terms of timing.  However, the money that First want to be paid to run it has risen to 320k per annum, and with such a big rise in three months it leads to all sorts of questions

The third option, which looks most probable bearing in mind that the first option is off the table, is "status quo" - the current service of trains from Swindon at 06:15 and 18:45, and from Westbury at 07:00 and 19:35, carrying on.

I can't say I'm happy with that ... it looks like someone got an incling that there was enough political pressure around to get some money put into it, so thought they would see if they could put the price up.   Of course, I would love to have that theory misproven but I don't see how a price can treble in 3 months, and feel it has to be more to do with the perceived price that someone's willing to pay than what it will actually cost.