Wales and Western Region: tackling a backlog

Delays to trains increased as the reliability of the network worsened in Wales - down to 69.6% on time, compared with 80.2% the previous year. This caused cancellations to double and was due to a combination of factors.

ORR says the region needs to take action to ensure it delivers its renewals and reduce its backlog of structures examinations - with a particular focus on Wales, which performed poorly.

Nick Millington, Route Director for Wales & Borders, told

RAIL: “We recognise that train service performance isn’t where passengers want it to be, and we have a joint plan with Transport for Wales which focuses on critical areas that need to perform better to improve train service performance.

“The extreme weather in the last year in Wales, such as Storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin and the extreme heat in July, shows the scale of the challenge we’re facing.

“That is why we have already taken steps in key areas such as at Black Bridge near Machynlleth, where we have lifted the railway bridge above a flood zone, and several improvements in the Conwy Valley to keep that line open in the face of extreme weather.

“We’re working on the Newport-Gloucester line to install 10,000 tonnes of rock armour to prevent landslips, where we’ve had five major landslips in the last couple of years.”