Great Western Coffee Shop

Come along to the West Wiltshire Rail User Group meeting next Wednesday - 20th September 2023, 19:00 for 19:30 in Trowbridge, for to hear Tim Weekes of the Bristol Rail Campaign tell us how as FoSBR they have helped grow rail use in the Bristol area - including adding our extra services from Westbury to Bristol. See - https://www.wwrug.org.uk/flyer.html

You will also hear an update from our chair and other committee members who attended the GWR Stakeholder Conference at Steam in Swindon earlier this week. Pictured - our chair Richard Cowell signalling "clear line ahead" at Steam. Our meeting is likely to be a full and very interactive and informative, looking at issues such as frequency, capacity, reliability, staffing and ticketing.

All welcome - this is a public meeting. £2 a head, or sign up for annual membership - still just £6 this year which gets you four meetings, four news letter in addition to the Facebook Group

Venue - Bethesda Church Hall, Gloucester Road, TROWBRIDGE which is BA14 0AA - about 100 yards from Trowbridge Station. 19:00 for 19:30, 20th September 2023. We finish in time for you to catch the 21:18 via Bradford-on-Avon, the 21:22 via Melksham, the 21:31 via Westbury and Frome and the 21:58 via Warminster.

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Very useful presentation by Tim Weekes, webmaster of the Bristol Rail Campaign which reminded us just how far forward we have come from the dark days of the Beechibg Axe and the proposal to close the Severn Beach line in 1970 through to the current 30 minute service on that line, proposals for redoubling and a 15 minute service and expansions of the Bristol area rail network with passenger services on to Henbury, Thornbury, and perhaps within the next 30 years to Portishead  ;D .  New stations too.   But then the question to of public transport in the rail deserts of south and east Bristol.   An inspiration of what can be done, and a reminder of how much more there is to do!

For the first time after a WWRUG meeting apart from the 2016 (?) one night demonstrator, a service was available to take members back home to Melksham and Chippenham, at 21:24 - and there were five of us amongst the 18 passengers using the train.

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WWRUG members awaiting carriages .. to Cardiff via Bradford-on-Avon and Bristol, and to Swindon via Melksham and Chippenham