Melksham get's an increased service!

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Melksham get's an increased service! 04/08/2013 at 14:03 #47925
Underwood
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Well, the timetable changes for December are already in place, and the first thing I noticed is that Melksham now has more than just 2 return trips!

http://www.opentraintimes.com/location/MKM/2013-12-09/0000-2359

They have always said that if there is an increased service it will be on trial, and if passenger numbers are low, it will revert to the old timetable. Looking forward to a new Dec 2013 Timetable for Westbury sim though lol!

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Melksham get's an increased service! 04/08/2013 at 16:10 #47929
GeoffM
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Eight each way per day - quite impressive. I remember a few years back they upped it to 5 a day but that only lasted a couple of years before cutting it back to 2 again - or was it 1 each way?

Problem is, this is usually the service that gets cancelled if "things happen" - incidents, lack of stock...

SimSig Boss
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Melksham get's an increased service! 04/08/2013 at 16:14 #47930
DaveHarries
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That is very interesting. Hope it works out.

Dave

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Melksham get's an increased service! 04/08/2013 at 17:59 #47931
moonraker
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To do with this - http://www.transwiltsrail.org.uk/. They've been trying to get the Swindon - Southampton service running again for a while. Whether they will be any better patronsied than last time is anyone's guess
Last edited: 04/08/2013 at 18:00 by moonraker
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Melksham get's an increased service! 05/08/2013 at 11:45 #47962
Underwood
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746 posts
" said:
Eight each way per day - quite impressive. I remember a few years back they upped it to 5 a day but that only lasted a couple of years before cutting it back to 2 again - or was it 1 each way?

Problem is, this is usually the service that gets cancelled if "things happen" - incidents, lack of stock...
That's right, Wessex Trains improved it but was cut back to 2 when FGW took over, which if I recall rightly was because it was the minimum service that had to run, and I don't *think* passenger numbers were good. At that time I was living in Melksham, and the 5 services still didn't really run when I needed it. I did find the late night service from Swindon very useful though, though I was generally on a ranger ticket so I doubt I would have been counted for passenger numbers.
Also I don't think it helped that some of the 158 and 153's disappeared when TfL took it off GW when Wessex ended.

I forget how many there was in the middle of FGW's operations, but I remember there was only one Swindon to Westbury in the evening, the stock came off an ECS working from Westbury to Swindon.

On Sundays I have relied on the service to get me from Melksham to Trowbridge after work, and at least it turned up each day apart from the day that the Wimbledon finals were on, the service was cancelled due to a lack of drivers. A coach was dispatched instead from a local company who at least were on hand at 7pm on a Sunday!

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