Save the Melksham Train
Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
TransWilts Community Rail Partnership Update - 8196/13267
Written by Lee on Saturday, 26th June 2010

The list below gives you an idea of our recent activities. Special thanks go to everybody involved in helping to make it possible:

SALISBURY - TWCRP introduced at Salisbury City Community Area Partnership AGM.

WARMINSTER - Joint TWCRP/Wiltshire Council Dilton Marsh Rail Timetable Leaflet available from station.

DILTON MARSH - Timetable leaflet delivered to all households and available from local businesses. Very positive feedback received.

- Artwork for the station being produced by Westbury Leigh Primary School.

- FGW offer improved southbound morning peak service towards Warminster and Salisbury if demand can be proved. Initial passenger counts since leaflet drop show encouraging usage increase. A survey is also planned.

WESTBURY - Joint station adoption plan agreed with Heart of Wessex CRP and FGW. This will focus on the following areas:

Planters / hanging baskets / flower beds on the platforms

Murals on the cleaner's store / kiosk

Waiting room adoption

Community Rail Partnership posters in entrance

Flower bed / rockery / scrubland outside the station

- Dilton Marsh Rail Timetable Leaflet available from station.

- Community Area Transport Group (CATG) to be set up with likely TWCRP participation.

TROWBRIDGE - New help points being installed by FGW.

MELKSHAM - Melksham Climate Friendly Group to formally adopt station, and replant the floral displays.

- Improvements to signage and information boards being negotiated. Preparatory work for footpath/cycle way from Spencers Gate also being discussed.

- New help point being installed by FGW.

- Improved Saturday morning connection from Salisbury/Warminster at Westbury towards Melksham/Chippenham/Swindon secured in current timetable, safeguarding excellent overall journey time.

CHIPPENHAM - TWCRP introduced at Chippenham Area Board meeting.

SWINDON - Very positive meeting between TWCRP and Swindon Borough Council regarding future co-operation, particularly regarding station forecourt revamp plans.

GENERAL

- Co-ordination with Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways, Transport for Greater Bristol and West of England Partnership will continue regarding Greater Bristol Metro plans, whilst keeping all other future service options open.

- Following negotiations with FGW, from December 2010 the 1702 Worcester Foregate Street-Southampton Central service will run one minute later from Westbury - ie depart at 1941 rather than 1940.

This will create an official connection out of the 1936 arrival from the Bristol/Bath direction at Westbury, and in turn create an extra evening peak journey opportunity from stations such as Bristol and Bath to Dilton Marsh, Warminster, Salisbury, Romsey and Southampton Central.

- TWCRP formally invited to contribute to the DfT's Rail Value For Money Review and Future Of Rail Franchising Policy Consultation.

Re: TransWilts Community Rail Partnership Update - 8196/13276
Written by chris from nailsea on Wednesday, 30th June 2010

Thanks, Lee.

For further details of the proposals for the 'adoption' of Westbury Station in particular, see the specific topic at http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=8202.0

Chris.

 
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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