West of England Line - Soil Moisture Deficit Update - 10 October 2025

[whole diary]

[PhilWakely]

IIRC^▸ ('if I recall/remember/read correctly') West Coast Railways ran the Oxenholme to Windermere service during the covid years - why not invite them to run an Axminster to Exeter St David's shuttle? At least during the morning and afternoon peaks.

I wrote a long rant to SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) about the lack of any commuter services during either peak between Axminster and Exeter. Surprisingly, I received a response within a week. It was a long, probably cut and paste job from a press release, talking about SMD and the lack of rolling stock, but failed to even mention the possibility of a shuttle service. I await a response from my MP^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context).

[GBM]

IIRC^▸ ('if I recall/remember/read correctly') West Coast Railways ran the Oxenholme to Windermere service during the covid years - why not invite them to run an Axminster to Exeter St David's shuttle? At least during the morning and afternoon peaks.

I wrote a long rant to SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) about the lack of any commuter services during either peak between Axminster and Exeter. Surprisingly, I received a response within a week. It was a long, probably cut and paste job from a press release, talking about SMD and the lack of rolling stock, but failed to even mention the possibility of a shuttle service. I await a response from my MP^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context).

Have written to our M.P twice in his early days of arrival.
First reply came 4 months later.
For the second enquiry, I've received no acknowledgement 6 months on!
More Parliamentary researchers than usual needing repairs perhaps?

[grahame]

Have written to our M.P twice in his early days of arrival.
First reply came 4 months later.
For the second enquiry, I've received no acknowledgement 6 months on!
More Parliamentary researchers than usual needing repairs perhaps?

There is no requirement on MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) to reply to - or even acknowledge emails.   If they want to help make a difference, if they want you to re-elect them next time, a certain responsiveness and politeness helps. But there are some who find other ways of garnering votes more effective, or perhaps are going to retire at the next election anyway.

We have been through the whole gambit here.

Melksham was hooked into the constituency to our east when I first got involved with rail campaigning, where the big rail issues were Pewsey and Bedwyn to London and I had to draw a map of the railway network to show out MP how we fitted in.   

We were then hooked into the constituency to the north and our first MP was excellent; he lost the seat on a big national swing, and his replacement for the Chippenham constituency concentrated on - err - Chippenham Station with significant service connectivity loss at Bradford-on-Avon and Melksham bumping along with a thin and unreliable service quite out of scale for a town of the size.

We are now in a constiituency named after our town, and with an MP for whom we are not a rather awkward town tacked on, and with a customer / voter care understanding and approach, and a good team.   Thank goodness.  All MPs are busy (a few, cynically, busy doing nothing for their MP position) and it still augers well to be polite, correct, complete and helpful - and not rant nor write too much to ask for help / support.