helping to support it, start to mature, there's a natural need to review where we are, and to work with appropriate due process so that our community element interfaces with partners in the way that other CRPs do. It works for the partners, and it should work for the community too as we're using established and tested communications routes.
type links, the draft "Community Rail Partnership Strategy" came to me on Friday last; worthy of wide consideration, I have cleared with the chair of the Melksham Rail Development Group for it to be considered as part of their meeting on 23rd May;
and it is opportune for us to consider this widely rather than just have it signed off at officer level. The draft has been circulated by email to our member and supporters - including some who are supportive, but not on the ground with us every day, and for them I have written an update of where we are and where we might be going. I'm sharing a copy of that here, as it's a good general update.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In this letter
a) Community Rail Partnership Strategy
b) An update on how the TransWilts service is running
c) What's coming up over the next weeks and months.
Dates for your ^ 18th May, new timetable. 23rd May, MRDG meeting. 12th July, Carnival. All summer - trips by train. 18th October - TransWilts Link
Please feel free to forward to others who may be interested ^ and please feel VERY free to suggest they try the train!
Graham
Graham Ellis -
graham@atrebatia.infoPress and publicity, TransWilts Community Rail Partnership
TransWilts CRP, 48, Spa Road, Melksham, Wilts, SN12 7NY
http://atrebatia.info - 0845 459 0153
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a) Community Rail Partnership Strategy
I'm forwarding you a copy of First Great Western's Community Rail Partnership Strategy which looks to me (personal view here) like an excellent approach, and helps the TransWilts CRP move forward in this important year where we're helping promote what is in essence a new service.
Peter Blackburn (chair of the Melksham Railway Development Group had agreed to add this as an agnda item for discussion at the next Melksham Railway Development Group meeting - 19:30 on 23rd May at Melksham Town Hall. It's our first such strategy agreement, and it will have strength if it's widely read and endorsed within the key members of the partnership (of which MRDG is a major member) as well as by the officers. All are welcome
For those new to this venue / time ^ you can arrive in Melksham on the 18:32 train from Westbury or the 18:52 train (as it will be by then) from Swindon, and then catch the Melksham Rail Link bus from the station into the town centre (free service). The meeting will finish after the final train, but I would be happy to offer lifts back to Trowbridge or Chippenham after if we hit the 2 hour gap in the 234 bus service! Our remaining family car booked for the purpose that evening
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b) An update on how the TransWilts service is running
The new TransWilts services which started in December are doing well. Thanks to strong support from Wiltshire Council and Connecting Wiltshire, excellent help from First Great Western, volunteer work by CRP members (one or two especially, who'll know who they are - THANK YOU!) , and a service that's been generally reliable (1 cancellation out of 194 services scheduled southbound in the last 4 weeks, and only 4 ran really late). Thanks also to Network Rail who keep us up and running and who's front line staff deserve a special mention for the hard work put in during the dreadful weather in February, when they had to work beyond the call of duty and kept the line open. Also a mention for Duncan Hames, the
MP▸ for Chippenham (and Liberal Democrat Candidate again next year) who was instrumental in bringing about this new service and has visited twice since re-opening, and been very effective in his support, and for Michelle Donelan (Conservative Candidate for the next election, who will stand against Duncan) for her visit and support. Excellent to have cross party consensus that this is so right for the area.
A target of 45,000 journeys in the first full year was mentioned early on. In early February, expectations were around 60,000 to be achieved. A late February count by Wiltshire Council indicated that on one particular day (a Thursday) an average of just over 20 people used each train on the Chippenham - Trowbridge section (i.e. journeys that included the middle part of the service which is unique to the TransWilts) and on an annual basis that would mean over 100,000 journeys per year, which is the sort of target we're looking for ^ not in the first year but later on.
Some surprises on loading ^ we had guessed that the 08:18 arrival into Swindon and 17:36 would be busiest of the day. We were right. But we had guessed that they would be at their busiest between Swindon and Chippenham, providing an extra fill in service between London to Bristol expresses. As it turns out, the busiest section is Chippenham to Melksham, where the busiest trains are reported to have people standing on occasions - that does not mean all seats taken, as quite a few people will stand for a few minutes rather than sit next to someone (for example) -
http://twcrp.info/t13931 . Off peak trains are less crowded (almost by definition!) but still ahead of targets; a couple of services that we knew would be the quietest of the day (06:12 from Swindon, for example) fit the predicted model, but even there numbers are growing, especially as the train heads south. The trains that were running last year - 06:12 and 18:44 from Swindon, 07:04 and and 19:35 from Westbury - have lost passengers to services such as the 17:36 from Swindon and 07:32 from Westbury, but that loss has been made up (and a bit more) in passengers who were not previously TransWilts users. Weekend use in January / February was surprisingly good, considering all the floods and "do not travel" messages which for long distance traffic put people off even to Wiltshire. On the Saturday just gone, I was happy to see 29 people get on the 11:47 to Swindon at Melksham (it left with about 47 on board) , and hear reports that the earlier trains were pretty busy too. By contrast, the only Sunday morning train was replaced by a bus, which arrived empty from Trowbridge and picked up just five people. Thank goodness that's the only weekend of the year where all the trains have become buses!
The service is being marketed in a variety of ways. It's offered by the National Rail planners and ticketing systems - very important for people who know / think rail, but not for a first approach to people who don't. Personal and travel planners, Wiltshire Council, Connecting Wiltshire are going out to reach people beyond the current rail user. More widely, First Great Western are marketing the West Country as summer approaches and there's a specific Wiltshire campaign in May and June. The Community Rail Partnership if helping with press stories, with riding trains, social media, newspaper adverts, with advertising door to door, through clubs and societies, Chambers of Commerce and associations. It's hard to judge how effective the marketing has been - how much the passenger growth has been influenced by which parts of this work, but a recent survey has helped us work out which are the most effective ways of reaching people, and also what proportion of the people we have reached have tried the train and what proportion are still to reach. -
http://twcrp.info/t13867New sign boards (visible at night), shelter (larger and lit) and bus stop at Melksham Station, extra car parking and improvement of the markings on the road are all helpful in giving the station a cared-for capacity and in helping it handle previously unheard-of passenger numbers on a routine bases. In association with the improved Melksham train service, a Melksham Rai Link bus is taking commuters to the station in the morning from the further-flung locations, and back at the end of the day. It uses a vehicle which is in the town anyway, employing otherwise-dead time before school runs and after the last regular runs of the day. It is being used, but modestly so far and does have a number of daily regulars. We expect this traffic to be slower to develop bearing in mind it will come as people take jobs and education places where it was previously not possible. The final 234 bus of the day from Chippenham station to Melksham and Trowbridge now accepts train tickets. It runs at 22:26 - about 2 hours after the last train - and is an excellent example of sensible integration of public transport for which we applaud First and Wiltshire Council.
The TransWilts Community Rail partnership passed a motion to apply for full membership of the Association of Community Rail Partnerships at the February
AGM▸ , that went to the ACoRP board in March and after some supplementary questions were asked and answered we were admitted in April. Representatives attend a member's forum / briefing later this month hosted at the
DfT» in London where we hope to learn more of the experiences of other CRPs more widely than we have been able to do to date.
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c) What's planned over coming weeks and months
Local newspapers in the Melksham Independent News group (includes Melksham and Westbury) will carry an advert this week featuring a highlight of TransWilts benefits for the distribution town. The following week, we hope to have editorial coverage in other towns on the line not covered by such free papers, and the following week again there will be summer line brochures in the local free papers. New timetables and covering letters tailored to individual areas around towns are being distributes throughout Melksham and covering letters and summer brochures are also being distributed in areas of Chippenham and Trowbridge identified as being most suited to rail use. Swindon is a somewhat different case as we're looking to locate potential customers at a lower density from a very much larger base population.
On 18th May, the summer timetable starts with an extra Sunday train at around 08:35 Westbury to Swindon and at around 09:20 from Swindon to Westbury. This train connects into a London service at Swindon, and into a Weymouth service at Westbury, and there are good connections back in the late afternoon / early evening allowing for excellent day trip opportunities. Those opportunities in the London direction are yearlong and we have an ongoing action / discussion into the possibility of keeping this service running beyond September. Early weekend surveys to be carried out ;-)
Other minor service changes that are being discussed are:
(a) retiming the weekday 08:49 Swindon to Westbury to 08:36 (like it is on Saturdays). This would allow flexitime commuters to Melksham and Trowbridge to use the train and would provide connections at Westbury to Salisbury and Weymouth which (irritatingly) just miss at present. Indications are that the train path required is currently set aside for an MOD freight train which runs as required from Didcot to Warminster, but in practise that train runs very rarely indeed and we see no reason why it could not leave Swindon at 08:49 rather than 08:36, swapping paths
(b) retiming the 16:15 from Westbury to Swindon to 16:30. Again that extra 15 minutes would help the commuter flow, though it does not improve connections. Much as we would like to see the train moved back to 16:45 (with a connection from Weymouth) that isn't possible as the train needs to have a path into Swindon to be there in good time to form the 17:36 return journey. And the important connection back from Weymouth is the one off the 17:30 from there into the 19:32 TransWilts service.
Further longer term discussions (beyond "coming weeks and months" - rather looking to next stage / electrification and stock change time) are looking at how and if services south of Westbury, via Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury might be revised.
This summer offers a unique opportunity to say "try out this brand new service" - to encourage people to take a leisure trip / perhaps for novelty and then find that they have something that can form a part of their regular (even daily) lives. But how to reach people? They need to be reached in may ways with the message. Advertising this month is discussed above, alongside continuing social media and other methods. Saturday 12th July offers an opportunity in Melksham - the carnival - as it's a day when everyone's on the street. Proposal is for a group of TwCRP volunteers to walk in the parade, supported by a rail industry liveried vehicle, and hand out sumer holiday leaflets (to be produced locally / trifold / try the train this summer; day trips plus commuter and daily timetables and fares on one panel). Events in other towns are not quite so opportune in their timing. We have program space booked already for the Carnival.
Publicity has come ahead of traditional CRP station adoption activities thus far, but there are things in the pipeline.
At Melksham Station, a Ticket Vending Machine and
CCTV▸ is due to be installed. Passengers numbers are reaching the point where the conductor on the train cannot sell all the tickets that are wanted by Chippenham (or occasionally by Trowbridge), and the ability for people to buy tickets by credit and debit card before boarding will relieve that pressure. The
TVM▸ won't accept cash, so cash fares will still be on-train. The TVM will allow tickets bought online to be collected too - a big advantage for Advance fares where at present an extra trip has to be made to Chippenham, Westbury or Bradford-on-Avon to collect such tickets BEFORE travelling from Melksham! A raised platform is to be installed at the station approach, the A350 subway improved, and extra parking provided too within the next few months. Looking to 2015, we also hope to have access to the station from Foundry Close, cutting up to 600 yards off the distance from much of the housing in that area to the station. As things settle down with all these First and Wiltshire activity, the CRP may well come in with infills; certainly our poster at Melksham (and at the other stations) is eye-catching, and at Melksham we have the ability to keep it updated on a regular basis.
Swindon is a large and busy station, and the TransWilts is very much the junior partner there. historically, indeed, the TransWilt trains were guests in a competitor's facility. Those days are gone, thank goodness, but the Westbury / Salisbury / Southampton service is still very much the little 'un. There has been some community activity in the past - witness the sensory garden on the island platform, and the sign and children's drawing in the staffed information point on platform 4. Such community involvements are oft installed and set up in great enthusiasm, but then become tired and a burden to take forward. With the new, formal CRP and local help, we are looking to take forward the community in the station at Swindon not with a brand new initiative, but with modest improvements in the sensory garden and giving it some
TLC▸ ; there is a keen local sponsor, and the CRP can provide the assurance of being here-to-stay seeing as we're now in our 9th year of working for the TransWilts. A new sponsor sign, a TransWilts notice board in the sensory garden area ^ and we have a win-win-win for all concerned.
We look forward to the installation of lifts at Chippenham station, and we're delighted with the help of staff and Steamers in providing publicity; there's more to be done as there is a sadly neglected tourist information board in a key position in the station, and perhaps other projects.
Trowbridge and Westbury stations are also served by Heart of Wessex CRP trains, and that CRP is well established and doing an excellent station adoption job. We're tiny in comparison to them, and they're doing an excellent job; we're letting them take the lead - it's good and logical and we're happy with that. We are here to help if we can, mind you!
South of Westbury - Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury remain on our radar, but for this year at least concentration must be on making the new Swindon - Westbury services work. You will have noted comments about connections above, and we have an eye to pointing out opportunities to improve those, some short term (in railway terms). In the longer runs "TransWilts 2" - building traffic and also looking at where it goes beyond the current First franchise (to September 2015) beyond
LSTF▸ funding (to 2016) and as it grows and we learn and perhaps usage and needs metamorphosis - keeping the line and services appropriate. Even prior to the new service starting last December, TransWilts had the highest growth of any community line in the South West - 29% from 2012 to 2013, and that figure should be dwarfed from 2013 to 2014 and so on.
Planned ongoing publicity / support for the train service, and also (small in proportion) for the rail ink bus, 234 ticket interavailability at 22:26, and so on - adding in the new train in a couple of weeks, and other developments which may follow - requires help and support. We have a small team of very keen volunteers, together with help from Phil and Kevin at TransWilts and TransWilts link meetings and in their organisation. But there is also for a limited period (from the lead up to the school holidays through to the end of the year the need for a knowledgable and proactive ambassador to assist in interfacing with people - users, the rail industry, and so on, and our budget allows for that to be funded for a short period and on a distinctly part-time basis. The core team (singling out Lee, BobM in addition to the officers Sion Bretton, Peter Blackburn, Phil McMullen and Chris Hankin) all give a huge amount - one or two especially, who will know who they are. Their help cannot be underestimated, even thought they may be naturally shy and not appear in the publicity blaze.
We need to continue to survey and enquire to gain feedback on how we're doing - both the service and our activities. We need to continue to monitor and report back on issues that arise - either to explain why things are as they are, or to get "sillies" fixed if we can. And we need to get out there - on the trains as ambassadors though the summer - go round and visit groups and keep the service in the public eye through the Autumn so that we maintain it as a natural ongoing part of the community rather than a one year wonder. This might sound like a tall order, but actually it's not as the service is so naturally right for what's been needed and everyone's being so positive and helpful along the way.
Finally, the First document with which I started this update asks for CRP projects that wish to apply for funding over the next two weeks. Any ideas, please let Sion or Phil (as secretaries of MRDG and TwCRP) know, and please cc me because time is of the essence, and I've been co-ordinating this end of stakeholder relations.
In summary .. a lot has happened and a lot is going to be happening. Mostly in the "good" and "very good" areas.
Please try out the train if you haven't done so yet
Please tell your friends about the train
Please follow / like / keep in touch through the various media such as
http://twcrp.info and
https://www.facebook.com/TransWilts 
