Despite showing strong passenger growth in the previous few years, the new franchise reduced services in December 2006 to two each way per day, at times barely convenient for commuters.

The frequency was increased from December 2013 and services were extended south to Westbury and north to Swindon, providing a regular timetable branded as TransWilts.

This forms the current route of the Wessex Main Line: departing westbound from Southampton Central via Millbrook and Redbridge before branching north to Romsey.

The first section to be opened, in 1848, ran from Thingley junction to the west of Chippenham on the Great Western Railway, via Melksham and Trowbridge to Westbury.

[4] The WS&WR company was unable to fund further construction, and in 1849 the directors decided to sell their line to the GWR.

In 1857 the LSWR's West of England line (London-Exeter via Basingstoke and Andover) arrived in northeast Salisbury, at first using the Midford station.

[11] The smaller stations on the Salisbury branch – Heytesbury, Codford, Wylye and Wilton North – closed to passengers in the same year,[12] although in most cases goods service continued into the 1960s.