Westbury resignalling in the early 80s if I remember correctly. Presumably no regular trains used it, so the expense of resignalling a line that would not see regular use was not justified.

Yeah it sounds like an excuse and suggests there may have been another reason. It doesn't make sense to remove a significant part of track just because they forgot to include it in plans for resignalling. On the other hand, if they did forget to include it during resignalling it's just another example of the shoddy standards when it comes to maintaining and improving the railway network.

Isn't that reversing move permitted by shunt only, though? - which in turns means no passenger trains can use it in service...

I knew I had a recent picture ...

Blimey, I've only just noticed that signal.....

Down Melksham to Down Trowbridge short of Trowbridge station, colour light as well. They could probably do one better and bring that into the station.

Good loop idea, got the impression though that the main flows were from West Wilts - Swindon and not in the already well served loop you suggest. Redoubling isn't really vital anyhow - passenger numbers have never warranted it.

Traffic flows ... from Trowbridge / Westbury / Warminster / Frome - substantially more rail travel to Bath and Bristol than to Chippenham and Swindon, though you only have to look at the charts produced by the DfT (last October) or the A350 road (West Wilts to Chippenham for Swindon) to realise that the low train usage is probably caused by the p**s poor service.



From Melksham ... there's nothing to be gained from analysing current ticket stats.  Half of the two trains a day each way (06:18, to become 06:15 off Swindon, and 20:20 arrival back there) are so badly times that - well - I don't think we could have picked worse timing, and neither of them offers a sensible daily commute to of from anywhere.  The other trains - 07:02 off Westbury and 19:35 back there - are not much better and only for the hardy who enjoy a really long work day. Looking at the roads / talking to people?  Equal split, I would say, between commuters going out to Bath / Bristol and Chippenham / Swindon.

A restored curve at Bradford would give a sensible diversionary route from Bath to Chippenham when Box tunnel was not available, and also allow either the 06:30 or 06:40 London trains from Temple Meads to leave earlier, run via Bradford-on-Avon and Melksham and regain its timing at Thingley - thus providing a through London service from B-o-A and Melksham to Paddington (note to anyone at FGW who reads this - at your peak hour 115 fare from Melksham to Paddington, if this brough an average of 3 passenegers every day, it would pay the extra price you want for a more appropriate TransWilts service!).

Restored curve at Thingley?  I think I would prefer to see trains reversing at the third platform at Chippenham; that's in the Network Rail wish list.  I also note that from Melksham, with a 3-hourly train service (we hope) from December, by changing at Trowbridge or Chippenham you have in effect a service every 90 minutes to Bath (but it competes with the direct bus) and Bristol (really very useful indeed - people do not want to change Bus to Bus or Bus to Train in Bath!)

Doubling?  There is good capacity at the moment, and for considerable growth in terms of both passengers and freight.  Resignalling and a layby / loop is probably an easier step that complete redoubling and even that would be quite a way away.   I'm not saying "never" - if the restored service blossoms at 35% per annum then perhaps it will come quicker than we think.  But remember too that passenger trains could be lengthened; the only short platform you have is Melksham.