Services calling at Melksham, Sunday 30th  December 2018

08:49 from Westbury (08:16) to Chippenham (09:09) [ by bus ]
10:00 from Chippenham (09:40) to Westbury (10:35) [ by bus ]
10:49 from Westbury (10:16) to Chippenham (11:09) [ by bus ]
12:00 from Chippenham (11:40) to Westbury (12:38) [ by bus ]
13:35 from Westbury (13:00) to Chippenham (13:55) [ by bus ]
14:30 from Chippenham (14:10) to Westbury (15:05) [ by bus ]
16:45 from Westbury (16:10) to Chippenham (17:05) [ by bus ]
17:00 from Chippenham (16:40) to Westbury (17:35) [ by bus ]
18:00 from Chippenham (17:40) to Westbury (18:35) [ by bus ]
18:45 from Westbury (18:10) to Chippenham (19:05) [ by bus ]
20:00 from Chippenham (19:40) to Westbury (20:35) [ by bus ]
20:50 from Westbury (20:25) to Chippenham (21:19) [ by bus ]



Some of the connections at Chippenham are horrid on 30th December - any Westbury / Trowbridge to Swindon passengers - I suggest you check if you can do better via Bath Spa.  Note that "via Melksham" tickets will be accepted via Bath Spa during the Christmas / New Year engineering works - easement in place.

Services calling at Melksham, Saturday 29th December 2018

07:35 from Westbury (07:00) to Chippenham (07:55) [ by bus ]
08:45 from Chippenham (08:26) to Westbury (09:21) [ by bus ]
08:55 from Westbury (08:20) to Chippenham (09:15) [ by bus ]
09:42 from Chippenham (09:22) to Westbury (10:16) [ by bus ]
10:17 from Westbury (09:42) to Chippenham (10:37) [ by bus ]
11:40 from Chippenham (11:20) to Westbury (12:16) [ by bus ]
11:40 from Westbury (11:02) to Chippenham (12:00) [ by bus ]
13:45 from Westbury (13:10) to Chippenham (14:05) [ by bus ]
14:40 from Chippenham (14:20) to Westbury (15:16) [ by bus ]
15:35 from Westbury (15:00) to Chippenham (15:55) [ by bus ]
16:40 from Chippenham (16:20) to Westbury (17:16) [ by bus ]
17:35 from Westbury (17:00) to Chippenham (17:55) [ by bus ]
17:45 from Chippenham (17:25) to Westbury (18:21) [ by bus ]
19:25 from Chippenham (19:05) to Westbury (19:58) [ by bus ]
19:48 from Trowbridge (19:33) to Chippenham (20:08) [ by bus ]
21:50 from Chippenham (21:30) to Westbury (22:25) [ by bus ]



Judging by some of the poor connections at Chippenham, I suspect the bus organiser has shares in the buffet there!  Trains are only running hourly between Chippenham and Swindon for much of the holiday period.

I have refreshed some timetables as I uploaded this data - moved a couple of columns around to clarify connections

Very interesting. Last night (Friday 14th December 2018) I left Paddington on the 18:15 for Swansea - a ten (5+5)  car IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train).  Announcements through the train before it left that "this is a peak train", and that only anytime tickets were valid all the way to Swansea, and not off peak or super off peak.    Train was very lightly loaded indeed - in my standard class carriage - in the forward unit ahead of mid-train first - I would estimate that only around 20% of seats were taken.  Frankly, shocked at the lack of crowd.

I happened, yesterday, to be able to use that train with my particular ticketing - but more normally I would catch the 19:00 to Swindon and it would be much, much busier off peak ... or if I missed the 19:00 cram onto the 19:30 all the way to Chippenham, cursing I had missed the last Melksham connection and the fact the 234 bus has gone, but at least being able to put the difference between an off peak and super off peak fare toward the cost of a taxi for the final journey section.

I suspect my experience indicates there could be some benefit in evening out train loading on a Friday evening by amending the peak designations ... whether that would result in an unwelcome financial hit on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) is, of course, quite another matter!

Remiss of me to leave out Ashley Down (is that the same as Ashley Hill?) , Winterbourne and Long Ashton.  Exceptionally, as this is something of a 'fun' and thought provoking poll rather than designed to gather evidence, I'm tempted to edit on the fly ...

Horfield to become Horfield and/or Ashley Down
Coalpit Heath to become Coalpit Heath and/or Winterbourne
Flax Bourton to become Flax Bourton and/or Long Ashton

One of the posters has commented that not everyone has been voting for all the stations.  Indeed; a maximum of a quarter of voters have done so - others have been bit more selective.  Nothing wrong with voting for them all - indeed given a long long look into the future and growth rates of this decade continued, they could all happen; I suspect others have been more pragmatic and looked at a shorter term.  Nothing scientific expected in the results ... a tiny, self selecting sample and we are imbys (opposite of nimbys - wanting stations "In My Back Yard".

From The BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page)


I've come across this story before - posting here because (as I understand it) some rail industry customer service is also outsourced to Capita and I've not heard of them being  too fast at responding.

Personal experience of contracts to run training courses where big government agencies outsource specialist training management to Capita mean that I very much believe the story.   The admin, form filling, chasing and delays have turned what should be straightforward bookings and fun courses to give into nightmares - "why did we ever bid for that", "what's the excuse for not paying yet this time" and "never again".  Like I say - personal experience and not necessarily a reflection on the company as a whole - though the BBC story suggests my personal experience is not unique.

Both correct.

I am usually up for a few minutes in the middle of the night as Billy our greyhound needs to be let out to check the garden is still there.   But you are not usually in the South Pacific are you?   Sounds like you might be on a cruise ...

I noticed on a poster about timetable changes at Swindon last night that Severn Beach goes up to hourly on a Sunday from 31st March 2019.  Is this just for the summer, or all year?  Something new, or was it hourly last summer?

Saturday, 15th December 2018 - the Coffee Shop Advent Quiz.

15.1 - Where was this picture taken?

15.2 - And in which year?

15.3 Where was this picture taken?

I arrived back at 20:32 tonight ... last train of the day, and just about the quietest on most days.   We looked for an average of 20 passengers using all the trains as our hurdle for "success" in three years ... this quietest train tonight had 30 users ... 9 of whom got off and one got on at Melksham - so that's 30/10 on our old measuring system.   Chatting with the train manager, she was saying it's getting very busy and confirmed that today seemed very much so - now that the engineering bus replacements are almost over (just the 12 days of Christmas come), and the train has a greater capacity, or ceiling has been lifted.

Thank you for visiting Melksham ... hope your trip fulfilled whatever it was you came for.

Dunno.  And why was "The Reckless Engineer" renamed "The Sidings".   Does it relate to political correctness to encourage technical people to take care, or is it an indication that it's managers and accountants who run the railways these days with those with detailed knowledge of how to work things out on the side tracks?

Excellent!  I am headed home for dinner and would be in trouble if tempted by a buffet or restaurant ... 

On one headed electric out of Paddington ... took off like a rocket!

They're seeing how far they can take a crane with its jig slightly raised west from Didcot ... 

Bristol Post headlines Here is where one councillor would like to see new railway stations opened.    There's been lots of talk of lots or stations ... which do YOU feel should be (re)opened ...

Services calling at Melksham, Friday 28th December 2018

(almost the same as 27th ... but note first bus is a little earlier)

07:35 from Westbury (07:00) to Chippenham (07:55) [ by bus ]
08:35 from Chippenham (08:15) to Westbury (09:10) [ by bus ]
08:55 from Westbury (08:20) to Chippenham (09:15) [ by bus ]
09:42 from Chippenham (09:22) to Westbury (10:16) [ by bus ]
11:38 from Chippenham (11:18) to Westbury (12:16) [ by bus ]
11:40 from Westbury (11:02) to Chippenham (12:00) [ by bus ]
13:45 from Westbury (13:10) to Chippenham (14:05) [ by bus ]
14:38 from Chippenham (14:18) to Westbury (15:16) [ by bus ]
15:35 from Westbury (15:00) to Chippenham (15:55) [ by bus ]
16:45 from Chippenham (16:25) to Westbury (17:21) [ by bus ]
17:35 from Westbury (17:00) to Chippenham (17:55) [ by bus ]
17:45 from Chippenham (17:25) to Westbury (18:21) [ by bus ]
19:25 from Chippenham (19:05) to Westbury (19:59) [ by bus ]
19:48 from Trowbridge (19:33) to Chippenham (20:08) [ by bus ]
20:45 from Chippenham (20:25) to Westbury (21:20) [ by bus ]