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TransWilts train services - up from 2 to 8 per day

Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2013-12-09 14:06:06 - Graham Ellis

The day that many people thought would never come has arrived... there are more train services on the TransWilts line - currently running Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge to Westbury, with onward connections including Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury - than there have been in living memory. Last week 4 trains per day called at Melksham, today and hereafter that's increased to 16 (11 on winter Sundays, 13 on summer Sundays).



Yesterday evening - Melksham's departure screen. Now a true service that's useful for the majority of passenger flows.
 


There have been a number of special events, but even between those the new trains were running yesterday. 35 passengers on this arrival at Melksham - some of the passenger got off, others carried on to Trowbridge or Westbury; really good to see people on the trains even on the first day. And this morning around 70 people in total took the commuter trains up to Chippenham and Swindon. We expected to be starting with the thin end of a wedge, but it's been thicker than we expected already.
 


The first new train - press call and official welcome. Horace Prickett, Wiltshire Councillor and West Wilts Rail User Group, Councillor John Thomson (responsibilities in Wiltshire Cabinet include public transport), myself as a representative of all the community people who have put so much into this, and Matthew Golton, Director at First Great Western. The service has been enabled by all groups working together, and we'll continue to do so.
 


Another key player - Duncan Hames, MP, without whom this would not have happened. It's hard to find words to say how significant his contribution is, and I'm always really impressed by his knowledge and understanding of the details - I don't know how he does it, but I'm very grateful! He's selling tickets - under supervision - on the new 07:48 Melksham to Swindon. A whisper from the conductor who I met again later told me that he only just had time. Perhaps we need ticket issuing facilities in Melksham?
 


And - in its 15th year - the Santa special. A train 3 times as long as the rest, ticket sales limited for health and safety reasons (Melksham platform capacity!) and a great time had by all.

There is much to do to help the service grow, and the community is making those little local inputs that can mean so much, and supporting First Great Western who are operating the services, and Wiltshire Council who are improving station facilities and integration with other transport (via a grant from the local sustainable transport fund)... take a look at the community website at http://www.twcrp.org.uk ... with so much happening (and there are fare changes too which make some journeys much more attractive!) it may take a few days to get t totally kitted out - we have to remove all the "Campaigning for more trains - 2 is inadequate" references as we've all pulled together to achieve that objective.