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Save the Train - a significant change in approach

Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2010-03-03 07:18:43 - Graham Ellis

It's nearly five years since I got involved in "Save the Train" and public transport - mainly by rail - in and across Wiltshire. Although local support has always been near 100%, in those early days we felt we were swimming almost alone against a tide of officialdom, calling for a TransWilts service which they considered to be something of a "no-hoper" - even though the evidence (in our view) showed a service that was showing new shoots, small through they were at that stage, with every prospect of excellent growth.

And so "Save the Train" was very much a campaigning group - at times saying strong things in criticism of the key organisations within who's arena / responsibility the provision of decent public service lay, and of the system under which they had to work. The systems and statutory frameworks are complex, as is the running of a rail system, and at times we felt very frustrated indeed as we we passed from "A" to "B" to "C" who passed us back to "A". And meanwhile, the cuts went ahead and the journey time during the day rose from 35 minutes by train (Swindon to Trowbridge) to 95 minutes by bus, of if you were prepared to change it rose to around an hour by train including wait time at Bath.

But times move on. We still don't have daytime trains, but we're no longer swimming so hard against an official tide. We've learned that there are many good - very good - people within those official ranks who are frustrated by the system at times too, and are very supportive of our cause - and in positions to do more than we can from a knowledge and practical viewpoint. And we have provided one of the triggers to help in fresh looks being taken at the services, with a view to working out what's truly appropriate, and how it can be practically achieved in due course.

I'm writing this early in the morning of 3rd March.

Late in February, I met with Wiltshire Council who are now taking a far greater interest in the line and service at the highest level - and that's excellent news. The have already made a highly significant move to enable a decent service / station at Melksham in the future.

On 1st March, the Great Western Route Utilization Strategy was published - and it confirmed that the TransWilts has one of the best Benefit to Cost ratios for a service improvement of any in the South West - and that's based on a frequent (hourly) service.

And yesterday, we met with a senior Department for Transport official to discuss the opportunities for the communities to work with the rail industry and professionals towards a better future for the route - and that's everything from making the stations better and small adjustments to timings to improve connections, through projects such as transport integration and us all working together on publicity, though to surveys to help make financial cases to provide detailed cost justifications and forecasts leading towards that appropriate hourly service.

With all these changes and positive steps, "Save the Train" needs to become far less of an angry group and much more of a supporter - and indeed a web site update just undertaken has pressed us off in that direction. This is not just a fresh lick of paint - this is a pivotal change in direction. See www.savethetrain.org.uk