£50m bill to cut rail trip by four minutes
PASSENGERS hoping for a cut in journey times between north and south Wales will have to wait even longer, it has emerged.
The Welsh Government’s 2010 transport plan had promised a 16-minute time saving between Chester, Wrexham and Shrewsbury “by 2012”.
Some trains will run faster between Holyhead and Cardiff from May 20.
But it has now been revealed that journey times will only be reduced by between just one and five minutes – at a cost of nearly £50m.
Peter Kingsbury, of passenger group Railfuture Wales, said: “These improvements should not be achieved by a significant reduction in station stops by the existing services on this route.”
A Welsh Government spokesman said: “We will now work with the current operator of the Wales and Borders rail services and the successful bidder for the next franchise to maximise what can be achieved from the new infrastructure for the benefit of rail passengers.”
TRAIN passengers who have waited years for completion of a £49m infrastructure scheme will have to wait even longer for the promised cut in journey times between north and south Wales.
It has emerged that the full 16-minute time saving will not be achievable unless trains omit more stations along the line.
The Welsh Government’s 2010 transport plan included improvements to the railway between Chester, Wrexham and Shrewsbury “by 2012”, but the scheme was later reviewed and reduced. When Network Rail began the work in 2014, completion was expected in early 2015 but there were further delays.
Arriva Trains Wales (ATW) has now arranged for some trains between Holyhead and Cardiff to run faster from May 20. The time savings vary between one and five minutes.
On weekdays, one of the trains from Cardiff to Holyhead will reach the Anglesey terminus four minutes quicker than now. One will be a minute slower and the other five will take the same time as now.
Trains between north Wales and Birmingham also use the upgraded Chester-Shrewsbury railway, and some will be slightly quicker from May 20.
The full benefits of the £49m investment – including the promised cut to journey times of “approximately 16 minutes” – now depend on the next Wales and Borders franchise due to take over from ATW in October.
The rail network’s December timetable change will have been organised by then, and it appears that the full time savings will not appear until May 2019 at the earliest.
A Network Rail spokeswoman said: “In 2017 Network Rail delivered the Welsh Government-funded North/ South Wales Enhancement Project. As part of the project, five miles of track have been redoubled between Wrexham and Chester and four level crossings between Wrexham and Chester have been upgraded with safer, state-of-the-art obstacle detection systems.
“These enhancements will deliver significant journey time savings between north and south Wales, subject to future train service specification and a streamlined stopping pattern being implemented as part of the new Wales and Borders franchise.”
Passenger group Railfuture Wales cautioned against reducing services for communities along the route.
Chairman Peter Kingsbury said: “It is regrettable that the promised journey time savings between north and south Wales are not being delivered following completion of the work to improve line speeds and capacity between Shrewsbury and Chester.
“It is hoped that the new train operator which commences its services at the end of the year will be able to provide further improvements in the journey times to rail users in the Wrexham area and for those travelling between north and south Wales.
“These improvements should not be achieved by a significant reduction in station stops by the existing services on this route.”
A Welsh Government spokesman said: “We will now work with the current operator of the Wales and Borders rail services and the successful bidder for the next franchise to maximise what can be achieved from the new infrastructure for the benefit of rail passengers.”
Lynne Milligan, ATW’s planning director, said: “We welcome the significant investment in the infrastructure in north Wales by our partners in Network Rail and Welsh Government and the journey time savings we have made from May [2018]. This investment will provide multiple benefits to passenger services, now and in the future.
“Achieving more significant journey time savings is dependent on a number of factors and as such is something which will be considered in the new Wales and Borders franchise.”
Announcing the start of the infrastructure improvements in 2014, Wrexham AM Lesley Griffiths said: “Modern and efficient transport links are vital for the economic prosperity of Wales. Today marks the start of major improvements backed by significant Welsh Government funding which will result in faster journey times and more trains between north and south Wales.”
The Welsh Government’s investment involved laying a second track between Saltney and Rossett, mostly in Cheshire, and upgrading level crossings and signalling in the same area and between Gobowen and Shrewsbury, entirely in Shropshire.
Although the UK Government has not devolved responsibility and funding for Welsh rail infrastructure, the railway along the border links north and south Wales and connects with railways into Powys, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire. South of Shrewsbury the north-south trains share the Marches Line, with hourly trains from Manchester to Cardiff, Swansea and west Wales.
Gareth Calan Davies, chair of the Marches Rail Users’ Alliance, said there was a political aspiration to reduce north-south Wales journey times but most cross-border passengers travelled east-west.
He said an express service was needed between Cardiff and Manchester, calling only at Abergavenny, Hereford, Shrewsbury and Crewe, supplemented by a service calling at intermediate stations.