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Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2009-03-15 06:34:17 - Graham Ellis
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Public transport across Wiltshire is truly appalling - after the 06:15 train from Swindon to Salisbury, there isn't another until 18:45, and if you catch the bus or make a dogleg train journey via Bath or via Reading (the two routes offered) you'll take the best part of two hours. That really a pretty poor link between the county's largest town and its city which are just 40 miles apart as the crow flies, and as the private car drives. It's not as if the train just passes through open countryside either - it "serves" the next three population centres of the county at Trowbridge, Chippenham and Melksham too.
We hear a lot about sustainable transport, and we hear a lot about encouraging the economy. We also hear of traffic jams and of people having to look harder and pay more for parking. And I was listening to a lecture recently where we were told of families dropping back from two cars to just one ... Wouldn't it be a sensible time to put some appropriate trains BACK on the TransWilts line which is still very much there (in fine condition) and ready to take them!
The way it works is that the railways change their timetables in May and December each year ... we're probably too late for May but we could be in time for December. A huge amount of background work has already been done. Timetable worked out. Train and crews earmarked. Financial options (to seed for first years) discussed. A new announcement by Geoff Hoon, the transport secretary, will allow the improvements to be rolled into the next round of railwatch franchising to help safeguard them into the far future. But it needs the final decision to be made.
The local transport authority in these parts is Wiltshire Council, who have been described as "pro road". They have various proposals out for the A350 at present, looking to rebuild / improve the best part of 20 miles over the next fifteen years (and would need to do more than that if they wanted to deal with certain remaining bottlenecks!). For the cost of 20 yards, they could 'seed' the rail service for a year - the government are happy for them to do so (I was talking in person with Ben Bradshaw, MP, Minister for the South West about it last Saturday) and First Great Western are willing to run the trains (I was also talking with Mark Hopwood, the MD of First Great Western on the same day). Wiltshire Council - unlike many other councils - weren't represented at that day's event and looking through the "apology" list I can't even spot their name there ... so it's my view that the profile of the case need to be brought rather more thoroughly to their attention.
We have local elections to Wiltshire Council coming up at the start of June. Now is an excellent time to be in touch with them, to let the incumbents who are standing again know that we are looking - amongst other things - at decent, sustainable public transport, and want then to provide such. We're also lobbying the other parties; it should not be party political, and I can confirm that the main alternative party has already budgeted for that "20 yards" which would give us a decent service. Another way of costing it is to say it's 1p per council tax bill per week.
Is it a good idea to cut travel time from Trowbridge to Swindon from 50 minutes to 35? And to be able to leave the car behind? And to have the travel provided in an all-inclusive way that means that you don't have to own a car to make the journey a practical commute? If you think so, please add your name to our pledge of support at www.transwilts.org.uk
Thank you!
P.S. If you want to know more before you add your name there are plenty of links from the page I have pointed you to ... and I and many others are happy to answer further questions!
