| Changes to TransWilts Train services - week of 12th October 2026 Posted by grahame at 07:21, 12th October 2026 |     |
From Melksham Transport User Group on Facebook
This week - Monday to Friday (12.10.2026 to 16.10.2026) - there's just one train calling at Melksham each way per day, with the rest replaced by buses from Chippenham, calling at Melksham and Trowbridge, to Westbury. Passengers travelling to / from Swindon will need to change at Chippenham to / from the other trains running from there.
The changes are because the line through Pewsey, normally used by West of England expreseses, is closed for engineering and some of the long distance trains are being sent through the bottleneck of a single line through Melksham, and they are prioritised over local traffic.
Passengers travelling westward - to Bristol, for example, are advised to catch the 271/2/3 bus (and, yes, different fare system / ticket) to Grand Parade, Bath and walk down Manvers Street to the station.
The changes are because the line through Pewsey, normally used by West of England expreseses, is closed for engineering and some of the long distance trains are being sent through the bottleneck of a single line through Melksham, and they are prioritised over local traffic.
Passengers travelling westward - to Bristol, for example, are advised to catch the 271/2/3 bus (and, yes, different fare system / ticket) to Grand Parade, Bath and walk down Manvers Street to the station.
And part of a share commentary also includes a link to Tiger
| Re: Changes to TransWilts Train services - week of 12th October 2026 Posted by grahame at 07:54, 12th October 2026 | |
Further comment - a somewhat deeper level for the Coffee Shop. The original post in this thread is shared as it was posted on local social media (sure, by me) a few minutes ago.
I remain unconvinced that GWR really have much care for our line or the passengers on it these days. Words AND deeds.
They wrote to us and others on the 2nd October to let us know - yep, that was a Friday afternoon just before office staff would finished for the weekend, and invited questions. A couple of queries submitted within hours - like asking why the regional trains (not the hyper fast expresses) aren't stop at the three stations along the line (buses provide a much slower service and cost the railways more!), and asking why the fares for journeys like Trowbridge to Swindon have been doubled for the week via the online booking system, even though there's supposed to be an easement in place for when direct trains are not running. No reply, even now (10 days later).
To be fair, GWR and NR invited questions - they didn't actually say they would acknowldege or answer them. And they probably figure that the question will go away after 16th October anyway, so why go to the trouble and expense of actually answering?
Reproduced above ... the "Tiger" display for this morning for Melksham. Good old optimism that the buses are expected "On Time". Sometimes they are (based on previous experience) but typically they're anytime from 5 to 15 minutes late and to my knowledge there are no trackers on the buses. Indeed, experience prepares us to see "On Time", the bus to not appear, the details to disappear off the departure board (worrying people waiting!) and then the bus to turn up a bit later. Not customer friendly.
Also on the Tiger display - "Buses stop in the Station Car Park". No, they don't. We have reported this before. They stop at the Rail Replacemement bus stop on Station Approach. The place is small enough for the buses to be obviously noticed, so no harm done - but why continue to pump out incorrect information like this?
| Re: Changes to TransWilts Train services - week of 12th October 2026 Posted by JohnM at 08:10, 12th October 2026 | |
For completeness, the 06:29 to Southampton is replaced by a 06:10 bus (to Trowbridge, then there's a 06:33 train onwards).
I'm WFH today but on Wednesday will probably take the 08:09 train option (to Bristol via Chippenham).
| Re: Changes to TransWilts Train services - week of 12th October 2026 Posted by grahame at 08:27, 12th October 2026 | |
To "complete" the picture - here's the path plan for 10 a.m to 5 p.m. today, no less than 25 paths offered.
Quite a number of those are alternatives - freight trains for which the final destination can vary, and a number are "Q" - runs as required. There is no way that 25 trains could get through in that time.
The plans rather confirm the "pecking order" which has long distance passenger trains and freight given first and second priority, and service to the people who live along the line and support it being places third, and pushed off.
