Councils join train fight (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Councils join train fight

A THREATENED train service from west Wiltshire to London has won the support of town councillors who have declared they will fight to save it from being scrapped.

Last month it was announced the Department of Transport had omitted the popular service between Bristol and London Waterloo from a draft consultation document for bidders of the new South Western franchise.

The train line, which serves passengers from Bradford on Avon, Trowbridge and Warminster, could be scrapped from February 2007.

At a meeting on Monday Bradford on Avon town councillors agreed to restart the campaign, which saved the service two years ago.

Cllr Paul O'Callaghan, who will take charge of the new fight, said: "We campaigned once and succeeded. We shall do the same again, we've got nothing to lose."

Fellow councillor Philip Sutton agreed it was important to back the campaign.

In a letter to transport minister Alistair Darling, Trowbridge Town Council said it was strongly recommending the service be retained.