Announced 1st July 2020 by Wiltshire Council that the TransWilts Community Interest Company has signed a lease for the car park area on Station Approach, Melksham and the adjacent land (opposite the station) which was formerly a builder's yard.

TransWilts will continue to offer car parking for rail users previously offered by Wiltshire Council. The car park will in due course be extended, and will be generally available and not just on rail business. Rapid electric car charging points (on a national system) will be available and cycle and (free) motor cycle areas. A toilet, cafe and Piazza will be available - planned for late autumn. Access across to the station will be improved, where there will be additional disabled parking spaces and short term (30 minute) free parking.

TransWilts is a not-for-profit company. Car parking charges are being set below those of other station car parks in Wiltshire and any income after operational and land lease costs will be re-invested in further improvements at Melksham Station.

The Chair and Vice Chair of the Melksham Rail User Group were briefed on plan details on 30th June. MRUG welcomes continued improvement of facilities at Melksham Station and looks forward to working with TransWilts for further improvements. Passenger numbers have risen from 3,000 to 75,000 per annum in a decade, and should rise to 250,000 in the next decade. The improvements that the lease announced today allows are just one step in a process that will enable the station to handle this further considerable traffic rise for the good of the economy of Melksham and the surrounding area.

MRUG meets online on 8th July at 16:00 - all are welcome. See [here] for meeting details. We will also cover our response to the Melksham Neighbourhood Plan, and helping people back into using safe use of public transport - trains, buses, and joined up journeys.

Contact details for TransWilts may be found at https://transwilts.org

TransWilts and MRUG are both members of the Community Rail Network

Press release from Wiltshire Council

1 July 2020 - For immediate release

Wiltshire Council partners with TransWilts to improve Melksham station

Wiltshire Council has entered into a partnership with TransWilts Community Rail to improve facilities and the car park at Melksham station.

This new project will see the lease of the council-owned Station Approach car park to TransWilts, which will take on responsibility for the car park, and in turn make a number of improvements to the facilities at the station.

TransWilts will make a number of changes to the car park to improve the facilities for the benefit of station users, including installing a café on the site, and an extension to the parking areas. It will also introduce parking charges on the site to make the running of the facilities sustainable.

Cllr Bridget Wayman, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “We’re delighted to work with TransWilts on this project to improve the facilities for rail users and the people of Melksham.

“This community partnership will help to improve public transport provision in Melksham, and indeed the rest of Wiltshire, as the TransWilts line links the county from Royal Wootton Bassett in the north to Salisbury in the south, and on to Swindon, London, and the south coast.”

Paul Johnson, Chairman TransWilts said: “We are grateful to Wiltshire Council for making the site available, enabling us to provide the Melksham Hub as the initial phase of an overall masterplan for the station.

“Construction is being funded with grants from local stakeholders, GWR and the Community Rail Network, and the work will commence in July 2020.”

To find out more about the exciting plans for the station, please see https://melkshamhub.co.uk/home/

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