Transport Report – December 2017

We have had good news as Stagecoach West buses now take contactless payments. From Sunday 12th November you can pay up to the value of £30, which will cover most tickets, including weekly tickets. This means that all three bus companies serving the Chiseldon area, now take contactless payment.

The Swindon Bus Company, formerly Thamesdown, have a number of new buses. These buses have new seating with the rear seating arranged in a half circle to encourage passenger interaction.

The Hodson Turn bus stop has been improved by the farmer cutting back the vegetation surrounding it.

There are big changes on the trains operating from Swindon with GWR changing over to the 800 Series intercity express trains. There will be 93 new trains that will be bi-modal, electric and diesel powered. These will increase available seating, have electric powered doors and shorten the journey between London Paddington, Bristol and Cardiff, with information screens by the carriage doors to tell you the letter of the coach and the next station it will call at.

There is a substantial amount of track work and overhead cabling happening on the railways over Christmas and New Year.

Work will commence to improve the throughput of traffic on the Mannington Roundabout for the first six months of 2018. This work will be ongoing at the same time as work continues at Junction 16 of the M4.

Highways English and Kier Resurfacing would like to thank local residents for their patience over the two weeks of works to resurface Junction 15. This work went on longer because of machinery breakdowns.

Swindon Borough Council have a Christmas shopping campaign with the logo “Cut the fuss, get there by bus, this Christmas” with late night shopping every Thursday night, starting on 23rd November. There is a Christmas Artisan Market in Wharf Green on Saturday 9th December. Marlborough have a Christmas Fair on Saturday 25th November 11.30-4.00 at the Town Hall, in aid of the Prospect Hospice.
Salisbury Christmas Market, Guildhall Square from Thursday 23rd November to Friday 22nd December, late nights until 8pm on Thursdays, Salisbury Reds X5 bus service takes you to the middle of Salisbury, opposite the market.

Cllr David Hill    Transport Representative – Chiseldon Parish Council