Yes!

Was the work to extend the siding at Bedwyn so that the EMUs could cover the Bedwyn service?

If the Oxford service starts (and I'm not convinced it will) in 3 weeks, on data I have there could be an extra train from Temple Meads at around 17:15 offering a far better connection at Chippenham. 

Ah yes - 07:00 Oxford - 08:20 Bristol direct via Swindon, Chippenham & Bath (no Keynsham).

From Oxford? In which case, a 5car IET

...  And - although my data is less clear on it - the 07:21 from Melksham may offer a better official connection at Chippenham on to Bristol.

Ah, this may be a link to the Melksham book.

12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 12:59
12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 12:59 will be starting late from Westbury and is expected to be 15 minutes late.
This is due to train crew being delayed.

Returning through Bristol on Saturday, and alongside a platform there, a refreshed set. I didn't have the chance to look at the interior, and Geoff Marshall's video from the launch event involves a train with temporary lighting in the carriages.

There's a rumour that the reservations displays haven't been renewed, but that cannot be the case as the originals have pretty well faded into obscurity in the way that those magic eye valves from 1950's radios did. OK that was a long time back but, looking it up, I was surprised to read that the Voyagers were introduced as late as 2001 - something that makes the built in and fragrant little headphone sockets even more surprising, but I suppose that that idea was being borrowed from aviation. (The 3.5mm jack socket and plug has been around from the 1950s I read, so it does thoroughly overlap with the mainstream existence of the magic eye indicator valves that the designers didn't specify for the Voyager seat reservation displays...)

THIS week, my love letter to Melksham is written from the cosy comfort of my soft blue seat on the 271 bus and celebrates the splendid range of transport connections that make Melksham so easy to get to.

Situated in the middle of some great bus routes, Melksham is something of a transport hub, with cheap and easy access to our surrounding towns and villages. You can get to Chippenham or Trowbridge/Frome every half hour on the X31 bus and to Bath or Devizes on the varied versions of the 271, 272 or 273.

With a very thorough loop around the Forest area and Bowerhill, this brilliant Bath- Devizes bus gathers up and drops off all its grateful passengers from every corner of Melksham before sailing off along leafy lanes from dawn till midnight. And thanks to an extension of the national bus ticket cap, every journey is still only £3. A smaller local service, the 14/15, winds its way around the whole of Melksham every hour, as far as Sherwood Avenue, Shurnhold, Eastern Way, Whitley and Berryfield, so pretty much every part of the town is served by bus.

Buses are clean and warm, drivers are friendly and proffessional, fellow passengers are polite and respectful, and most buses now have USB chargers in the seats so you can ensure you have enough charge for the journey and beyond.

Then there is the little-known gem of a public transport gift to Melksham.  The National Express coach leaves from the Market Place every morning at seven and will take you directly to Heathrow and London Victoria for as little at £8.10.

The jewel in our public transport crown however is Melksham Railway Station.  Thanks to campaigning by Graham Ellis and his team, the station is now served by 16 trains a day, connecting to Swindon, Chippenham, Trowbridge and Westbury, from where you can access anywhere in the country. It’s a little pricier than the bus, but advance tickets are cheaper, and the smooth, silky speed of the service allows for some spectacular sights through green and gorgeous countryside.

The excellent bus, train and coach links mean you don’t need the hassle, cost and environmental impact of running a car. And if the timetables don’t line up, there’s always the swift service and friendly chat of one of Melksham’s lovely taxi drivers.

The many bus and train timetables are all brought together in a useful booklet produced by the Melksham Transport User Group, available at the town hall, Campus and Tourist Information Centre, and on the Melksham Transport User Group website. It’s another brilliant community organisation, led by Graham Ellis, championing and promoting every type of travel in Melksham.  For more information, find the Melksham Transport User Group on Facebook and explore another great reason to Love Melksham!