Passengers deserve more for their fare
LATE and overcrowded trains, missed connections, outright cancellations and no alternative transport options.
This is the frequent reality for some train commuters, as 2023 marked the worst year for delays since Transport for Wales (TfW) took over the Wales and Borders network six years ago.
Welsh current affairs programme Y Byd ar Bedwar revealed there had been a staggering million minutes of delays in 2023, and 83,000 complaints about the service in just four years.
One Maesteg resident, Aled Williams, explained: “Sometimes, you will be waiting on the platform and then there will be an announcement saying the train is late, and then later, and then later – and then it doesn’t come at all.”
He is just one of many finding themselves in a similar predicament in many parts of Wales. A YouGov poll asked 1,000 people what they thought of Transport for Wales’ train service. Almost half (45%) said it was unreliable.
TfW has acknowledged there is room to improve services, and pointed toward its £800m investment since 2018 to acquire a new fleet of trains and improve stations.
But many commuters haven’t noticed any improvement in the service’s reliability.
Gethin Jones, TfW public affairs manager, asked for patience, pointing out how changing railways “does not happen overnight”.
But in the face of a 4.9% rail fare increase in Wales, which came into effect on March 3, it is understandable that many will be getting fed up of paying more for the dubious privilege of being let down by unreliable services.
The increase means some of the most common journeys in Wales have only gone up around 20p. But for those who commute to and from work frequently, this soon adds up to become a new annual bill.
The Welsh Government has said it wants to “encourage more people to stop using their cars”, but the 2021 Census showed that 19% of Wales’ population have no access to a car or van, meaning many have no choice but to use the rail network or buses.
It has also said it is “important to recognise that performance [of train services] has improved over the last few months”, promising to continue to invest and work to provide an “integrated and sustainable transport system of the highest quality”.
Let’s hope these promises come to fruition, and that those who rely on trains will soon get a service worth the extra money they will be paying for it.