TransWilts Link - 18th October 2014

Posting here as this applies to all service in, to, from and through Wiltshire and Swindon ...
- Cardiff - Portsmouth via Trowbridge, Warminster and Salisbury
- Heart of Wessex via Bradford-on-Avon and Westbury
- Bristol Suburban [Westbury Route]
- South Cotswold and South Wales via Swindon
- South West Trains to and via Salisbury
- London to Bristol via Swindon and Chippenham
- London to Bedwyn, Westbury, South West
- TransWilts

Minutes / notes of previous meeting (19 October 2013) - http://atrebatia.info/twl_2013_10_19.pdf
Agenda for upcoming meeting (22 March 2014) - http://atrebatia.info/twl_agenda_2014_03_22.pdf
Please also note planned date on next meeting in your diary - 18 October 2014

All welcome, whether representing a group or an interested individual. It will be helpful if you can let us know if you're coming, but it's not mandatory to do so. A chance to catch up on what's been happening, to discuss upcoming options, and to plan and make co-ordinated inputs for the future. It really helps the local government and operators of services if we can co-ordinate our requests ... and it helps us if we understand our neighbour's needs and desires and can make suggestions that work for us all.

Concept of TransWilts link from when it was set up - see http://atrebatia.info/link.html [page old, message valid!]

10:00 for 10:30 at The Laverton in Westbury (designed for good train connections ... and the bus from Devizes too)
until
around 15:00 (for return services)

We'll have teas and coffees available and a few snacks; packed lunch encourages as we're doing this independently rather than at the expense of sponsors Wink

Welcome

Apologies

Introductions and Updates. (2-3 minutes per group).
As this is a meeting for all groups to get together, and we hope to see a number of new faces, we'll ask each person to introduce themselves for a couple of minutes, with where they come from, what groups they represent (if any), what their objectives are, and how they wish to achieve those objectives.

TransWilts ^ The Last 6 months ^ or should we call in the first 3 months?
Six months ago, we hoped for an improved TranWilts service in the near future, and were planning for it. Now it's with us. We'll review how that's happened, how we're going on the major task of making potential customers aware and ensuring teething problems are tidied up, Is dotted and Ts crossed.

Partner Updates.
* Wiltshire Council, Connecting Wiltshire, LSTF^▸ (Local Sustainable Transport Fund), Station Plans
* SWLEP/LTB
* Other Rail Partnerships
As well as TransWilts rail changes, a lot has been happening elsewhere too - some but not all of it under the local transport plan. We're asking representatives of our partners to bring us up to date too.

Buses.
* Costing and Fares
* Quality Buses
* Bus Information
Public transport is connectional for many people. And for others, it may not be about trains but rather about buses. An overview of the comments and concerns, and where we can go forward, from a mamber of the Bath (include services into Wiltshire) First Bus Passenger Panel. But also a look at what we can and should do locally, and how user groups can work with councils on various aspirations and aspects - making services more useful, having better information available, yet costing less?

Public Travel in Wiltshire
* This summer
Short term marketing and sales - getting bums on seats, and having those customers spread the word to others. Sorting out pinch points and issues quickly to ensure a happy experience.
* Next Year
Planning to keep growing, measuring, informing
* Later Years
What after the end of seed funding? What does the county need in the future? What of the opportunities and risks from electification, local funding cuts, IEP^▸ , new franchises, cascades, changes of government?

Project ^Doing List^
Let's provide a comprehensive list of what's going on. Around the room.

Project ^Shopping List^
Let's provide a comprehensive list of what's wanted. Around the room.

Forward Meetings
27th March. WWRUG^»
31st March. FGW^▸ (TwCRP Officers)
23rd May. Melksham RDG^‡
17th May. Summer Train Service Begins
3rd June. FGW. Annual Community Rail Conference.
4th October. Travelwatch SouthWest General Meeting

Next TransWilts Link Meeting. 18th October.
The following meeting is proposed for 18th October. With the additional TransWilts services, we could now move this meeting around the county; The Laveton and Westbury are excellent hosts, but we would like to take the view of the meeting to running the November meeting at a venue that's closer to a railway station.

Any other Business

Closing Remarks.