Save the Melksham Train
Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
Bradford on Avon - Sunday 17/02/08 - 5836/10171
Written by Mark A on Sunday, 17th February 2008

Having hoped that after last years dismal personal record with First's regional services, it was safe to try the train again.

Sunday's 11.10am departure from Bradford indicated otherwise - the service arrived basically packed to the extent that people bulged out of the doors when they opened. No room in the aisles either, the packing was a quality job, you couldn't see through the thing.

It left even more so, having picked up half of the around 18 people waiting ... the other 9 or so dispersed with baleful glances at the ticket machine ...

And then, the following train is very nearly two hours later.

Presumably seeing the number aboard the train, the service must usually be a lot better, bigger or something to encourage so many to travel? It was running Portsmouth to Cardiff, two carriages, and looks as though it could have 100% filled three and everyone with a seat.

Mark

 
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Save the Train was the campaign to bring an approriate train service back to and through Melksham.

Most big contributors are still around writing at the Coffee shop forum where new members are very welcome.

The train has been saved - sort of - we have stepped back up from an unusable service to a poorish one but it's doing very well. We did that through setting up the TransWilts Community Rail Partnership. That fulfilled its early objectives; it has been taken over by local and regional government types who are now doing medium and long term work. The team from this forun can also be found at the Melksham Rail User Group (which was the Melksham Rail Development Group at the time these articles were written and we had no users.

We mustn't loose sight, though, that the train service remains poor and needs our community support in marketing and campaigning to keep it going in a positive direction ... and all the more so when we're expecting to find a different normallity once we get out of the Coronavirus Pandemic and head for zero carbon via the climate crisis. Yes, it's saved ... it's now a key community facility ... the need for enhancement and the strong and near-universal local support remain, and the rail industry and goverment remain slow to move and provide the enhancements even to level us up with other towns. Please support the Melksham Rail User Group - now very much in partnership rather than protest with the rail industry and local government, including GWR, TransWilts and unitary and town councils. And please use the trains and buses, and cycle and walk when you can.

-- Graham Ellis, (webmaster), February 2021


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