THOUSANDS more people have taken the train to and from Melksham this year and services will continue to improve as a three-year trial has been hailed a huge success.
The trial, which began in 2013, ended last month and saw the number of trains stopping in Melksham each week grow from 28 to 119 over the three years.
The TransWilts Community Rail Partnership has worked hard to encourage local people to travel by train and the volunteers’ work has paid off; the number of journeys starting or ending in Melksham has risen from 12,000 in 2013 to 60,000 in 2016.
The line’s success means the services will keep running in the future.
Community rail officer, Graham Ellis, has spearheaded the campaign in Melksham.
Graham said, “Thank you to all who have travelled on the three-year trial train service that called at Melksham Station from December 2013 until December 2016.
“So many people have travelled on the train that it’s to continue permanently.
“Figures announced by the Office of Rail and Road show Melksham – served only by the TransWilts line – with the highest percentage growth in the region for the third year in succession. To achieve highest growth in any one year is good, to achieve it multiple years in succession is excellent, and to continue to achieve it in a year when the service in the six -week peak of the summer holiday was removed, replaced or ‘bustituted’ because of engineering works is truly remarkable.
“Already announced plans for the next year or two look to an extra carriage on those trains that are just one carriage at present, and to an extra very early morning service to Swindon starting in 2018.”
