You'll see a couple of statistics for today's trains in the public facing area.    While I was at the [Melksham] station just after 11 a.m., I took a look at car parking.

Station places

Disabled spot occupied by a taxi collecting someone off the train
Taxi spot unoccupied  

One space occupied by someone meeting off a train;  one drop off who did not use a space.
Other spaces occupied by a variety of different types of car

Two open works vans and a skip parked up near the gate (not in spaces).  Contractors in bright orange spraying (weedkiller?) along the old narrow section of the platform.

Extra temporary spaces

Five occupied (4, I noted by Audis and one by a Ford)
One available, which I used for the 5 minutes or so I was there.

I suspect that the 4 Audis is statistically significant - seeing as there's a VW / Audi place just beside the station

Phil, people can drive to the station and take the train in any vehicle they like ... here's one from the other day

Much as I'm loathe to suggest it, isn't it time for FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to start issuing some Byelaw 14 threats to those who are obviously making use of the car park spaces and not on railway business? Correctly worded signs up first of course.

However, I'm not for one minute suggesting that FGW let APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - controlled stations in the area) anywhere near Melksham Station! As long as the land in question is undeniably owned by the railway then that is all that is required for the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) to use its Byelaw powers.

 

Aha. Local authority ownership. They have some big sticks as well...