RAIL campaigners are hopeful that Westbury could see a large increase in the number of services to Swindon later this year.
First Great Western has confirmed it will be running additional services between Westbury, Melksham and Trowbridge. And campaigners are encouraged that extra services to Swindon, from December, have already been allocated in the timetable.
Rail campaigners have long pushed for more services on the Trans Wilts rail line, which runs from Salisbury to Swindon via Westbury. Horace Prickett, of the West Wilts Rail Users Group said, “There is a train service from Westbury to Swindon over the Trans Wilts line. Currently, if you miss one train, you have to wait 12 hours for the next.”
“We’ve now got the slots in the timetable, we’ve got an operator, and we’ve got a subsidy from the government [via Wiltshire Council]. This is really, really good news. Having been battling for years and years, we’ve got the first two or three rungs of the ladder in place.”
Station manager for Westbury, Nicholas Reid said, “We are grateful for the support of both Wiltshire Council and the MP for Chippenham, Duncan Hames, to help improve the range of services running between Westbury, Melksham and Trowbridge.
“The agreement will see FGW run six additional services a day, creating eight daily services Monday to Saturday, helping to keep people moving in these increasingly congested times.”
Need for extra platform
With a potential increase in trains and passenger numbers, local rail campaigners hope the extra services will bode well for Westbury’s chances of getting a fourth platform for the station.
The project has already been shortlisted for government funding by Wiltshire Council, as it considers a programme of works to begin in 2015.
Horace Prickett explained, “Westbury is a very congested station. We need the other platform, we’ve got to get Wiltshire Council committed. It’s on their list of things to do, but they have yet to commit to doing it.”
Pictured: Horace Prickett, Ian Taylor and Roger Newman – members of the West Wilts Rail Users Group and Westbury Train Watch.
