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How low can you sink?

Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2009-01-17 01:17:52 - Graham Ellis

"Graham chose to compare Melksham to Dyce because ... " wrote Lee, and came up with some very good reasons why I might have chosen Dyce to make my railway station comparison, and to show just how hard done by Melksham is.[link]

But Lee gives me too much credit - FAR too much credit. I can, quite frankly, choose almost any station and make a comparison and you'll see the crass inequality of treatment of this town or some 24,000 people for whom the DfT specify 2 trains each way daily, and accept the train operating company running the first one out of Swindon at 06:15 and the second one back in at 20:20.

But I said ALMOST any station, didn't I?

Here's another very different comparison - Melksham with Denton.

Denton is an example of just how much WORSE the train service at Melksham could get, and just how dreadfully more unappealing the station area could become. For it has a service of just one train a WEEK (in one direction only!) and the footpath under the motorway that leads from the Premier Inn to the station is so dark that - for the first time in my life - I was scared to go through there the other night when I was in the area.



The weekly service is specified by the same government office that has specified the Melksham service. And they've done it within the letter (but perhaps not the spirit) of the law - a lesson for us to note, and to keep on our guard with regard to making sure the TransWilts service doesn't slip further.

You may ask whether anyone in their right mind would consider further cuts at Melksham, where there's a town of over 20,000. Alas, Denton station is right beside quite a large hotel and pub, a few paces from a major supermarket, just behind a bus stop with good pedestrian access and 4 services calling regularly. And even that hasn't stopped the reduction of the service to a travesty. Yes - we need to keep on our guard!

Link - further article