Wiltshire Times article / TransWilts boost

[whole diary]

[grahame]

"It's a rail boost for Wiltshire commuters"

http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/10632012._/?

Sorry - Sion - I appear to have been given your position ... I'm just the press spokesman and publicist.  And they've taken bits of two very different quotes of mine and banged 'em together in an odd way.  All of this doesn't really matter - the real good news is the enhancements, and the support from First, from Wiltshire Council, from Network Rail, and from MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament).   

We now have to make sure it works. Provided things join up properly and work together, it will!

[Chris from Nailsea]

Hmm. The caption to that Wiltshire Times photo is also pure gibberish - not least because I cannot believe there is more than one Graham Ellis! 

From left, Ian Taylor, Graham Ellis, Nick Watts, Ian Cunningham, Horace Prickett, Graham Ellis and MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) Duncan Hames at Trowbridge Station with the timetable showing the newly announced service to Swindon

[SandTEngineer]

...ah so Grahame has a Doppleganger then.....

[JayMac]

Pedantry time. Doppelg^nger means look-alike. 

Six very different looking individuals in the photo.

Can I ask grahame who the mis-named individual is?

[stuving]

Since there are seven names, no-one pictured is misnamed - the question is which name (GE1 or GE2) is extraneous. Unless even then the caption is wrong - not unlikely, given its source.

[grahame]

Since there are seven names, no-one pictured is misnamed - the question is which name (GE1 or GE2) is extraneous. Unless even then the caption is wrong - not unlikely, given its source.

The list should read "From left, Ian Taylor, Nick Watts, Ian Cunningham, Horace Prickett, Graham Ellis and  Duncan Hames MP^▸ (Member of Parliament)"

[JayMac]

Since there are seven names, no-one pictured is misnamed - the question is which name (GE1 or GE2) is extraneous. Unless even then the caption is wrong - not unlikely, given its source.

I really should give up and have a (very) early night. Suffering from temporary number blindess today it seems.

The chant, "There's only two Graham Ellises" doesn't really scan.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Having commented suitably on some unfortunately rather lax journalism , let us now concentrate on the really good news in that article:

Rail travel in Wiltshire is getting back on track after First Great Western announced a major increase in services on the TransWilts line.

From December, the service between Westbury and Swindon will increase from twice daily return routes to eight routes, Monday to Saturday, offering more convenience to commuters getting across the region.

There will also be 11 single services running up and down the TransWilts line on Sundays.

I for one look forward to making use of some of those new services, rather than having to drive from Nailsea, whenever I need to visit (the one and only) Graham Ellis in Melksham. 

[JayMac]

I too look forward to an opportunity to visit Melksham more meaningfully by rail. Sum total of my rail visits have been twice to the station, once with a quick trip to the local ASDA, and once just hanging around for the next train in the evening in t'other direction to my arrival. Been through many more times non-stop on diverted services.

Regarding the news.... Whilst a non-denial may be taken as being as good as an announcement, have FGW^▸ (First Great Western) actually publicly commented on the proposed December timetable yet? Is there anything to be read in that?

I don't wish to come across as unduly cynical, but there have been false dawns in the past.

[grahame]

Regarding the news.... Whilst a non-denial may be taken as being as good as an announcement, have FGW^▸ (First Great Western) actually publicly commented on the proposed December timetable yet? Is there anything to be read in that?

I don't wish to come across as unduly cynical, but there have been false dawns in the past.

I have seen what a spokesperson from one of the key players has said to our local newspaper, and also have correspondence from another key player which confirms rather than denies.   You can see I'm being very careful indeed with my words. The Open Train Times data, to which a link was posted on another forum and also here, came rather earlier than might have been expected by the more traditional elements in the various organisations involved.

Next Saturday - 31st August - we have the Special General Meeting of the CRP^▸ (Community Rail Partnership) at which the constitution should be confirmed. We're not planning a big gathering - rather key players who want to do any knife and fork reading of the document, but we do expect to be filled in on much more detail and officially then on the TransWilts' steps forward, although the overall management deal for the period from 12th October for the South West may not be so sure and I wouldn't expect to hear much on that.    I will be posting an agenda for that meeting in the next 24 hours.

Personal view - I'll totally believe it when the 10:56 rolls up on 8th December, but the ways that it may not happen - such as the management contract going to Direct Operated Railways - seem unlikely.

[bobm]

Sum total of my rail visits have been twice to the station, once with a quick trip to the local ASDA, and once just hanging around for the next train in the evening in t'other direction to my arrival.

Seem to recall I was with you the second time and the only reason we didn't go to ASDA was because the first train was late!  

On a more positive note I look forward to a better train service so I can get from Swindon to Westbury and Salisbury without going round the houses.

[grahame]

Regarding the news.... Whilst a non-denial may be taken as being as good as an announcement, have FGW^▸ (First Great Western) actually publicly commented on the proposed December timetable yet?

In reading back the words attributed to me (which looked very odd - "Im sure I didn't say i in that way") it looks remarkably as if it's a sentence which I started and has the end of some words from an FGW spokesperson pasted on the end.  Another journalist copied me on some FGW spokesperson text which looks remarkably similar in wording.

[Trowres]

the service between Westbury and Swindon will increase from twice daily return routes to eight routes

If Melksham is one route, what are the other seven? 

Remember, you read it first in the Wiltshire Times (or a quote thereof).

[Chris from Nailsea]

From White Horse News:

More train services on track for Westbury


Pictured: Horace Prickett, Ian Taylor and Roger Newman ^ members of the West Wilts Rail Users Group and Westbury Train Watch.

Rail campaigners are hopeful that Westbury could see a large increase in the number of services to Swindon later this year.

First Great Western has confirmed it will be running additional services between Westbury, Melksham and Trowbridge. And campaigners are encouraged that extra services to Swindon, from December, have already been allocated in the timetable.

Rail campaigners have long pushed for more services on the Trans Wilts rail line, which runs from Salisbury to Swindon via Westbury.

Horace Prickett, of the West Wilts Rail Users Group said, ^There is a train service from Westbury to Swindon over the Trans Wilts line. Currently, if you miss one train, you have to wait 12 hours for the next. We^ve now got the slots in the timetable, we^ve got an operator, and we^ve got a subsidy from the government [via Wiltshire Council]. This is really, really good news. Having been battling for years and years, we^ve got the first two or three rungs of the ladder in place.^

Station manager for Westbury, Nicholas Reid said, ^We are grateful for the support of both Wiltshire Council and the MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) for Chippenham, Duncan Hames, to help improve the range of services running between Westbury, Melksham and Trowbridge. The agreement will see FGW^▸ (First Great Western) run six additional services a day, creating eight daily services Monday to Saturday, helping to keep people moving in these increasingly congested times.^

With a potential increase in trains and passenger numbers, local rail campaigners hope the extra services will bode well for Westbury^s chances of getting a fourth platform for the station.

The project has already been shortlisted for government funding by Wiltshire Council, as it considers a programme of works to begin in 2015.

Horace Prickett explained, ^Westbury is a very congested station. We need the other platform, we^ve got to get Wiltshire Council committed. It^s on their list of things to do, but they have yet to commit to doing it.^