Save the Melksham Train
STOP PRESS - we have heard from First Great Western in the last few days, as follows:

"We had hoped that we could organise an additional service through Wiltshire serving Melksham in particular. We looked very carefully at all the options, but whilst the plan received good support, and remains something we want to do, the cost of the new service is considerable. It will not be covered by the revenue that the service will generate, and as a commercial organisation we can only therefore proceed if we can find some joint funding to offset the costs. Despite our efforts this has to not proved possible to date, and we will not be able to offer any extra services in the next timetable due out in December.

"We will continue to discuss the plans with stakeholders and will keep looking for a partner to help finance the service, but this will not be possible before the December 2009 timetable (at the earliest)."

See who has signed up to pledge support, more details of the validated service that has just had the plug pulled and some personal comment
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Who's who?

Decisions on local transport issues, are made by the local transport authority in England, usually the county council where there are two tiers of local government or the unitary authority where there is one. Local authorities must bid for money from the Government by drawing up Local Transport Plans.

Broad areas of local policy are sometimes decided at a regional level in England by regional bodies such as Regional Assemblies and other planning bodies.

Nationally the Government sets the framework in which local and regional government must act and takes key decisions that affect the country as a whole. The Secretary of State for Transport, Alistair Darling, has the final say on policy matters at the Department for Transport. If you feel strongly about a transport issue you can write direct to him. His address is: Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP, Secretary of State for Transport, Department for Transport, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DR or you can e-mail him at alistair.darling@dft.gsi.gov.uk

A very effective way to lobby the Government with your views is to write to your MP and ask him or her to put pressure on Ministers. A letter from a constituent is almost guaranteed a personal reply. You can find out who your MP is by accessing the House of Commons website at www.parliament.uk. Or go to the sitewww.faxyourmp.com and send a message direct. You can also find out your MP, and send him or her a message by e-mail, fax or post, by accessing the Friends of the Earth Community Action website athttp://community.foe.co.uk/resource/tools/contact_mp/index.html

On matters of European significance you could contact one of your representative MEPs. However, one of the MEPs who covers Melksham wrote to me to let me know that this is outside the scope of the European Parliament, although she did say they were interested in international train services. See the websitei www.europarl.org.uk
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