When a group of us were discussing what an "appropriate service" going forward for the TransWilts actually meant (looking back a few years now) there was some question as to whether we meant "every 2 hours" or "every hour" - and indeed the acceptance of a trial service with a train every 2 hours was more on the basis of thinking that would be enough to persuade enough people to use the trains rather than necessarily being optimal - there were those who though it was appropriate, and those who though it was enough, but what we could realistically get at this point and still thin.
Having reached year 1 targets in 17 weeks, and being more than 50% over fifth year target at the end of the first full year, and hearing on a further 43% rise January 2015 on January 2014 ... I'm going to suggest that numbers will continue to grow for some time yet, provided other constraints don't get in the way. So where does that leave us in terms of what an appropriate service might be after the completion of electrification through Swindon / Chippenham, after the recasting of Plymouth services through Westbury, and after the completion of other schemes such as the high tech campus of Bath Spa in Wiltshire, the new use for former
RAF▸ Lyneham, and the ongoing development of business and tourist attractions in the south of the county?
Perhaps this is how the service network may look?
There's a logical bringing together of a number of ideas and flows - a number of cases at various stages and having an eye cast over them by all sorts of experts in various fields. Taking year on year growth and looking ahead, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the changes you'll notice actually come off - and that with it there's a connected / connecting public road transport element too.
Take a look
here - very much early stage as far as web site / presentation is concerned, but a number of people are coming together in the ways that the passenger flows come together ... so watch this space!
Click on the map to explore geographics
