Hi, Nige ....  I have often seen that line of the map, and noticed in the National Timetable (r.i.p.) th elack of service there.  Your post prompted me to have a further look, and I note a train out of Goole at 07:11 in the morning and back there at 18:29 in the evening.  That train then returns into Leeds and it's the full service.

Some startling similarities to the "TransWilts" ... Leeds is a major commuter destination, Goole at the far end of the line does have other services and people can reach Leeds from there via a gogleg route at other times of day ... and you have an underutilised resources of a railway line between them.

But there are differences too

* The journey for 32 miles takes 70 minutes / 77 minutes - which is hardly fast (Transwilts - 50 minutes all the way to Westbury and that's on services that have been slowed down in recent times)

* The train times at Leeds - 08:27 arrival and 17:19 departure - are sensible for a working day

* I suspect (can anyone confirm?) that the catchment area for Rawcliffe, Snaith, Hensall and Whitely Bridge combined is far less that for Melksham on the TransWilts, with its population of 24,000 (Can anyone who knows the area confirm).

* As I recall, there's an major roads network in the area of this line - M1, M62, A1(M) and M18 for starters - which provide alternative transport links that are not afforded to people who would like a TransWilts service but don't want to travel at quarter past six in the morning ... our A350 is pretty dire at times.

It seems very sensible indeed to make use of an underuntilised resource in an area where people want to travel (do they?) and I applaud the plans to improve the service.   Actually, if services such as these are to be improved it helps make the case, many fold, for a major town like Melksham on the TransWilts, doesn't it?