Save the Melksham Train
Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
DfT Asks GNER To Surrender Franchise - 848/2433
Written by Lee on Friday, 15th December 2006

The government has asked GNER to surrender its

Re: DfT Asks GNER To Surrender Franchise - 848/2456
Written by Lee on Saturday, 16th December 2006

The Times argues that the Government

Re: DfT Asks GNER To Surrender Franchise - 848/2534
Written by Lee on Tuesday, 19th December 2006

Here is a written statement by Douglas Alexander on this (link below.)
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_railways/documents/page/dft_railways_613887.hcsp

And a further Times piece (link below.)
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8210-2511253,00.html

Re: DfT Asks GNER To Surrender Franchise - 848/2548
Written by Lee on Wednesday, 20th December 2006

Grand Central , GNER's long - time nemesis , could be bought out (link below.)
http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2006/12/rail_firm_may_sell.html#more

Freight rail operator EWS and Danish State Railways have both been linked to a possible takeover.


Re: DfT Asks GNER To Surrender Franchise - 848/3169
Written by Lee on Wednesday, 17th January 2007

Here is a DfT link entitled "InterCity East Coast Clarification Request Bulletin: January 2007"
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_railways/documents/page/dft_railways_614128.pdf

Re: DfT Asks GNER To Surrender Franchise - 848/3872
Written by Lee on Sunday, 11th February 2007

Rail companies trying to replace GNER as the operator of the East Coast mainline rail franchise are to be kept waiting up to a week and a half longer before they learn if they have been shortlisted to bid (link below.)
http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2007/02/shortlist_for_east_coast_rail.html#more

The Department for Transport (DfT) is understood to have told those companies that have expressed an interested in the franchise that the initial shortlist will not be drawn up for another ten days.

The bidder shortlist was due to be announced yesterday under the timetable outlined to prospective bidders.



Re: DfT Asks GNER To Surrender Franchise - 848/3984
Written by Lee on Tuesday, 20th February 2007

The shortlist for the new operator of the East Coast Mainline train service has been announced by the Department for Transport (links below.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6378159.stm
http://www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/fullDetail.asp?ReleaseID=265353&NewsAreaID=2&NavigatedFromDepartment=False

Bids by Arriva Trains , First Rail and National Express Group have progressed to the next stage.

A proposal by Intercity-Railways , a joint venture between Stagecoach and Virgin, has also made the shortlist.



Re: DfT Asks GNER To Surrender Franchise - 848/3999
Written by Lee on Tuesday, 20th February 2007

Here is the RMT view on this (link below.)
http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2007/02/drop_wasteful_gner_franchising.html#more

Re: DfT Asks GNER To Surrender Franchise - 848/4019
Written by Lee on Wednesday, 21st February 2007

GNER is set to team up with one of the shortlisted bidders (link below.)
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=274802007


Re: DfT Asks GNER To Surrender Franchise - 848/4231
Written by Lee on Friday, 9th March 2007

An Invitation to Tender for bidders for the InterCity East Coast rail franchise has been issued by the Department for Transport (link below.)
http://www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/fullDetail.asp?ReleaseID=269615&NewsAreaID=2&NavigatedFromDepartment=False

 
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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