Melksham's no tiny village - it's the fourth largest town in the Wilsthire unitary area after Salisbury, Trowbridge and Chippenham - and yet it has a lousy train service with just two trains each way a day, at times which are next to useless for business visitors to the town, or for people to commute anywhere (11 hours in Swindon, or Salisbury is simply too long, as most people have an 8 hour working day). Visitors from London can catch the 17:30 train and arrive at 19:11 and stay locally, but the morning train is so early that it leaves Swindon before the first train from London gets there ... and I could carry on telling you what's wrong with the current service level and timetable.
There's currently a consultation underway asking what service should be provided for the next 15 years, and an enormous amount of background work has been done on the "TransWilts line". It points to a service that runs at least once every 2 hours as being appropriate - and that would bring a sea change to the usage, and very real benefits to Melksham as well as the other communities served. And it doesn't even need to cost any more than the current service - the infrastucture's all there in place, just the trains need to be run. The existing services should REMAIN - they would get much busier as commuters would be able to use other trains for a better length working day, and the extra services would also load very well. Theoretic studies show it. Surveys have people saying they would use it. We even had a trial service last summer that got so busy we had to stop advertising it!
The Melksham Chamber of Commerce and Industry has submitted a letter in favour of an increased service to the Department for Transport - see
[here] to read a copy. That's in support of the wider TransWilts Community Rail Partnership submission that's
[here].
If you would like to see an improved service, a better used existing service, a more environmentally friendly service, and a service that's a real benefit to Melksham's businesses and wider community, please write to the Department for Transport at gwconsultation@dft.gsi.gov.uk and let them know. You really could help make a difference. I would much appreciate a reference to the Chamber of Commerce input and the TransWilts Community Rail input - they're at
http://www.twcrp.org.uk/DfT_GWconsultation_TransWilts.pdf
http://www.melkshamchamber.org.uk/dftcoc.pdf
as that will help us present a joined up, technically sound proposal that's case that's hard to deny.
Thanks.
(written 2012-03-25, updated 2012-03-31)
Associated topics are indexed as below, or enter http://melksh.am/nnnn for individual articles
Z402 - Melksham Chamber of Commerce and Industry [717] A customer service company - (2006-05-11)
[1223] Asda opening large new store in Melksham - (2007-06-08)
[1250] Business speed networking - a place tonight! - (2007-06-28)
[1429] Remembrance day - inside a church and inside the day - (2007-11-11)
[1432] Wiltshire County Council - Budget Consultation - (2007-11-15)
[1476] Shopping for Christmas and looking forward - (2007-12-17)
[1504] Flooding by Asda-s proposed new supermarket - (2008-01-12)
[1507] Comments on proposed Asda Superstore for Melksham - (2008-01-14)
[1633] Changing a screen saver from a web page (PHP, Perl, OSX) - (2008-05-06)
[1642] Summer! - (2008-05-15)
[1748] Hotel room prices - Melksham, Wiltshire - (2008-08-11)
[1792] All the pieces fall into place - hotel and courses - (2008-09-10)
[1880] Melksham Chamber of Commerce, or the FSB - (2008-11-12)
[1881] Wiltshire Council says - part 1 - (2008-11-13)
[1892] Melksham Chamber of Commerce and Industry - (2008-11-17)
[1904] Ruby, Perl, Linux, MySQL - some training notes - (2008-11-23)
[1934] Lidl opens in Melksham - (2008-12-11)
[1979] Looking forward, in Melksham, in 2009 - (2009-01-05)
[1987] One Cheer for Local Democracy - Asda in Melksham - (2009-01-11)
[2043] Confidence, Customer Service and Tourism in Melksham - (2009-02-15)
[2095] Blue Ridge and Melksham Chambers of Commerce - (2009-03-21)
[2111] Business Networking for Melksham - 23rd April - (2009-04-01)
[2119] Make your business a DESTINATION business - (2009-04-05)
[2181] You cannot please all of the people all of the time - (2009-05-14)
[2194] Melksham Business Map - Chamber of Commerce, Tourist Information and Town Council - (2009-05-21)
[2220] Melksham Traders - where do we go? - (2009-06-05)
[2260] Important - the future of Melksham / Chamber of Commerce - (2009-06-28)
[2288] Wiltshire Community Area Partnerships - (2009-07-15)
[2289] pre-Inaugural briefing - Melksham Community Area Partnership - (2009-07-15)
[2328] Melksham - no trains, no southbound buses through the town - (2009-08-08)
[2437] Wiltshire Unitary News - Chamber of Commerce Intelligence - (2009-10-04)
[2459] New Web Site for Melksham Chamber of Commerce - (2009-10-18)
[2465] Melksham Town - asleep or awake? - (2009-10-21)
[2487] Melksham Forum - (2009-11-01)
[2495] Planning the future of Wiltshire - (2009-11-07)
[2508] Community Area Partnership - inaugural AGM - (2009-11-20)
[2514] The road show has been - where now? - (2009-11-27)
[2521] Melksham Market - Tuesdays, 09:00 to 14:00 - (2009-12-01)
[2531] Melksham - new Tuesday Market - (2009-12-09)
[2540] Rock and hard place .. and the relaxing right one won - (2009-12-18)
[2544] Vision for Wiltshire - (2009-12-20)
[2546] How well do you know Melksham - a quiz for Christmas - (2009-12-21)
[2568] Forums for your Melksham and open source discussions - (2010-01-09)
[2594] Melksham Area - your community view is sought - (2010-01-23)
[2640] How is your tax pound spent? - (2010-02-18)
[2666] Random thoughts on Melksham Town Planning and development - (2010-03-08)
[2683] Car Parking in Melksham - (2010-03-18)
[2725] How do our tactics help us meet the strategy, for the greater good? - (2010-04-16)
[2770] Melksham Chamber of Commerce - Presidents report to AGM - (2010-05-19)
[2779] The history and future of Melksham Chamber of Commerce - (2010-05-25)
[2782] Tell the Melksham Chamber or you only have yourself to blame - (2010-05-26)
[2827] Melksham - a gem in Wiltshire - (2010-06-26)
[2837] Lorry Parking in Melksham - (2010-06-29)
[2853] Transport in Wessex - today and into the future - (2010-07-04)
[2867] Cycling in Melksham, and looking forward - (2010-07-11)
[2872] Moved - Melksham Lorry Park - (2010-07-15)
[2883] Melksham Oak - photos of the new community school - (2010-07-22)
[2891] Wiltshire Council ask how they can help businesses - (2010-07-27)
[2932] Getting into and out of Wiltshire towns .. a.k.a. Car Parking? - (2010-08-23)
[2957] Welcome to Countrywides new Melksham store - (2010-09-15)
[2959] A Melksham news roundup - (2010-09-18)
[2982] Travel, Transport and Tourism - A vision for Melksham, 2026 - (2010-10-03)
[2995] A river in Melksham is not just for boaters. - (2010-10-11)
[3088] Melksham - two many councils? - (2010-12-16)
[3113] Trowbridge and Melksham to Chippenham - more roadworks, even slower journey over the winter - (2010-12-30)
[3117] Opportunities for Melksham - new businesses in the town - (2011-01-01)
[3141] Wiltshire Rail services - a golden opportunity - (2011-01-21)
[3162] Keep your business customer-friendly! - (2011-02-09)
[3172] On consultations, car parking, and Melksham town centre - (2011-02-17)
[3173] What is the Melksham Chamber of Commerce? - (2011-02-18)
[3188] What proportion of the British Workforce still works a Monday to Friday, 9 to 5, week? - (2011-03-01)
[3193] Melksham Campus - what, why, questions, concerns and how you can input - (2011-03-04)
[3214] Melksham Campus - any last minute inputs from Melksham businesses? - (2011-03-26)
[3217] Vandalism and riot from the minority - the effect - (2011-03-28)
[3246] Melksham - the way forward. 26th April, Well House Manor - (2011-04-13)
[3249] Events - Spring and Early Summer 2011 in Melksham - (2011-04-17)
[3272] Melksham Car Parking - current charges and limits - (2011-05-01)
[3275] Melksham Chamber of Commerce - grows to appoint new Press Officer. Welcome. Sam - (2011-05-02)
[3279] Letter to The Editor - (2011-05-06)
[3299] Presidents Report to Melksham Chamber of Commerce, 24.5.2011 - (2011-05-24)
[3307] Melksham Community Radio launches - (2011-05-28)
[3325] The Olympic Torch, and Melksham House - (2011-06-14)
[3334] A lesson from the sporran market? - (2011-06-25)
[3340] Summer Sunday Timetable - TransWilts Trains - (2011-06-30)
[3343] Summer Sunday Train Service Starts - Swindon Chippenham and Melksham to Weymouth - (2011-07-03)
[3380] Melksham Jelly - An Occasional Office for Home Workers - (2011-08-06)
[3383] Are people who walk into Melksham being asked to subsidise parking? - (2011-08-09)
[3420] Making best use of the new enthusiasm for Melksham - (2011-09-05)
[3423] 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 12? - (2011-09-07)
[3427] What is on the Melksham Agenda? - (2011-09-09)
[3438] Melksham to become a part of Trowbridge? - (2011-09-13)
[3470] Currently pictured in Melksham - (2011-10-09)
[3475] Havant - Shop Frontages. - (2011-10-12)
[3481] Some thoughts in answer to some Melksham Campus questions - (2011-10-14)
[3492] Upcoming events in and about Melksham - more dates for your diary - (2011-10-22)
[3495] Looking forward - Chamber of Commerce has 2012 and beyond on the agenda - (2011-10-26)
[3496] Melksham - Business to Business Speed Networking - build ahead for 2012 - (2011-10-26)
[3527] Melksham - changing times, an opportunity for the future - (2011-11-23)
[3560] Melksham, Month by month through 2011 - (2011-12-23)
[3598] Melksham Civic Awards - report and pictures - (2012-01-29)
[3627] Meeting Report - Tuesday 21st Feb - to Melksham Chamber of Commerce from Shadow Community Operations Board - (2012-02-27)
[3663] Changing shops and organisations - Melksham, the last and next five years - (2012-03-21)
[3677] Some advise for guest speakers at meetings - (2012-03-31)
[3682] Melksham Business Newsreel - (2012-04-03)
[3693] Wiltshire Business Support Service - (2012-04-11)
[3696] Melksham government and business organisations - (2012-04-14)
[3697] Events in Melksham - read all about them, and tell us about yours - (2012-04-15)
[3700] Why do people use chains rather than independent traders? - (2012-04-18)
[3706] An exciting Chamber of Commerce AGM - sound like an Oxymoron? - (2012-04-25)
[3710] Encouraging business in Melksham and its neighbourhood - keep business local?? - (2012-04-27)
[3714] Just 12 winners? Or 371 or more? Town Centres. - (2012-04-30)
[3732] Ten more visitors to your premises every day? - (2012-05-14)
[3739] Go green - business seminar in Melksham - (2012-05-21)
[3748] Not everyone has a computer - 9 more ways to learn about the Melksham Campus - (2012-06-03)
[3751] Public transport for international arrivals into Melksham - (2012-06-04)
[3752] Melksham Visitors Map - Bus routes and train lines to and from the town - (2012-06-04)
[3767] How well do you know Melksham? - (2012-06-17)
[3768] Melksham Chamber of Commerce - looking to our future shape. Pivotal meeting next Tuesday - (2012-06-19)
[3787] Melksham Pride - the Chamber of Commerce, and the future - (2012-06-29)
[3812] The Melksham News - July 2012 - Part 1, Campus and Chamber of Commerce - (2012-07-22)
[3818] Making things happen - litter and ASB and lost dogs in Melksham - (2012-07-25)
[3850] Bus times - Chippenham Station to Melksham, with London connections - (2012-08-25)
[3867] The difficult interface between the business, council and voluntary sectors - (2012-09-19)
[3880] Chamber of Commerce - looking forward in Melksham and in Wessex - (2012-10-04)
[3889] Melksham Chamber of Commerce - whence in 2013 and beyond? - (2012-10-12)
[3948] Quiet little town? Advanced Technology Centre? - (2012-12-08)
[3987] Melksham Chamber of Commerce - join us in our future - (2013-01-21)
[4002] Images of Melksham you havent seen before - (2013-02-13)
[4014] Costa Coffee in Melksham - is it a good idea? - (2013-02-22)
[4041] Report on the last year - Melksham Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Melksham Without Parish Council - (2013-03-11)
[4046] Over a hundred welcoming businesses - Melksham Town Centre - (2013-03-17)
[4097] Melksham Chamber of Commerce - Report for AGM, 21st May 2013 - (2013-05-21)
[4103] Questions from children about Melksham Campus - (2013-05-26)
[4151] Tell me a bit about Melksham - (2013-08-10)
[4164] Melksham Market - every Tuesday - (2013-09-03)
[4170] Herman Miller coming to Melksham - the Chamber of Commerce is briefed - (2013-09-10)
[4278] Future Swindon - Westbury train services. At current level into the future? - (2014-05-25)
[4399] The Campus in Melksham - name, logo, and livery choice - (2015-01-18)
[4672] Annual review of Melksham Matters for Chamber of Commerce AGM - (2016-05-15)
[4738] Melksham Chamber of Commerce - my final Presidents report - (2017-05-10)
Some other Articles
Rising prices, changing habits and societySpring 2012Off to walk the dogsObject oriented or structured - a comparison in Python. Also writing clean regular expressionsMelksham Train Service - please support the TransWilts case for regular trainsFuture train services in Wiltshire - please write in to support a better serviceReading Google Analytics results, based on the relative populations of countriesStepping through a list (or an array) in reverse orderKings Cross - new concourse - between Python in Cambridge and Objective C in LondonA modern area of Cambridge - some thoughts provoked?