By now, Mark Hopwood will be settling into his new role as Managing Director of First Great Western. The temptation will be to think that FGW's much publicised troubles are drawing to a close, and that the time has come to consolidate.

If you are reading this, Mark, then let me say this – I feel that adopting such an approach would be a  mistake.

Your predecessor, Andrew Haines, correctly recognised that FGW needed to project a dynamic image of a company always moving forward, in an attempt to move away from the mistakes of the past. In a speech delivered to the 1 March 2008 TravelWatch SouthWest meeting, Andrew memorably described this as creating a “burning platform for change.”

His actions matched his words, notably regarding operational matters and crucially, regarding service development matters as well.

Here is a list of examples of significant service improvement measures either introduced or developed on the FGW side during Andrew Haines' tenure in charge:

May 2008 – Enhanced frequency service on the Severn Beach Line and 3-coach trains introduced on Portsmouth-Cardiff services.

December 2008 – Significant timetable improvements introduced on the Barnstaple, Gunnislake, Looe, Newquay and St Ives lines plus extra services on the Oxford-Bicester line.

May 2009 (projected) – Half-hourly service on the Falmouth line, further extra services on the Oxford-Bicester line.

Future scholars will look back favourably at Andrew Haines' acheivements. Here on the TransWilts corridor, you have the chance to begin your own passage in the railway history books. We believe that we have an excellent case for an improved/appropriate service, and we have always been committed to moving heaven and earth to ensure that it would be a success if introduced.

Come and talk to us. Lets sit down and see if we can work something out.

There is a deal to be done here.