Currently there are just two direct trains a day from Westbury, Trowbridge and Melksham to Chippenham and Swindon. And no direct trains at all from Salisbury and Warminster to the same destinations. Melksham - a town of around 23000 - has just 2 trains each way daily and through travellers have to use the bus or dogleg via Bath. It wasn't always like this - until December 2006, the line was growing at up to 35% per annum (official figure) but never the less the majority of services were cut by First Great Western at that date, based on their new franchise which was based on very old figures and instructed them to make reductions all over the West.
It is now accepted that this particular specification cut was one too many, and the parties acknowledge this. An appropriate service would provide a true peak hour commuter service from Salisbury and West Wiltshire to Chippenham and Swindon, and a service through the day. As a step towards this goal, First Great Western, Network Rail, Wiltshire Council and others have all invested time and effort, into the following practical timetable. But the extra four trains (which are excellently timed) CAN BE RUN only if the parties involved get sufficient support.
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Monday to Friday TransWilts - 2010 proposal - Southbound | ||||||
| Swindon | 06:18 | 09:02 | 12:02 | 15:02 | 17:55 | 18:45 | |
| Chippenham | 06:34 | 09:19 | 12:19 | 15:19 | 18:11 | 19:01 | |
| Melksham | 06:48 | 09:28 | 12:28 | 15:28 | 18:21 | 19:11 | |
| Trowbridge | 06:53 | 09:38 | 12:38 | 15:38 | 18:35 | 19:20 | |
| Westbury | 07:01 | 09:45 | 12:45 | 15:45 | 18:42 | 19:27 | |
| Dilton_Marsh | 07:04 | 09:49 | 12:49 | 15:49 | n/a | 19:42 | |
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Warminster | 07:11 | 09:55 | 12:55 | 15:55 | 19w08 | 19:49 |
| Salisbury | 07:34 | 10:17 | 13:17 | 16:17 | 19w33 | 20:11 | |
| Monday to Friday TransWilts - 2010 proposal - Northbound | |||||||
| Salisbury | 06w12 | 07:40 | 10:31 | 13:31 | 16:24 | 18w41 | |
| Warminster | 06w32 | 08:00 | 10:51 | 13:51 | 16:44 | 19w01 | |
| Dilton_Marsh | 06w36 | 08:04 | 10:55 | 13:55 | 16:48 | n/a | |
| Westbury | 07:02 | 08:09 | 11:02 | 14:02 | 16:53 | 19:32 | |
| Trowbridge | 07:08 | 08:15 | 11:08 | 14:08 | 16:59 | 19:38 | |
| Melksham | 07:17 | 08:24 | 11:17 | 14:17 | 17:08 | 19:47 | |
| Chippenham | 07:30 | 08:34 | 11:32 | 14:32 | 17:18 | 20:02 | |
| Swindon | 07:48 | 08:53 | 11:50 | 14:50 | 17:36 | 20:19 | |
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w - change at Westbury | |||||||
Other advantages of this plan * Extra trains from Salisbury to Trowbridge, reducing overcrowding of services from Salisbury * Reduction of overcrowding between Trowbridge and Bath with Chippenham and Swindon passengers using direct services * Southbound service from Dilton Marsh runs through to Salisbury
How can YOU help make this happen?
This page is produced by the "Save the Train" campaign who are fully supported by other groups such as the Melksham Railway Development Group, the West Wilts Rail User Group, Railfuture, TravelWatch SouthWest, CANBER, and others. By post - 404 The Spa, Melksham. 01225 708225. Online at http://www.savethetrain.org.uk for further information. Contact - Graham Ellis. Email - graham@wellho.net. 12th March 2009.
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Do you support the return of an appropriate train service linking the
five largest urban population centres in Wiltshire - Swindon, Salisbury,
Trowbridge, Chippenham and Melksham? If so, please pledge your
support via the web site at: |
An Improved "TransWilts" train service - Salisbury to Swindon via
Trowbridge, Melksham and Swindon will ...•Provide efficient public transport from Swindon and Chippenham to Trowbridge, Westbury, Warminster and Salisbury, with better Frome connections.
•Reduce public transport times from Melksham to Swindon from an hour to 25 minutes during the daytime, and cut out the need to walk across Chippenham!
•Reduce overcrowding between Trowbridge and Bath, with passengers for Chippenham and Swindon able to use the direct service once again.
•Provide extra capacity and services from Salisbury northward to Warminster and beyond - stepping towards the 2 trains per hour level recommended for this route
•Provide a Southbound service from Dilton Marsh to Salisbury rather than having many trains terminating at Warminster.
•Provide a practical and environmentally friendly alternative to the crowded (and getting busier) A350 road for travellers from Warminster, Westbury and Trowbridge to Chippenham and Swindon.
Currently there are just TWO round trips each day via Melksham - from Chippenham at 06:31 and 19:01 - and this level and timing of services is totally inappropriate for the traffic flows.
With six round trips a day - two each in the morning and evening peak hours, and two trips during the day - the line will provide a valuable and practical link from Trowbridge to Swindon, from Chippenham to Salisbury, and from Melksham to all of these places.
For TransWilts issues, see:
For wider First Great Western issues, see:
2nd April 2009 / Save The Train / 404 The Spa, Melksham, SN12 6QL / 01225 708225 / graham@wellho.net / http://www.savethetrain.org.uk / Prepared by Graham Ellis with diagram by Graham Ditte for STT. / E.&O.E. / Please feel free to redistribute this information.