Friendship Cafe - trip from Chippenham to Weston-super-mare

[whole diary]

[grahame]

The Melksham News reports Melksham's Shine Friendship Cafe took the train to Weston-super-mare in August - "For many it was their first trip on a train, and it is hoped it will give them the confidence to make more journeys in the future."

https://melkshamnews.com/day-trip-to-the-seaside-for-friendship-cafe/

Delighted at this introduction of people to rail:

The group joined a service at Chippenham for the hour-long journey to Weston-super-Mare. As well as taking in the scenery as they headed west, they also took part in a general knowledge quiz based on facts about the coastal town.

But I wonder how they got to Chippenham Station.  The group pictured indicates some mobility issues, and Chippenham Station is far from straightforward from the station forecourt to the platform for those who have difficulties with stairs. Apart from Sundays and early mornings, the bus from Melksham does not serve Chippenham Station. 

I confess that whilst I am delighted with the Melksham group being introduced to the train, I do wonder if it could have been done at their local (Melksham) station.  We have flat access to the platform and we have trains that don't need assistance booked ahead, and which puts them on the platform at Chippenham with a change to the train west that does NOT involve stairs, lifts, barriers, and finding transport to get them to that station from Melksham.

[ChrisB]

Maybe the local user group could ex[plain this to the cafe?

[bobm]

This from the chair of TransWilts, Paddy Bradley.

As Chair of Transwilts I would like to thank you for mentioning our project.   Although it is covered in the link you provided, to be clear this was organised by TransWilts in conjunction with GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway).
 
To respond to the points you raised
o   We wanted a through train without the need to change at Bristol Temple Meads.  There is one train after the morning peak suitable for a day trip which provides that and there is not a viable connection from Melksham into it.
o   We wanted to be able to book reserved seats to keep the group together, this is not possible from Melksham or many of the connections from it.
o   We wanted a staffed station to assist with boarding.
o   To reach Weston-super-Mare at a similar time from Melksham it would have involved a change at Trowbridge (no lifts) or Westbury and again at Bristol and the same on the return.
o   As to reaching the station.  Few, if any, of the people who came on the trip live within walking distance of Melksham station, so once in a car it made sense to come to Chippenham.
o   There were no issues at Chippenham station.  Those who felt they could use the stairs went with one TW member and those who preferred the lift went with another and met on the platform.
 
It is worth noting we did take other members of the café on a rail experience day earlier in the year.   This was from Melksham and saw them travel to both Westbury and Swindon by train while playing bingo and learning about train travel and platform safety on the way.
 

[grahame]

Dear Paddy, and through Bob

Delighted at this introduction of people to rail:

and that was the highlight and headline of my post.

This from the chair of TransWilts, Paddy Bradley.

As Chair of Transwilts I would like to thank you for mentioning our project.   Although it is covered in the link you provided, to be clear this was organised by TransWilts in conjunction with GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway).
 
To respond to the points you raised
o   We wanted a through train without the need to change at Bristol Temple Meads.  There is one train after the morning peak suitable for a day trip which provides that and there is not a viable connection from Melksham into it.
o   We wanted to be able to book reserved seats to keep the group together, this is not possible from Melksham or many of the connections from it.
o   We wanted a staffed station to assist with boarding.
o   To reach Weston-super-Mare at a similar time from Melksham it would have involved a change at Trowbridge (no lifts) or Westbury and again at Bristol and the same on the return.
o   As to reaching the station.  Few, if any, of the people who came on the trip live within walking distance of Melksham station, so once in a car it made sense to come to Chippenham.
o   There were no issues at Chippenham station.  Those who felt they could use the stairs went with one TW member and those who preferred the lift went with another and met on the platform.
 
It is worth noting we did take other members of the café on a rail experience day earlier in the year.   This was from Melksham and saw them travel to both Westbury and Swindon by train while playing bingo and learning about train travel and platform safety on the way.
 

The explanations very much appreciated, thank you.  They eloquently highlight some of the issues faced with using Melksham Station.  We, who live in Melksham, are very familiar with these and that's why paseenger numbers here are so low per head of population, and "we don't use it because" is so often heard. Let's be working together so we can overcome many or most of these issues in joint and full support of the TransWilts line and other trains and buses.

P.S. I would guesstimate that less that 1 in 20 of my own train journeys this year have been to or from Melksham - many have been connections far, far away and that network is crucial, amd some have been by bus where the train service hasn't worked.