The new CRP^▸ (Community Rail Partnership) struggles to make the station look open and vibrant amongst all the rules


I suspect there ARE loos but they are reserved for staff and customers aren't catered for. 
Mind you, the one esplanade has special loos for underground ladies, whoever they are.

Reminds me of a battle in 1812, and one we fought again in 2021

What words are missing? 



West Wiltshire Rail Users Group. Public meeting - 31st May 2023, 19:30, Trowbridge ... "Looking forward for public transport - the next 10 years. West Wiltshire and the surrounding area" - Bryony Irwin of TravelWatch SouthWest.

TravelWatch SouthWest was established in 2001 to promote the interests of public transport users in the South West of England. They have a skilled board of travel and transport experts and specialise in rail and bus industry consultation and campagning through around 100 user groups across the region. Bryony is their company secratary with a deep insight into public transport as it is and what's perhaps coming.

All welcome, WWRUG^» (West Wiltshire Rail Users Group - about) members free, Guests £2. Coffee from 19:00

Venue - Bethesda Church Hall, Gloucester Road, Trowbridge, BA14 0AA - about 100 yards from the station. Ironically, there's a rail strike that day, but there's car parking available on site and we may be to help on some lifts, or bring a driving friend.

All the lovely new stuff out the front, and Weymouth Station remains a disappointment.    I didn't comment on it earlier today; I had simply drawn a deep breath yesterday, sadly noticed in unimproved from this thread 4 years ago.   However, SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) asked me via a survey my opinion, so this is what I wrote.


Not really helped for newcomers to rail being faced with a train with a scrolling screen labelled "Barnstaple" which was (of course) going to Swindon.   

Perhaps 30 or 40 each way.   Pleasantly middling between "empty" and "crowded".  Without being there all day I don't know, but I only arrived on the 13:05 from Wareham where I would expect the earlier service to have been busier, and I left on the tail of the day whereas, again, I would that thought earlier would have been busier.  Certainly, at Norden they were shutting up shop by that time suggesting we were into quieter times.

I took the opportunity to try out this service yesterday - taking the electric train from Weymouth (where I had arrived ex Melksham on the through service), connecting into the diesel service to Swanage and then taking the steam train back up to Norden. Lovely to try out all the various modes and a great trip. Swanage warm, scenic, bustling, happy, sunny.  SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) running a few minutes late, not that it mattered, and a lack of staff to be seen (though tickets were checked).  Swanage railway on time, and volunteers ample and happy to engage with public.  The dmu old and knocked about in some ways to make it compliant, but looked in good condition and brought back many memories.  Lovely to see a consistent rake on the steam train and a realistic steam loco on the front of it (as opposed to an interloper).    Pleasant number of people around on the railway; Norden towards the end of the day was a quietish haven, but even there ended up chatting as I took photos of the leaving steam train.

I could go on and on (and on) about Melksham Cycling issues. 

1. Town Centre / cycling on pavements (as original article)

2. Cycling on the road because using the provided cycle ways is "sissy" - a variant on Phil's though I have not seen three abreast

3. Paths that just run out.

4. Confusion over what is a footpath, what is dual use, waymarking, where one starts and the other ends, and what the priority rules are when a "side path" is in use by both.

One of the worst issues is at the Town Bridge.   From the housing in the north and west of Melksham, a wide wayarked shared path leads down the old Bath Road and in front of the tyre factory to run out at the pinch point of the Town Bridge.
* There is no "end of cycle way" or "footpath only" or "please walk you bicycle from here" signage
* The bridge has footways on both sides - narrow enough for them to have been a distancing problem during covid
* The bridge is on the primary A3102 (no weight limit) route, one lane in each direction, busy, lorries, buses
* Wiltshire Unitary Council has constructed substantial railings set in concrete to keep road traffic off the footpath

Net effect?  Cyclists come from the Bath or Chippenham roads, or railway station, to the Town Bridge and really don't know what to do / where to go.  It is not obvious.  If they cycle on (and there are no signs telling them not to) on the paths, they create a danger to pedestrians on the bridge.  If they take to the carriageways between the railings, unless they are excellent cyclists they create a danger to themselves; they simply cannot step off their cycle onto the pavement if multiple heavy or wide vehicles come along.

The problem has, perhaps, been made all the worse by all the marvellous new signage pointing cycles and pedestrians between the town centre, the station, and Shaw.

Cyclists here - you please tell me what the solution should be?


 

Event report at http://grahamellis.uk/blog877.html ...


Note to "rail types" - pretty well perfect in terms of loading; pity about the trespasser on the line the put around 40 minutes late on what's a long day out for the kids anyway.  Excellent passenger work by the train manager in those circumstances.  I knew a lot of people on the train - to my knowledge, whilst some were frustrated by the delay especially while it was of indeterminate length, only one group had a major problem with it as they were supposed to connect into the last x31 bus off Chippenham Station.

Trespassers on the track between Castle Cary and Frome.   The 19:40 ex Weymouth running almost 40 minutes late, with lots of returning passengers (around 50) to Melksham ... lots of folks know me so I have been busy explaining, apologising, and being offered smokes, drinks, and to join in their singsong (which would have caused a further delay if the train staff tried to find out what the horrid noise was). Most people 'resigned' to the problem - just one serious issue of. family gain for the last x31 from Chippenham Station.

I think 9 cars DO run to Newquay but recall an issue in having two of them pass each other at Goonbarrow

It's ideal ...about 150 on the (three car) train as we approach Trowbridge. Pictures to follow!

And completed ...

1 - Avonmouth - bobm
2 - Avoncliff - PhilWakely
3 - Freshford - Kempis
4 - Clifton Down - JayMac
5 - Keynsham - Kempis
6 - Redland - Bmblbzzz
7 - Melksham - ellendune
8 - Shirehampton - JayMac
9 - Bristol Temple Meads - stuving
10 - Oldfield Park - froome
11 - Trowbridge - bobm and Western Pathfinder
12 - Portway Park and Ride - paul7575
13 - Severn Beach - AMLAG
14 - Stapleton Road - Sulis John
15 - Bath Spa - Merthyr Imp
16 - Bradford-on-Avon - johnneyw

A long day ... Left home at around 08:40, home at around 19:40 - should have been 18:20 but the 16:01 off The Beach was cancelled due  to congestion ...

No. Nor Taunton