Save the Melksham Train
Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
Commuters Block Neighbouring Station's Car Park - 837/2407
Written by Lee on Thursday, 14th December 2006

Commuters from Ashwell and Morden station increased their protests against a rail company by invading a neighbouring stations car park (links below.)
http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2006/12/rail_protest_increases_pressur.html#more
http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2006/12/commuters_in_blockade_at_rail.html#more

The protests stem from First Capital Connect's decision to cut their 7.03 fast service to Kings Cross , which came into effect on Monday.

Upping the ante , commuters , who have been forced to drive to Letchworth Station to catch their preferred train , filled car park spaces with their own cars leaving commuters from Letchworth nowhere to park.

One Ashwell commuter , Tim Giles said: "We sincerely apologise to Letchworth commuters for what we did but First Capital Connect have left us no choice. Many of us need to catch a fast train to London and the only way to do that now is to drive to Letchworth every day."

The protest took place on the first day of the new timetable. The 6.45 from Cambridge , which used to stop at both Ashwell and Morden and Baldock now runs straight through from Royston to Letchworth. More cuts to the fast train service are planned for 2007.

 
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


This site is hosted by Well House Consultants Ltd. (http://www.wellho.net)
Contact Information
 

Further Information:
 Home
 Current Summary
 Daily update
 User forum
 Consultation
 Service now
 Service future
 Future Analysis
 Recent Statistics
 Recent letters
 Letter to DfT
 Save the train
 Presentation
 Support us
 Other Maps
 Station facilities
 Station approach
 Pictures
 Trains diverted
 History
 About Melksham
 Site Map
 About this site