Wales faces radical rail review

Transport for Wales has recently upgrade its entire passenger fleet (TfW)
Transport for Wales has recently upgrade its entire passenger fleet (TfW) Image from Transport fort Wales media

Rail services administered by Transport for Wales are simply unacceptable. That is the opinion of the nationalist leader in Wales, Mr Rhun ap Iorwerth. Speaking in the Welsh Parliament in Cardiff, he said there are serious issues with rail services run by Transport for Wales, the body appointed to administer transport operations by the devolved government. He claimed that damning figures revealed that four out of every ten trains in Wales is delayed, and the latest twelve months figures show a deteriorating picture.

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Author: Simon Walton

Simon Walton is UK correspondent for RailTech.com and Railfreight.com

10 comments op “Wales faces radical rail review”

Joseph Bee|11.08.23|17:05

As usual all priority goes to South Wales.I used to work for network rail and have a privilege pass to travel on trains, but I will not travel between Bangor & Chester because of the over crowding on a two carriage train even in peak holiday season.
The North Wales coast will never get the funding when under Shrewsbury.

Peter Lewis|12.08.23|08:58

Twenty five years of Wales running our own affairs, In Health, Transport, Education, Police/Crime, Roads/ Highways, and Wales comes a very poor second when compared to the other nations in the UK. But there is one thing that we do excel at, and that is receiving Benefits with over 60% of our households receiving money from central government to feed our families,
The biggest complaint we hear regularly is “Wales compared to England is poor”, and with Labour in charge we will soon be poorer.

Allan Cureton|12.08.23|10:38

So nationalised railways,health services,buses,water, education is the answer to make things better according to labour supporters is it.Well after 23 years of labour government in Wales has proved yet again it does not work.Despite these massive labour failings the people of Wales keeps voting labour.Now Wales is faced with another 900 million pounds more of cuts.When will they ever learn.
P

Mike Mountjoy|12.08.23|12:29

I have just travelled back from Manchester on tfw train and found it massively overcrowded to the extent that at pontypool no passengers were picked up and left waiting for next train two carriages on this run on a weekend is not enough

Chris Campbell|12.08.23|14:44

Bring back British Rail. All is forgiven. TFW is a joke & the contract for all wales train travel should of been given to the Japanese company who bid for it. The Japanese have great pride & service on their trainlines. They would never have run the welsh train travel into the ground like it has. It would of brought great shame to their families & country if they did. I avoid taking the train since TFW took over. I thought Arriva was bad but TFW is much worse. I’m ashamed when tourists use it.

Mark Holland|12.08.23|15:11

Totally unacceptable.
The Service needs to be looked at from top down.Ministers have no idea how bad the service is, as they are not users.
Two carriages are totally inadequate, there should be a minimum of four
Ive used the Manchester piccadilli train from Cwmbran having to stand until Leominster.The 6 nations valleys train services are terrible, Rugby fans piling into two carriages with Saturday shopers.The term sardines in a can come to mind and surely a breach of health & safety.

Luke Davies|13.08.23|01:29

An appalling service which has failed miserably.The train costs are excessive and fail to bring people into the City centre. The usual lack of understanding and accountability by Mark Drakeford who wants us all riding bikes and driving at 20mph, yet public transport is inadequate.Breaches in Health and Safety and Equalty.I would say delays are closer to 90%.All these ticket barriers and in-person checkers cost us expensive tickets but no improvement to service.

Gerald Holley|13.08.23|08:12

Devolved Government has suffered because Wales is treated like a third world country by Westminster. The Tories know if we had the same settlement under the Barnet formula as Scotland, we would be hugely better off but Wales is very deliberately kept poor by the Tories to feed their propoganda and as a way of deflecting from their own failings across the UK.Investment takes longer because resource sharing us grossly unfair. Just look at how Wales is robbed to fund 100billion HS2 & Cross rail!

T. Rhydgaled W.|17.08.23|09:09

@Chris Campbell

I don’t think any Japanese company bid for the TfW franchise contract. If I recall correctly the Germans (Arriva) and Dutch (Abeilo) pulled out leaving the French (Keolis) (who won it) and MTR of Hong Kong.

As for the Japanese not ruining Welsh travel; they (Hitachi) happily built the shameful 5-car class 800s/802s with cheap-&-nasty-looking pocket doors and awful rock-hard seats that GWR now employ between S.Wales and London. Should have had plug doors and all been 9-cars

M T|05.09.23|18:03

As of 5 Sept 2023 TFW are using 1980 Class 150 units on Main Line services between West/South Wales to Manchester Piccadilly
Services , this has now being going on for almost 4 Years of the company running the Rail Service from Arriva Trains Wales and this service has still not improved, Infact it’s just got worst. All of TFW Newer Class 197 units are used on North Wales service but sadly the South Wales service is suffering in which I’m sure is TFW biggest Revenue earner keeps being neglected.

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Wales faces radical rail review | RailTech.com

Wales faces radical rail review

Transport for Wales has recently upgrade its entire passenger fleet (TfW)
Transport for Wales has recently upgrade its entire passenger fleet (TfW) Image from Transport fort Wales media

Rail services administered by Transport for Wales are simply unacceptable. That is the opinion of the nationalist leader in Wales, Mr Rhun ap Iorwerth. Speaking in the Welsh Parliament in Cardiff, he said there are serious issues with rail services run by Transport for Wales, the body appointed to administer transport operations by the devolved government. He claimed that damning figures revealed that four out of every ten trains in Wales is delayed, and the latest twelve months figures show a deteriorating picture.

Want to read more?

Subscribe now!

Take advantage of our exclusive offer to get full access to all premium content.

See the offer

Author: Simon Walton

Simon Walton is UK correspondent for RailTech.com and Railfreight.com

10 comments op “Wales faces radical rail review”

Joseph Bee|11.08.23|17:05

As usual all priority goes to South Wales.I used to work for network rail and have a privilege pass to travel on trains, but I will not travel between Bangor & Chester because of the over crowding on a two carriage train even in peak holiday season.
The North Wales coast will never get the funding when under Shrewsbury.

Peter Lewis|12.08.23|08:58

Twenty five years of Wales running our own affairs, In Health, Transport, Education, Police/Crime, Roads/ Highways, and Wales comes a very poor second when compared to the other nations in the UK. But there is one thing that we do excel at, and that is receiving Benefits with over 60% of our households receiving money from central government to feed our families,
The biggest complaint we hear regularly is “Wales compared to England is poor”, and with Labour in charge we will soon be poorer.

Allan Cureton|12.08.23|10:38

So nationalised railways,health services,buses,water, education is the answer to make things better according to labour supporters is it.Well after 23 years of labour government in Wales has proved yet again it does not work.Despite these massive labour failings the people of Wales keeps voting labour.Now Wales is faced with another 900 million pounds more of cuts.When will they ever learn.
P

Mike Mountjoy|12.08.23|12:29

I have just travelled back from Manchester on tfw train and found it massively overcrowded to the extent that at pontypool no passengers were picked up and left waiting for next train two carriages on this run on a weekend is not enough

Chris Campbell|12.08.23|14:44

Bring back British Rail. All is forgiven. TFW is a joke & the contract for all wales train travel should of been given to the Japanese company who bid for it. The Japanese have great pride & service on their trainlines. They would never have run the welsh train travel into the ground like it has. It would of brought great shame to their families & country if they did. I avoid taking the train since TFW took over. I thought Arriva was bad but TFW is much worse. I’m ashamed when tourists use it.

Mark Holland|12.08.23|15:11

Totally unacceptable.
The Service needs to be looked at from top down.Ministers have no idea how bad the service is, as they are not users.
Two carriages are totally inadequate, there should be a minimum of four
Ive used the Manchester piccadilli train from Cwmbran having to stand until Leominster.The 6 nations valleys train services are terrible, Rugby fans piling into two carriages with Saturday shopers.The term sardines in a can come to mind and surely a breach of health & safety.

Luke Davies|13.08.23|01:29

An appalling service which has failed miserably.The train costs are excessive and fail to bring people into the City centre. The usual lack of understanding and accountability by Mark Drakeford who wants us all riding bikes and driving at 20mph, yet public transport is inadequate.Breaches in Health and Safety and Equalty.I would say delays are closer to 90%.All these ticket barriers and in-person checkers cost us expensive tickets but no improvement to service.

Gerald Holley|13.08.23|08:12

Devolved Government has suffered because Wales is treated like a third world country by Westminster. The Tories know if we had the same settlement under the Barnet formula as Scotland, we would be hugely better off but Wales is very deliberately kept poor by the Tories to feed their propoganda and as a way of deflecting from their own failings across the UK.Investment takes longer because resource sharing us grossly unfair. Just look at how Wales is robbed to fund 100billion HS2 & Cross rail!

T. Rhydgaled W.|17.08.23|09:09

@Chris Campbell

I don’t think any Japanese company bid for the TfW franchise contract. If I recall correctly the Germans (Arriva) and Dutch (Abeilo) pulled out leaving the French (Keolis) (who won it) and MTR of Hong Kong.

As for the Japanese not ruining Welsh travel; they (Hitachi) happily built the shameful 5-car class 800s/802s with cheap-&-nasty-looking pocket doors and awful rock-hard seats that GWR now employ between S.Wales and London. Should have had plug doors and all been 9-cars

M T|05.09.23|18:03

As of 5 Sept 2023 TFW are using 1980 Class 150 units on Main Line services between West/South Wales to Manchester Piccadilly
Services , this has now being going on for almost 4 Years of the company running the Rail Service from Arriva Trains Wales and this service has still not improved, Infact it’s just got worst. All of TFW Newer Class 197 units are used on North Wales service but sadly the South Wales service is suffering in which I’m sure is TFW biggest Revenue earner keeps being neglected.

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