tehmina.org

In her infinite knowledge and wisdom, Hazel Blears, the Secretary of State who decrees on such matters decided to approve Wiltshire County Council’s bid to become a unitary authority, abolishing the five districts of Wiltshire. Apparently they put foward a very good case. I’m sure of course having been in teh job less than a month that she was perfectly able to decide this when the majority of ‘consultation’ from ’stakeholders’ and ‘partners’ indicated otherwise.

I am, at least, now hoping that travelling from north to south and south to north of the county will become a priority especially as so many services are based in mid and north Wiltshire, such as the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre in Chippenham. Will I have to leave the county to reach there from Salisbury or else take a bus and change in Devizes? Is this really improved access to facilities and services?

To be continued.

The Campaign Against New Beeching Report is headed by a fellow rail campaigner Lee Fletcher. He has been and continues to be one of the more active campaigners whose inspired project to propose an alternative plan for a railway in south west England, Gateway to the Future, I commented upon recently. This campaign, which is closely linked to Save the Train, More Train Less Strain and other campaigns (not just based in the south west) are potent symbols of the sea-change in attitude we will see towards public transport, particularly the railways. (more…)

This Guardian article about the ‘here-to-stay’ above-inflation rail fare increases raises some important issues about how the Government intend to tackle the capacity problems on the rail network in Britain. Statements about the way forward for the railways will come in the High Level Output Statement (HLOS). The two major projects for consideration are a revamp for Birmingham New Street and an updating of the ThamesLink route through London. It is also likely to include the plan for CrossRail. (more…)

In the response to a recent e-petition against levels of Inheritance Tax, 10 Downing Street reasoned that if they did not have this tax in place, revenue for public spending would have to be found from elsewhere to the tune of £4 billion.

That would be like adding about 18p on petrol duty.

I’d pay it for a fantastic rail service and £4 billion ought to cover it.

In December 2006, many First Great Western services in the South West were cut. This was, of course, due to franchise agreements that passenger provision would be cut by well over 7000 seats by December 2007. The new May 2007 timetable does not re-instate the decimated services on the TransWilts line that connects north and south Wiltshire via Melksham. Currently, to travel from Salisbury to Chippenham, you can either leave the county and change at Bath and add almost an hour to your journey or take the one-a-day direct service in the evening, without one coming back. Wiltshire County Council in the meantime have submitted a bid to become a Unitary Authority, wanting to run the county and its districts centrally. Here is the letter I wrote to rail bosses, FGW bosses, Wiltshire CC bosses and copied to my MP Robert Key: (more…)