Save the Melksham Train
Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
Melksham - Holt - Trowbridge bus - 7970/12891
Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Friday, 13th March 2009

I understand that First announced yesterday that they will withdraw the 237 bus (Melksham - Holt - Trowbridge) from 10th May.  It will be very interesting to see if ...
a) The service really goes
b) It is bought back from First
c) It is bought back from another operator

This is NOT the main 234 service that runs from Chippenham via Melksham and Trowbridge to Frome via Seminsgton, nor is it the X34 Faresaver that runs Chippenham - Melksham - Trowbridge.  Perhaps it would be sensible for the faresavet to go via Holt, but too often sense seems to be missing!

Re: Melksham - Holt - Trowbridge bus - 7970/12898
Written by Escargot on Friday, 13th March 2009

............or re-open Holt station and improve the rail service along the lines already suggested! ;)

Re: Melksham - Holt - Trowbridge bus - 7970/12900
Written by Lee on Friday, 13th March 2009

You might be interested in the 1963 TransWilts rail timetable (links below.)
http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/gwpast/kvtwhowltw1963ttp1.pdf

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/gwpast/kvtwhowltw1963ttp2.pdf

Re: Melksham - Holt - Trowbridge bus - 7970/12908
Written by Lee on Tuesday, 17th March 2009

In the article below, First blame the tough economic climate and WCC state that they have made arrangements for the service to continue to an almost identical timetable.
http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/4209736.First_Bus_wields_the_axe_on_Wiltshire_services/

Re: Melksham - Holt - Trowbridge bus - 7970/12910
Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Wednesday, 18th March 2009

Interstingly, I have received a letter from First telling of their pulling out of the service, but it makes no mention of any possibility of the service being run by another operator.    Knowing the County Council's target of having x% of the population within y hundred yards of a bus stop, I am not surprised that there's going to be someone else serving Broughton Gifford, Holt and Staverton ... does anyone know whom that might be?  As this was a 'partially subsidised' service, does anyone know if Wiltshire Council has ended up (a) paying more or (b) making a saving?

 
link to index of articles


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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