Save time, Save money, Save hassle, Save resources in 2014. Does it work for YOU? It won't work for everyone, but our new train services bring big cost, time, quality of life and even environmental gains.

There's extra free parking at Melksham station (for rail users). Twelve extra trains are calling per day. If you currently drive to Chippenham, Bradford-on-Avon or Westbury stations - or if you drive all the way to work in Bristol, Swindon, Salisbury or Reading - take a look at the new options.

* Trains leave Melksham in the morning (Mondays to Fridays) at 06:38, 07:20, 07:48, 09:15, 10:04 and 11:13. They get back at 12:03, 13:13, 14:30, 15:53, 16:31, 18:03, 18:48, 19:17, 19:47 and 20:38. There are as many trains on Saturdays but at different times (service calls from 07:47 to 21:34) and 11 on Sundays (from 10:44 to 20:19). Some services run to Chippenham (10 minutes) and Swindon (about 30 minutes) and others to Trowbridge (10 minutes) and Westbury (about 17 minutes). Take any train and change at Trowbridge or Chippenham for Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, and beyond.

* There is free parking at Melksham station - a few spaces right beside the station entrance, and more marked "Temporary Rail Parking" on the station approach, a few yards away. Further, permanent spaces are planned for 2014. There are cycle racks you can freely use, plenty of room to drop off and pick up people, and the footpath under the A350 brings the station safely within walking distance of much of Melksham, including the town centre.

* Driving from Bowerhill (as an example) to Chippenham is 11 miles, takes 25 minutes (according to connecting Wiltshire) and will cost you around 8.80 in car running costs (5.50 if you ignore fixed car costs) (according to the AA). Add in 6.50 for parking, and you're spending 60 pounds per week, versus about 8 pounds for driving costs from Bowerhill to Melksham station. Now - here's a surprise - the Melksham to Swindon season ticket price is just 39.60 per week (and that's the same as the price from Chippenham to Swindon), so by buying and travelling from Melksham you can save 2,000 pounds in 2014 (based on 40 weeks of travel). You save 100 hours (15 minutes each way per day). You save around 3,500 miles driven.

Please try it out. The trains have been running now for 2 weeks in the lead up to Christmas, and a handful of small teething issues have been sorted out. Please see our web site - http://www.twcrp.org.uk - or email us (info@twcrp.org.uk) if you've any specific questions or comments. Timetable leaflets are available at the Melksham TIC. Phone us on our 0845 459 0153 number.


First Great Western are operating more trains on this line following funding by Wiltshire Council through a Department for Transport Local Sustainable Transport Fund grant award.

This information is from the TransWilts Community Rail Partnership. The TransWilts Community Rail Partnership is a group of like-minded organisations seeking to improve the TransWilts railway line which connects Swindon to Salisbury via Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury through co-ordinated activity with the railway, local communities and government bodies.

References:
• http://www.connectingwiltshire.co.uk/
•http://www.theaa.com/resources/Documents/pdf/motoring-advice/running-costs/petrol2013.pdf
• http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/
• http://www.twcrp.org.uk
(written 2013-12-20, updated 2013-12-21)

 Z406 - TransWilts Community Rail Partnership
  [3881] Wiltshire Public Transport User Group co-ordination - (2012-10-05)
  [3986] Rail services in Wiltshire - up in the air? We need to say what is best required. - (2013-01-20)
  [4142] Passenger survey at Chippenham - report and pictures - (2013-07-24)
  [4148] Special General Meeting, Adoption of Constitution for TransWilts Community Rail Partnership - (2013-08-01)
  [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)
  [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)
  [4196] Official - Trowbridge and Melksham to London train improvements - (2013-10-22)
  [4198] New trains for 2014 - Swindon to Westbury. Meetings Melksham, Swindon, Trowbridge, Chippenham and Westbury - (2013-10-24)
  [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)
  [4229] Thin end of the wedge - plan to be thicker in 2014 - (2013-12-26)
  [4243] Taking Greyhounds and Lurchers to London for the day - (2014-02-23)
  [4284] Talk and walk to promote train service - Melksham Carnival - (2014-07-11)
  [4287] TransWilts CRP - walking in Melksham Carnival - (2014-07-13)
  [4288] Some questions on how our Community Rail Partnership works - (2014-07-13)
  [4291] Train Online article - ACoRP / TransWilts introduction - (2014-07-25)
  [4309] Even in the dark of night, the train comes bearing passengers - (2014-09-28)
  [4313] Moving community rail support from amateur to professional - (2014-11-16)
  [4328] Folk music train, Westbury to Swindon round trip, 14th December 2014 - (2014-11-24)
  [4343] Politics and the railway the connects Wiltshire - (2014-12-06)
  [4351] A little thing can make a big difference - (2014-12-13)
  [4353] Celebration pictures, year 1 - (2014-12-15)
  [4362] What a difference a year makes - (2014-12-23)
  [4371] Why are people using the TransWilts? - (2014-12-29)
  [4397] TransWilts / Press and Publicity report for AGM / 30th January 2015 - (2015-01-17)
  [4424] Looking Forward - TransWilts Community Rail Partnership and TransWilts CIC - (2015-02-12)
  [4435] Images of our rail promotion campaign - (2015-02-21)
  [4463] Rail Conference, Nottingham - (2015-03-16)
  [4467] Neighbourhood Plan - travel and transport thoughts - (2015-03-29)
  [4494] Monday to Friday / TransWilts train times from 18 May to 11th December 2015 - (2015-05-17)
  [4497] Around the world from Melksham - (2015-05-25)
  [4500] The TransWilts Community Intergrated Transport Corridor - (2015-05-29)
  [4510] Learning from the others - Community Rail - (2015-07-12)
  [4512] The Weymouth Wizard - Saturdays in August from Wiltshire - (2015-07-31)
  [4513] Yesterday, Weymouth - (2015-08-02)
  [4568] Moderation - and the tendency to over-moderate - (2015-11-02)
  [4601] Management view - TransWilts and transport at the end of 2015 - (2015-12-25)
  [4612] TransWilts - robust these days - no longer the first service to be cancelled - (2016-01-03)
  [4638] TransWilts Community Interest Company AGM - 13 Feb 2016, Swindon - (2016-02-05)
  [4647] On the problems of a printed train timetable - (2016-02-15)
  [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)
  [4704] Three months in community rail pictures - (2016-08-27)
  [4706] Melksham trial train service is to be made permanent - (2016-10-02)
  [4726] TransWilts Partner Update for Melksham Area Board - (2016-11-07)
  [4739] A year of changes for Lisa and Graham Ellis, and Well House - (2017-05-27)

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Mallory Place, The Spa, Wellington Drive, Melksham - a Christmas present for you
Happy Christmas from the Well House Manor team
Saturday train to Swindon - two weeks in
Melksham Resident? Commuter? Save yourself 2000 pounds and 100 hours in 2014, and have a better journey!
TransWilts - first day pictures
Democracy - alive and well with the beauty pagent starting up again
Five lessons learned or re-learned on my travels
Celebration of the fruits of LSTF, and of the people who have helped and are helping
Thun, Switzerland