A survey of journeys undertaken by motor transport vehicles conveying military and civil service personnel from the Corsham defence estate to Chippenham railway station in the last 12 months indicates a daily average of six return journeys with passenger numbers ranging from one to eight, or approximately 1,560 journeys over a 12-month period.
The number of rail warrants issued by the travel office of the Joint Support Unit Corsham which provides logistical support to the MOD's Corsham-based organisations is as follows:
Number 2004 3,402 2005 4,165 2006 4,969 2007 12,025 1 To week ending 22 June.
These warrants relate to journeys commenced at Bristol, Bath, Chippenham and Swindon railway stations. A further average of 10 warrants per week is issued for journeys commencing at other railway stations in the United Kingdom.
The average cost per ticket is £179.50 on extant ticket prices. Typically more than 70 per cent. of the tickets are issued for travel from Chippenham railway station.
The total number of staff at the Corsham estate is 1,938.
The distribution and breakdown of staff (including civilians) across the estate is as follows:
Copenacre Basil Hill Rudloe Media Park Hawthorn Military 168 315 25 8 20 Civilian 413 300 159 114 12 Consultant 22 7 2 0 0 Contractors 104 100 0 0 169 Total 707 722 186 122 201
Due to the rural nature of the location and the widespread home locations of staff, emphasis is placed on reducing the number of single occupancy vehicles from the present 82 per cent. to 64 per cent. by 2011 and 48 per cent. by 2013 by operating car-sharing. In addition, the local MOD Travel Plan Co-ordinator will be working with other transport operators to provide bus and train services closer to the Corsham sites.
The environmental impact of these changes will be to reduce the number of cars travelling to and from the site from the present 1,800 (including visitors) to a maximum of 1,300.