Transport for Wales outline dates for additional train services

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Transport for Wales outline dates for additional train services - Press Release

Transport for Wales (TfW) has confirmed dates for additional train services it wants to introduce to its timetable across the Wales and Borders route over the next three years.

Because of the enormous impact of COVID-19 over the last 18 months, some original dates, set in 2018, have had to be revised due to the pandemic’s consequences on areas such as disruptions in supply chains, the delivery of infrastructure needed to operate new services and the ability to train new train crews, due to social distancing.  The impact of the pandemic has been significant and far-reaching, but TfW has also confirmed that it will deliver on all additional services originally announced in 2018.

For the additional services first announced in 2018 to come into effect in December 2022, revised plans mean:

* Cardiff to Cheltenham (a consistent one train per hour to all stations) – Will be delivered by December 2022 (as originally planned)
* Heart of Wales Line (one additional service per day to all stations) – Will be delivered by December 2022 (as originally planned)
* Liverpool to Llandudno (new hourly service) – Will be delivered by December 2023 (revised)
* Extension to the current Manchester Airport to Llandudno service – Will be delivered by December 2023 (revised)
* Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury (a consistent one train per hour to all stations) – Will be delivered by May 2024 (revised)
* Hourly service between Liverpool and Shrewsbury – Will be delivered by December 2024

In addition, TfW has successfully purchased a further 25 Mark 4 intercity carriages plus five driving van trailers that are fully refurbished to a high standard.  This will include four trains of five carriages which will enter service on the South Wales to Manchester route in 2023. This is a newly introduced commitment and TfW is keen to explore the detail with passengers and stakeholders soon.

[grahame]

What a contrast to Wiltshire, where SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) are withdrawing their Bristol Temple Meads to London (Waterloo) services in December, stripping Bradford-on-Avon and Trowbridge of all their (popular) through trains from London, and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are withdrawing some of their local services south of Westbury too. 

[Rhydgaled]

Fishguard doesn't seem to be on that list... I can't remember for sure, and the relevant document appears to have been taken offline, but I thought they had plans for an extra service or two. Instead, the service has been reduced to 2 trains per day at the latest timetable change.

EDIT: Having now located what I think was the relevant document (https://trc.cymru/sites/default/files/documents/TSR2a%20Dec2024%20SX_0.pdf), it is certainly no more than one additional service was proposed and possibly not even that (I forget whether it went down to six trains per day when Stena retimed the ferries or has always been 7 since the 5 extras were added in 2011).

[Celestial]

And an hourly service from Crosskeys to Newport starting in December, extended the full length of the line once the long awaited double tracking is completed. Unfortunately with a 49 min wait southbound, it's unlikely many passengers from north of Crosskeys will use the service to get to Newport - I guess that's just a function of the current infrastructure and when they can fit the extra services in.