All change! Alterations to several train routes on the way
TRANSPORT for Wales (TfW) has announced several changes to train services, including some that will affect passengers in South Wales.
The operator said the timetable adjustments will “better align with the new travel habits and requirements” of customers following a change in demand post-Covid.
Some of the key changes include running 87 more services on mainline routes – more than there were when TfW took over in 2018.
Other changes include having more carriages added to busy services, removing a small number of services that have very low passenger demand, as well as deferring some earlier-made commitments for more services on certain routes.
TfW said some rail routes would see more services and longer trains with more seats, particularly during seasonal peaks.
It added that others would see slightly different calling patterns, which would be “better targeted to current needs”. But it also noted it has made “some tough decisions” to ensure services provide capacity “where most needed”.
The new timetable will see additional calls to and from Milford Haven and Haverfordwest, giving the Pembrokeshire towns 13 services per day in each direction.
Meanwhile, there will be an hourly service between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury to run from May to September, which will begin in May 2026.
During the same year, the operator plans to add peak time services on the Vale of Glamorgan line, but the increase to two trains per hour throughout the day will be deferred.
The reviewed timetable will also see hourly services between Cardiff and Cheltenham throughout the daytime by June.
There will be extra services between Swansea and Tenby between May and September from 2025, but TfW said this will be subject to agreement with Network Rail.
The Liverpool to Chester service will be extended to Llandudno from 2026, which will also be subject to agreement with Network Rail and work completed to level crossings.
The Heart of Wales services will cross at Llandrindod Wells to give much “better customer experience” in event of disruption. Currently, services cross at Llanwrtyd Wells.
However, Heart of Wales Line services will be reduced from five to four per day from December. The changes will also see the removal of the two late evening services to Llandovery and Llandrindod.
According to TfW, bus options are being explored for this service.
There will be a removal of four services between Machynlleth and Pwllheli, two in each direction, but two further services will be retimed and will run between March and December.
As of last Friday, TfW has amended four journeys to end at Carmarthen, instead of Cardiff Central, but these journeys will connect into Great Western Railway services between Carmarthen and London Paddington.
Connection times for this service can be found on TfW timetables.
It has also deferred the introduction of some additional evening services between Cardiff and Cheltenham Spa.
Its previous commitment to increase trains between Cardiff Central and Bridgend via the Vale of Glamorgan line to two trains per hour has also been deferred.
Alternatively, TfW has said it will introduce an additional peak service in each direction.
The operator also announced it will defer a previous commitment to introduce a new Cardiff Central to Shrewsbury to Liverpool Lime Street service, as well as to defer a previous commitment of increasing their services between Cardiff and Swansea to one train per hour during off-peak times.
However, this service will remain hourly during the peak.
Colin Lea, TfW’s planning and performance director said: “We’ve completed our future timetable review. The proposed new timetables will provide us with more resilience in the winter period and meet changed travel demands post-Covid.
“Nearly every service that TfW operates requires public subsidy, and as a responsible operator it’s imperative for TfW to balance the needs for a regular, robust and reliable service with available budgets to deliver value for taxpayers and more sustainable transport.”