Save the Melksham Train
Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
Network Rail Asks For Extra West Coast Main Line Track Closures - 6043/10417
Written by Lee on Thursday, 28th February 2008

Network Rail is nearly two weeks behind schedule on work to the West Coast Main Line due to be finished by December, the BBC has learned (link below.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7267658.stm

It is asking train companies for extra track closures for 13 weekends in the summer, on top of those planned for Easter and bank holidays.

The rail infrastructure company has rejected putting completion of

Re: Network Rail Asks For Extra West Coast Main Line Track Closures - 6043/10429
Written by Lee on Thursday, 28th February 2008

[quote author=Lee link=topic=6043.msg10417#msg10417 date=1204160747]
It comes as Network Rail faces a record fine of up to

Re: Network Rail Asks For Extra West Coast Main Line Track Closures - 6043/10449
Written by Lee on Thursday, 28th February 2008

Network Rail profile (link below.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7268495.stm

Network Rail boss Iain Coucher has admitted that his annual bonus and payouts for 33,000 staff will be slashed (link below.)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/feb/28/network.rail

Re: Network Rail Asks For Extra West Coast Main Line Track Closures - 6043/10533
Written by Lee on Tuesday, 4th March 2008

Related article link.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7274919.stm

Re: Network Rail Asks For Extra West Coast Main Line Track Closures - 6043/11093
Written by Lee on Wednesday, 26th March 2008

Virgin Trains has branded Network Rail's West Coast Main Line engineering plan "unworkable" (link below.)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/mar/26/travelleisure.transport

In response to Network Rail's plans, Virgin Trains urged the ORR to consider pushing back the completion date to May next year. It said the further delay would allow time for driver training, an issue that is one its biggest objections to Network Rail's favoured plan.

"Further work should be urgently carried out to establish the detail of this option," said Virgin Trains. A spokesman added that the plan was "unworkable".

The train operator added, however, that a May deadline would breach its franchise agreement with the government.

Network Rail warned in its ORR submission that postponing the upgrade would result in other work being delayed, including projects on the East Anglia line and in Glasgow. "Delaying delivery until 2009 would require other works currently planned for 2009 to be deferred, leading to probable delays due to resource limitations," said Network Rail.

The ORR is expected to deliver its verdict next month.

Re: Network Rail Asks For Extra West Coast Main Line Track Closures - 6043/11268
Written by Lee on Thursday, 3rd April 2008

More in the link below.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/04/02/nrail102.xml

Re: Network Rail Asks For Extra West Coast Main Line Track Closures - 6043/11703
Written by Lee on Sunday, 20th April 2008

Rugby station will be shut every weekend from May to December for track and signalling improvements (link below.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/coventry_warwickshire/7357365.stm

Re: Network Rail Asks For Extra West Coast Main Line Track Closures - 6043/12091
Written by Lee on Friday, 2nd May 2008

Rail regulators have accepted a revised plan for completing the

Re: Network Rail Asks For Extra West Coast Main Line Track Closures - 6043/12677
Written by Lee on Monday, 14th July 2008

A rail worker has been killed while working on the West Coast Mainline in Warwickshire (link below.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/coventry_warwickshire/7505258.stm

Network Rail said the worker, employed by contractor Leda Rail, was fatally injured early on Saturday, just south of Rugby station.

Details of the accident have not been released but Network Rail said it was investigating.



Re: Network Rail Asks For Extra West Coast Main Line Track Closures - 6043/12702
Written by Lee on Friday, 15th August 2008

Rail passengers face chaos this weekend when one of the main London to Scotland routes is 'severed' for engineering works (link below.)
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23532949-details/Weekend+rail+chaos+as+West+Coast+line+is+%27severed%27+for+track+upgrade/article.do

And there will be further misery for travellers over the Bank Holiday as upgrades to the West Coast mainline continue.




Re: Network Rail Asks For Extra West Coast Main Line Track Closures - 6043/12708
Written by Industry Insider on Saturday, 16th August 2008

[quote author=Lee link=topic=6043.msg12702#msg12702 date=1218837752]
Rail passengers face chaos this weekend when one of the main London to Scotland routes is 'severed' for engineering works (link below.)
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23532949-details/Weekend+rail+chaos+as+West+Coast+line+is+%27severed%27+for+track+upgrade/article.do

And there will be further misery for travellers over the Bank Holiday as upgrades to the West Coast mainline continue.

[/quote]

Good to see the two stock words of 'chaos' and 'misery' being trawled out when there's an article on engineering work or strike action. You'll never fail to see one of them being used. Come on journalists, what about giving 'disorder, confusion, bedlam, agony, commotion, disarray, turmoil, depair, distress, or agony' a fair hearing in your articles!  ;)

Re: Network Rail Asks For Extra West Coast Main Line Track Closures - 6043/12724
Written by Lee on Monday, 18th August 2008

Article link on West Coast Main Line overspends.
http://www.cnplus.co.uk/News/2008/08/faster_trains_cost_an_extra_65m_on_west_coast_line.html

Re: Network Rail Asks For Extra West Coast Main Line Track Closures - 6043/12733
Written by Lee on Wednesday, 20th August 2008

Article links on work scheduled for the Bank Holiday weekend.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7571374.stm

http://www.birminghampost.net/news/west-midlands-transport-news/2008/08/19/west-coast-main-line-disruption-will-be-worth-it-says-network-rail-65233-21565721/

http://www.birminghampost.net/news/west-midlands-transport-news/2008/08/19/midland-passengers-should-expect-rail-disruption-says-virgin-trains-65233-21565732/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/2597538/Standing-room-only-misery-for-rail-passengers.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7576934.stm

 
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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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