TransWilts CRP, CIC and Melksham RUG
Public and sustainable transport in Wiltshire

Home Accessibility GWR site Facebook The Mouth Forum Resources Training About Us Contact
 
For 2023 (and 2024 ...) - we are now fully retired from IT training.
We have made many, many friends over 25 years of teaching about Python, Tcl, Perl, PHP, Lua, Java, C and C++ - and MySQL, Linux and Solaris/SunOS too. Our training notes are now very much out of date, but due to upward compatability most of our examples remain operational and even relevant ad you are welcome to make us if them "as seen" and at your own risk.

Lisa and I (Graham) now live in what was our training centre in Melksham - happy to meet with former delegates here - but do check ahead before coming round. We are far from inactive - rather, enjoying the times that we are retired but still healthy enough in mind and body to be active!

I am also active in many other area and still look after a lot of web sites - you can find an index ((here))
Why hasnt the fiasco been put right

Management Summary - TransWilts Train service, linking largest Wiltshire population centres, growing rapidly but cut back to just 2 trains a day.

This is Article 3 of a series of 3.
Article 1 - Background to the TransWilts Train Fiasco
Article 2 - How much does a train service actually cost?
Article 3 - Why hasn't the fiasco been put right?

I have been asked the following question on a number of occasions:

"If the service that you're backing really IS appropriate, surely it would have been part of the original service specified by the Department for Transport, and even if they had got it wrong it would have been corrected by now ...". I wish!

The current level of service was specified by a body called the SRA - the Strategic Rail Authority - in their dying days; heavily pushed towards a franchise system that maximised profit payable to The Treasury, they took unduly pessimistic growth and traffic figures for smaller lines, and in the particular case of the TransWilts that was a double tragedy as service improvements shortly before their surveys had started a spectacular (up to 35% per annum) growth but at the point of th surveys this hadn't been fully translated into passenger numbers. The triple tragedy is that it WAS translated into some pretty busy trains in the years between the stats being gathered and the new "reduced" service introduction.

As a result of the SRA specification and competitive bids by three companies, won by the First group, one sixth of the income from all rail fares in the South West over the 10 years of the franchise has to be paid to the government - in effect a tax on the traveller. And also, in effect, a raising of the profit threshold that much be made by the average train service. Quite simply, the SRA specification and the way that First chose to bid it has raised the bar so high that it doesn't make sense for First to run services that make only a small operational profit - they need a big profit. Emotively, I could compare it to The SRA setting up a system where they award the nice cushy job to the person who's prepared to pay the most protection money.

First's problems in serving the passenger first (!) are not limited to the need to pay crippling financial sums to the treasury (and, be warned, they kick in much more in 2009, then 2010!). They also have to lease the trains they run from a handful or organisations - the RoSCOs - who bought them from British Rail at privatisation and now, in a growing rail market, are sitting on a scarce commodity for which they can charge a very profitable price. Progressively tougher health, safety and access issues also add a further - and very significant burden; it's always tough to argue against safety improvements, but we now have the absurd situation where rail projects are lost on safety costs, and pushing traffic onto the much LESS safe roads. Oh - and First also have to ensure that they make enough money to pay their shareholders; at their AGM, they proudly state that they're improving dividend payments by 10% per annum ... and that money comes from their passengers and is NOT being spent on improving the service / keeping feeder service running as it would have been in the past.

I mentioned that the SRA had gone, didn't I? Their operation was taken over directly by the Department for Transport (Rail), who you'll see I've commented on earlier. There are largely the same staff in place (so you're not going to find that they'll say "The SRA got it wrong" as they would be admitting to their own errors) - civil servants who are largely guided by the politics of their Labour ministers. Since the summer of 2005 alone, we've had Alastair Darling, Douglas Alexander, Ruth Kelly and (now) Geoff Hoon as the Cabinet Minister at the Department. And we've had Derek Twigg, Tom Harris and (now) Andrew Adonis as the minister for Rail. All very bright people who have done well for themselves, yet little very limited prior transport skills and in many cases not even elected by people who's rail service they control (it always strikes me as undemocratic that a Minister for Rail often represents a Scottish seat, or sits in The Lords, when the Department only controls rail service in England, having devolved the Welsh and Scotch systems to their local parliaments!).

Let's look at Wiltshire County Council - the third key player. The council ceases to exist on 1st April, and is replaced by a Unitary Authority - with all the same people in charge, but taking over district councils. At present, they're busy spending 12 million on new IT systems, and jostling each other for the new jobs in the new authority. The council has a reputation for being "anti-rail", and that reputation is not helped by their view that it is for government and not them (even though they are the Local Transport Authority) to subsidise rail. The question has been asked of them "if it's not your job to tune government dictat of local conditions, what IS you job?" ... pointing out to them examples in Cornawll, Devon, Bristol, Hampshire ... but the question has been met with a deafening silence. Rail improvements - at a tidy price - would lessen the case for road improvements along the corridor, and one or two key elected representatives who hold sway over all of Wiltshire are very determined indeed to get those other schemes through, so will always look to kick plans into the long grass. A report to be commissioned last MAY to review the service hasn't even been awarded yet as far as I can tell. By the time it reports, it will be too late for the December 2009 service. And I believe that this is a calculated delay, wrapped up in the sweetener of "we have to be careful how we spend money" ...

Look at Wiltshire Council, at First and at the Department for Transport, and the position that the system has put them in, and it's little wonder that the grossly inappropriate service that was sneaked into the SRA document hasn't been changed to something more appropriate.

Indeed - what IS a miracle is that the service shown here was drawn up (by First), validated (by Network Rail), and accepted and encouraged as sensible approach (by the DtT and Wiltshire Council). There are very good people working at all of those organisations, and I applaud their work.

The story is an ongoing one. "Keep at it ... you'll get it in a year or two" said one of our professional contacts in the summer, just after we had lost the December opportunity. Yes - the campaign will keep on going, and the objective achieved. But the "you" who will get it won't be me or the other campaigners; the people who get their service will be the people of Wiltshire, and the people who visit this lovely county.


Article 1 - Background to the TransWilts Train Fiasco
Article 2 - How much does a train service actually cost?
Article 3 - Why hasn't the fiasco been put right?
(written 2008-12-29, updated 2008-12-31)

 
Associated topics are indexed as below, or enter http://melksh.am/nnnn for individual articles
Z501 - Public Transport - Rail
  [154] Railway train service, Melksham station - (2004-12-17)
  [428] Swindon - Chippenham - Melksham - Trowbridge - Westbury train service - (2005-08-29)
  [434] Through public transport connection, Chippenham to Salisbury, to cease - (2005-09-02)
  [447] Tomorrow's meeting. - (2005-09-19)
  [486] Rail services under threat - Swindon, Melksham ... and Newquay and Bicester too - (2005-11-05)
  [488] Looking for railway groups and users - Swindon, Salisbury, Southampton - (2005-11-06)
  [521] Proof needed? Please just use common sense! - (2005-12-08)
  [524] Santa comes to Melksham - (2005-12-11)
  [527] Greater Western Franchise Awarded - (2005-12-13)
  [632] Moral dilemma - (2006-03-04)
  [634] Real chance to make a difference - (2006-03-05)
  [648] West Wilts Railway Users Group and trains to Lacock - (2006-03-16)
  [688] Are you free on Friday evening? - (2006-04-18)
  [697] For any North and West Wilts and Swindon Readers - (2006-04-23)
  [790] Shadow Transport Minister to visit Melksham - (2006-07-02)
  [803] Not shouting - (2006-07-16)
  [814] Melksham Railway Calendar 2007 - (2006-07-25)
  [877] Yes, but what do we do now?? - (2006-09-24)
  [952] Coming from London to Melksham by train for a course - (2006-11-28)
  [974] The last commuter train through Melksham - (2006-12-09)
  [976] Santa at the station - (2006-12-09)
  [1033] Empty at Easleigh, Missing at Melksham, Overflowing at Oldfield - (2007-01-14)
  [1044] Call for appropriate train services - Swindon, Bristol, Bath, West Wilts, Severn Beach etc - (2007-01-18)
  [1045] Bang! Train campaign hits home - (2007-01-19)
  [1063] Bradford-on-Avon - 150 years of passenger trains - (2007-02-03)
  [1069] Rail trouble forced me to buy hotel - (2007-02-07)
  [1076] Save the Train - an update - (2007-02-12)
  [1093] Wiltshire Train - can YOU come on 5th March? - (2007-02-25)
  [1097] Train and business balls all in the air! - (2007-03-02)
  [1139] Overcrowded trains around Bristol - (2007-04-08)
  [1228] Some progress on the train campaign - (2007-06-10)
  [1273] Melksham or Weymouth? Meal or day out? - (2007-07-23)
  [1274] Radio coverage for railway issues - (2007-07-23)
  [1291] Day trip to Weymouth - (2007-08-05)
  [1303] Heading Upstate New York - (2007-08-14)
  [1314] Business travel by train in the USA - (2007-08-22)
  [1358] Look forward with a new broom - Wiltshire Train Service - (2007-09-19)
  [1382] First Great Western - information for customers - (2007-10-07)
  [1424] Closer than you think - the next step - (2007-11-08)
  [1428] Travel Across Wiltshire - the game - (2007-11-11)
  [1452] Santa on the train to Melksham - (2007-12-01)
  [1530] Railway Acronyms and Abbreviations - (2008-02-03)
  [1558] Getting somewhere with the train service - (2008-02-28)
  [1567] Melksham - Swindon. Train v Bus v Car - (2008-03-07)
  [1616] Not daring to be an anorak - (2008-04-19)
  [1708] A Train Service Update for Melksham Party in the Park - (2008-07-13)
  [1729] Back from the future - (2008-07-30)
  [1757] Preserved railways - struggling to the future? - (2008-08-17)
  [1848] 30th November - Santa Trip from Melksham - (2008-10-19)
  [1858] Camera with night vision, youth with no vision - (2008-10-28)
  [1905] A Gold Star for First Great Western Customer Service - (2008-11-24)
  [1965] How much does a train service actually cost - (2008-12-29)
  [1966] Background to the TransWilts Train Fiasco - (2008-12-29)
  [1999] How low can you sink? - (2009-01-17)
  [2024] Carry on Training - in spite of the weather - (2009-02-03)
  [2026] Melksham Climate Friendly Group - (2009-02-05)
  [2042] Wiltshire Rail Service Update - (2009-02-15)
  [2057] Train and Coach fares from London (and airports) to Melksham - (2009-02-26)
  [2133] Bigger and better this year! - (2009-04-20)
  [2268] Westbury Bypass Refused - looking forward - (2009-07-04)
  [2318] For Lua Programmers AND for Town Planners - (2009-08-02)
  [2328] Melksham - no trains, no southbound buses through the town - (2009-08-08)
  [2372] Public Transport from (and to) Melksham on Sundays - (2009-08-23)
  [2391] Great Western Route Utilisation Strategy - Draft for Consultation - (2009-09-02)
  [2395] From Lymington by train - last of the slammers - (2009-09-05)
  [2438] Listening to The Minister - (2009-10-05)
  [2457] Railway Arithmetic - (2009-10-16)
  [2473] Exploring Old Railways - (2009-10-24)
  [2477] By train ... - (2009-10-25)
  [2486] Santa Special - Trowbridge and Melksham to Swindon - (2009-10-31)
  [2511] The story of the railway land at Melksham Station - (2009-11-24)
  [2513] Wiltshire Council purchases Melksham Station Land - (2009-11-26)
  [2522] Integrated public Transport - what could be done for Melksham - (2009-12-01)
  [2529] Santa Special, 2009 - (2009-12-06)
  [2533] Five guests, three groups, one car - (2009-12-11)
  [2556] Railway Station Survey - please complete today or tomorrow - (2009-12-30)
  [2557] Rail Campaign - response to core consultation - (2009-12-31)
  [2568] Forums for your Melksham and open source discussions - (2010-01-09)
  [2626] On Malachite Green - (2010-02-06)
  [2627] Saturdays out from Melksham - to Oxford, to Didcot or to Swindon - (2010-02-07)
  [2634] London to and from Melksham by public transport - (2010-02-13)
  [2658] Save the Train - a significant change in approach - (2010-03-03)
  [2662] Is Melksham public transport actually used? - (2010-03-05)
  [2664] Oliver Cromwell at Bristol Temple Meads - (2010-03-06)
  [2678] Reaching out to the community - a good case for support - (2010-03-15)
  [2696] Garlic bread without garlic - (2010-03-27)
  [2808] From home to Nurnberg - journey pictures - (2010-06-13)
  [2855] Train Services - Melksham to Bath and Bristol (and airport) - (2010-07-05)
  [2901] Ambassador or Anorak? - (2010-08-03)
  [2908] How Green is my train? - (2010-08-07)
  [2919] London to Calne, Corsham, Melksham, Bradford-on-Avon, Chippenham by public Transport - (2010-08-13)
  [2930] Walk - Tilehurst to Pangborne - (2010-08-21)
  [2931] Syncronise - software, trains, and buses. Please! - (2010-08-22)
  [2954] Railway meetings, trips and meetups this autumn - (2010-09-12)
  [2955] Melksham Railway Station - new information point - (2010-09-13)
  [2982] Travel, Transport and Tourism - A vision for Melksham, 2026 - (2010-10-03)
  [3006] Santa announcement, 5th December 2010, Melksham - (2010-10-20)
  [3017] Seventh day traveller on the six day railway - (2010-10-27)
  [3031] Get all your ducks in a row ... and they may turn into swans - (2010-11-06)
  [3033] Rail services back to Radstock? - (2010-11-07)
  [3079] TransWilts Rail News ... Melksham (Santa Special) Edition ... 5th December 2010 - (2010-12-04)
  [3080] Santa Special - rather more special than usual - December 2010 - (2010-12-07)
  [3111] TransWilts Link - Days out from Swindon to Weymouth? - (2010-12-28)
  [3113] Trowbridge and Melksham to Chippenham - more roadworks, even slower journey over the winter - (2010-12-30)
  [3114] Transwilts Link - both Wiltshire and beyond - (2010-12-30)
  [3119] TransWilts - some things to see and do - (2011-01-03)
  [3135] A time to be brave? We should ask for what is best for our area. - (2011-01-16)
  [3141] Wiltshire Rail services - a golden opportunity - (2011-01-21)
  [3161] TransWilts rail - what picture represents us - (2011-02-08)
  [3167] Can I take my dog by train? And other questions - (2011-02-12)
  [3171] Train and boat journey - the passenger accommodation - (2011-02-15)
  [3176] Comparing German, Dutch and British Railways - (2011-02-19)
  [3178] The cost of roadworks on the economy of our town - 1800 pounds per hour? - (2011-02-20)
  [3187] Past and Present - Melksham Station - (2011-02-27)
  [3198] TransWilts rail - coming together, wanted and needed - (2011-03-10)
  [3273] Wanted - a look to the future - (2011-05-02)
  [3274] Small scale improvement - big scale gain. And they CAN be done with local knowledge - (2011-05-02)
  [3318] Summer Sunday Trains - outings from Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge and Westbury - (2011-06-05)
  [3328] Summer Sundays - days out by train from Swindon on the TransWilts - (2011-06-18)
  [3331] Comparing Alloa and Melksham - stations and services - (2011-06-23)
  [3336] Efficient travel - from Melsksham to Edinburgh by Sleeper Train - (2011-06-26)
  [3362] Swindon, Chippenham and Melksham to Weymouth - Sunday Train Service Starts - (2011-07-19)
  [3364] Dogs Legs on the Dogleg - (2011-07-20)
  [3370] Standing Challenge - (2011-07-26)
  [3371] From Wiltshire to Weymouth on Sundays - (2011-07-27)
  [3378] New product - ensuring that supply matches demand - (2011-08-03)
  [3392] What costs 8.20 from Melksham, or 22.30 via Chippenham? - (2011-08-14)
  [3403] Last chance this summer - Swindon and North Wiltshire to Weymouth by through train - (2011-08-22)
  [3408] Journey home by public transport for a Bank Holiday - (2011-08-27)
  [3410] A review of the Summer Sunday extra trains on the TransWilts line - (2011-08-29)
  [3434] Sundays - and over eating - (2011-09-11)
  [3452] Which or ATOC - who reads train fares right? - (2011-09-22)
  [3486] How important is public transport to people in the Melksham area? - (2011-10-19)
  [3487] Public transport - road and rail - (2011-10-19)
  [3493] West Wilts Rail User Group - Walk yesterday from Bradford-on-Avon to Trowbridge - (2011-10-23)
  [3501] Santa Claus - on the train from Melksham on 4th December 2011 - (2011-10-30)
  [3538] Santa Train - another successful trip - 4th December 2011 - (2011-12-04)
  [3550] Provide a useable train service, and people will use it! - (2011-12-11)
  [3564] I wish I was not a special case - (2011-12-29)
  [3565] What would an appropriate train service on the TransWilts line mean - (2011-12-31)
  [3579] Transport in Cambridgeshire - seen by an outside observer. What can Wiltshire learn? - (2012-01-15)
  [3601] Rail Travel - has it become more unreliable? - (2012-02-02)
  [3626] There is so much to see travelling by train - (2012-02-26)
  [3631] Getting around Dublin by public transport - some observations - (2012-03-01)
  [3642] Wiltshire Travel Times - Chippenham, Trowbridge, Salisbury and other places too - (2012-03-07)
  [3668] Kings Cross - new concourse - between Python in Cambridge and Objective C in London - (2012-03-22)
  [3671] Future train services in Wiltshire - please write in to support a better service - (2012-03-24)
  [3699] Bristol 50? Bristol 25? - (2012-04-17)
  [3728] The future needs for rail services to Melksham - change needed; current service an insult - (2012-05-11)
  [3736] Abstraction - (2012-05-19)
  [3761] Melksham - placed 2254 out of 2255. What can be done about it? - (2012-06-11)
  [3765] Christmas in June? Melksham hotel bookings and Santa train - (2012-06-15)
  [3784] Steam train calls at Melksham - Pictures - (2012-06-26)
  [3786] Improving Wiltshire Rail Offer - it WILL be happening - (2012-06-28)
  [3793] Excellent Rail News - what it really means - (2012-07-01)
  [3795] Like a bathroom company with no plumbers - (2012-07-04)
  [3802] What a difference a year makes - (2012-07-10)
  [3804] Scenes from commuting by train - (2012-07-14)
  [3815] The Melksham News - July 2012 - Part 2, TransWilts Rail, Wilts and Berks Canal - (2012-07-23)
  [3826] TransWilts trains - what the next franchise period will bring - (2012-08-04)
  [3860] Melksham to Steam in Swindon, by train - great day out - (2012-09-16)
  [3872] Trains across Wiltshire - an update on the TransWilts - (2012-09-28)
  [3873] Henbury loop, Bristol - a freight railway line with passenger potential? - (2012-09-29)
  [3879] Mixed mode travel - Information systems - (2012-10-03)
  [3881] Wiltshire Public Transport User Group co-ordination - (2012-10-05)
  [3882] Community Transport - Pewsey, Taunton, and the whole picture too - (2012-10-06)
  [3890] Here comes Santa - on the train from Melksham to Swindon on 2nd December 2012 - (2012-10-13)
  [3893] Public Transport across Wiltshire - a new map - (2012-10-13)
  [3899] Father Christmas to be on train in Melksham - (2012-10-19)
  [3904] Want to help us improve transport in Wiltshire? Here is how! - (2012-10-26)
  [3923] 35 minutes is only a slight delay on our railway service - (2012-11-15)
  [3937] Agenda for Wiltshire Link Travel groups meeting, Saturday 1st December 2012 - (2012-11-27)
  [3938] A long overdue meeting - a steeping stone towards coordinate transport user inputs - (2012-12-02)
  [3942] Santa Trip - Melksham Railway Development Group, 2012 - (2012-12-03)
  [3986] Rail services in Wiltshire - up in the air? We need to say what is best required. - (2013-01-20)
  [3993] Two trains a day ... how many fares to London? Guess! - (2013-02-04)
  [3994] On board Eurostar - a running commentary - (2013-02-04)
  [3995] Onward from Brussels - (2013-02-04)
  [4022] A request for all of Melksham transport groups to work integrated - (2013-03-01)
  [4040] Report on the last year - Melksham Railway Developement Group for Melksham Without Parish Council - (2013-03-11)
  [4080] Fancy a day at the seaside? Weymouth from Melksham - (2013-05-06)
  [4104] Weymouth vis the TransWilts - the day out today - (2013-05-27)
  [4105] Our day trip by train from Swindon, Chippenham and Melksham to Weymouth - (2013-05-28)
  [4110] TransWilts meeting ... - (2013-06-07)
  [4113] Wiltshire and Melksham Transport - what is going on? - (2013-06-09)
  [4131] West Coast (of Wales) - railway and stations in pictures - (2013-07-04)
  [4142] Passenger survey at Chippenham - report and pictures - (2013-07-24)
  [4146] A few more trains means a LOT more passengers. Why? - (2013-07-30)
  [4148] Special General Meeting, Adoption of Constitution for TransWilts Community Rail Partnership - (2013-08-01)
  [4150] Melksham Regular Public Transport Map - as at August 2013 - (2013-08-09)
  [4154] August Bank Holiday - day out from Melksham to London or Weymouth - (2013-08-20)
  [4159] People WILL walk to the station in Melksham, but they need a path and trains - (2013-08-25)
  [4160] Bank Holiday Monday - pictures of a great train trip to Weymouth - (2013-08-27)
  [4163] TransWilts Community Rail Partnership - formally constituted - (2013-09-01)
  [4173] Train and Rail Travel - who runs it and where do I ask questions? - (2013-09-13)
  [4176] International and off island travel from Melksham - (2013-09-16)
  [4185] TransWilts Trains - running a successful campaign talk - (2013-10-05)
  [4190] A radical proposal - a cheap and effective way to provide home to city commuter transport - (2013-10-11)
  [4191] Getting people to and from Melksham Station - not 20 but 700 times a day - (2013-10-12)
  [4194] TransWilts Link - meeting notes from 19th October - (2013-10-20)
  [4195] Booking for Santa, Melksham Railway Development Group, 8th December 2013 - (2013-10-21)
  [4196] Official - Trowbridge and Melksham to London train improvements - (2013-10-22)
  [4199] Draft Westbury - Melksham - Swindon train times, from December 2014 - (2013-10-24)
  [4202] Excellent Railfuture conference, but some setup lessons - (2013-11-03)
  [4216] Los Angeles - post modern transport system - (2013-11-27)
  [4217] New train service - launch plans and timetable links - (2013-12-03)
  [4218] A THANK YOU to those who have brought the new train service to fruition - (2013-12-06)
  [4219] TransWilts train services - up from 2 to 8 per day - (2013-12-09)
  [4224] TransWilts - first day pictures - (2013-12-18)
  [4226] Saturday train to Swindon - two weeks in - (2013-12-21)
  [4238] A Question series posed to Melksham Tourist information - (2014-01-19)
  [4250] Lacock Halt - former TransWilts Station - (2014-03-23)
  [4251] Broughton Gifford Halt, TransWilts Railway Line - (2014-03-24)
  [4252] Staveton Halt, former station between Trowbridge and Melksham - (2014-03-25)
  [4253] Easter Weeks - Melksham to Weymouth - (2014-04-02)
  [4256] Train fare look expensive? There may be a cheaper option - (2014-04-02)
  [4263] Chippenham - Melksham - Trowbridge, public transport over Easter (2014) - (2014-04-12)
  [4267] How effective is our publicity? - (2014-04-26)
  [4268] Metrics - historic and current TransWilts train use - (2014-04-27)
  [4269] Survey - Journeys - (2014-04-28)
  [4276] Swindon to Weymouth - by train, the traditional way - 2014 - (2014-05-12)
  [4289] It may be cheaper to buy in bulk - (2014-07-15)
  [4306] Four time target - good news. Four time prediction - poor forecasting. - (2014-09-26)
  [4312] Officially overcrowded in the first year - (2014-11-15)
  [4342] My first official measure - Passenger Entrys and Exits - revisited 9 years later - (2014-12-05)
  [4352] A long day on the trains, but a rewarding one - (2014-12-14)
  [4353] Celebration pictures, year 1 - (2014-12-15)
  [4365] The changing face of Christmas - (2014-12-26)
  [4367] A year of rail memories! - (2014-12-27)
  [4378] What FGW passengers want to talk about / and PHP programming to find out - (2015-01-01)
  [4397] TransWilts / Press and Publicity report for AGM / 30th January 2015 - (2015-01-17)
  [4425] A Welsh valley - what the transport looks like in 2015 - (2015-02-14)
  [4464] Catching up on a week all in a single post (?) - (2015-03-21)
  [4467] Neighbourhood Plan - travel and transport thoughts - (2015-03-29)
  [4471] Leopardstown to Rosslare by train - (2015-04-23)
  [4473] Fishguard to Melksham - third part of Dublin journey - (2015-04-25)
  [4475] New car park at Melksham Station - ideal for commuters from Seend, Hilperton, Yarnbrook and Holt - (2015-04-26)
  [4478] Home in Melksham to Gatwick Airport - easy by public transport - (2015-04-29)
  [4486] Newark to New York - the PATH suburban railway - (2015-05-05)
  [4495] Swindon to Westbury train services - Saturdays from 23rd May 2015 - (2015-05-17)
  [4496] Sunday train times - 17th May to 6th September 2015 - (2015-05-17)
  [4511] The Royal Albert Bridge as you do not normally see it - (2015-07-12)
  [4512] The Weymouth Wizard - Saturdays in August from Wiltshire - (2015-07-31)
  [4515] Why has the hourly Chippenham to Trowbridge train been withdrawn? - (2015-09-24)
  [4539] TransWilts public transport corridor - (2015-10-15)
  [4578] Rail electrification - far, far too optimistic so over budget and late - (2015-11-20)
  [4596] Call for help counting passengers - TransWilts, 12th to 14th December - (2015-12-10)
  [4598] 21 places to get your train and bus timetables for TransWilts - (2015-12-19)
  [4612] TransWilts - robust these days - no longer the first service to be cancelled - (2016-01-03)
  [4623] Rambling from Westbury - (2016-01-16)
  [4636] Rail user groups worried about what is happening on the buses - (2016-01-31)
  [4640] Who was Doctor Beeching and what was his axe? - (2016-02-06)
  [4665] Chippenham to Salisbury by public transport - what we have and what we could have - (2016-03-26)
  [4677] Swindon, Chippenham and Melksham - day trips by train to Weymouth start for 2016 - (2016-05-18)
  [4684] Melksham Station - as at May 2016 - Part 1 - (2016-05-28)
  [4685] Melksham Station - as at May 2016 - Part 2 - (2016-05-29)
  [4686] Melksham Station - as at May 2016 - Part 3 - (2016-05-29)
  [4687] Melksham Station - as at May 2016 - Part 4 - (2016-05-30)
  [4688] Melksham Station - as at May 2016 - Part 5 (services and prices) - (2016-05-30)
  [4695] Melksham Rail Development Group becoming Melksham Rail Users Group - (2016-06-21)
  [4699] Melksham Rail Development Group - a celebration of 20 years - (2016-06-25)
  [4706] Melksham trial train service is to be made permanent - (2016-10-02)
  [4726] TransWilts Partner Update for Melksham Area Board - (2016-11-07)
  [4727] Learning from travelling further afield - (2016-11-09)
  [4760] Rotary Talk, 25/7/2017 - (2017-07-25)
  [4764] Some thoughts on the closure proposal for Breich station - (2017-10-11)
  [4765] Breich Station - current pictures, and future options - (2017-10-11)
  [4770] GW franchise - my response - (2018-02-20)


Back to
Best source to learn Java (or Perl or PHP or Python)
Previous and next
or
Horse's mouth home
Forward to
How much does a train service actually cost
Some other Articles
Review of 2008
LinkedIn - Thrice Asked, and joined.
Why hasnt the fiasco been put right
Best source to learn Java (or Perl or PHP or Python)
Index Card System for Game Characters in PHP
Making our things easier to find
Christmas Survivors
-
4759 posts, page by page
Link to page ... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96 at 50 posts per page


This is a page archived from The Horse's Mouth at http://www.wellho.net/horse/ - the diary and writings of Graham Ellis. Every attempt was made to provide current information at the time the page was written, but things do move forward in our business - new software releases, price changes, new techniques. Please check back via our main site for current courses, prices, versions, etc - any mention of a price in "The Horse's Mouth" cannot be taken as an offer to supply at that price.

Link to Ezine home page (for reading).
Link to Blogging home page (to add comments).

You can Add a comment or ranking to this page

© WELL HOUSE CONSULTANTS LTD., 2024: 48 Spa Road • Melksham, Wiltshire • United Kingdom • SN12 7NY
PH: 01144 1225 708225 • EMAIL: info@wellho.net • WEB: http://www.wellho.net • SKYPE: wellho

PAGE: http://www.wellho.net/mouth/1964_Why ... right.html • PAGE BUILT: Sun Oct 11 16:07:41 2020 • BUILD SYSTEM: JelliaJamb