Under embargo until 00:01 Tuesday, 8 April 2014
Tuesday, 8 April 2014
Cymraeg isod
New services for Cambrian and Heart of Wales rail lines
New peak hourly trains between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury will be among extra services to be funded by the Welsh Government on the Cambrian and Heart of Wales rail lines, Transport Minister Edwina Hart announced today (Tuesday, 8 April).
Four additional return services will operate between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury, Mondays - Saturdays, with hourly services for peak morning and afternoon times. There will also be two new return Sunday services, and an improvement to evening services on the Cambrian Coast between Barmouth and Pwllheli.
On the Heart of Wales line, there will be extra journeys between Llandovery and Gowerton/Swansea and between Llandrindod and Shrewsbury/Crewe offering good morning commuting opportunities on Mondays Fridays. Other return services will become more conveniently timed and the Heart of Wales Line Forum gets funding to explore the possibility of further improvements to the line.
The new services will create 20 new train crew and depot jobs. The changes, which will be on an initial three-year trial basis, will come into place from May 2015.
Announcing the new services, Mrs Hart said: I am very pleased that we have been able to secure the extra train services on these two popular lines. I recently commissioned a survey which clearly demonstrated the benefits to commuters, local businesses and university students of an hourly service on the Cambrian line.
There is also a clear demand for increased services on the Heart of Wales Line and these improvements will mean commuting journeys into Swansea from this line will be possible for the first time. This investment demonstrates our commitment to supporting public transport, which is a vital way for many people, including some of the most vulnerable in our society, to access jobs and services.
The news was welcomed by Cllr Mansel Williams, Chair of the Aberystwyth Shrewsbury Railway Liaison Committee and Heart of Wales Line Forum.
He said: This is excellent news for the people of Mid Wales. Both the Cambrian and Heart of Wales lines provide a vital service for residents, commuters, tourists and students in the area. We received a very strong response to our survey about services on the Cambrian main and the coast railway lines, which backed-up the support there has been locally for an hourly service, particularly in the commuting peaks.
The Heart of Wales Line survey also highlighted the impracticality of commuting with the current timetable, particularly southwards into Swansea. I am delighted the Minister and Arriva Trains have been able to find a way to deliver these additional trains which I am sure will provide a significant boost to the Mid Wales and local economy.
Notes
The additional services on both railways are designated for a three year trial under Section 36 of the Railways Act 2005 experimental services designation. The services will be reviewed after the first year and annually.
Cambrian Railway
The trial will provide 4 additional return services, in each direction, between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury Mondays - Saturdays, including hourly peak services for morning and afternoon, plus two new return Sunday services, and an improvement to evening services on the Cambrian Coast between Barmouth and Pwllheli.
Heart of Wales Line
The trial will provide additional morning journeys Mondays - Fridays between Carmarthen and Llandovery, returning to Swansea for an arrival at 8.16, and from Shrewsbury to Llandrindod returning to Shrewsbury with a 7.58 arrival and continuing to Crewe arriving at 8.50. These services are additional to the current four return journeys along the line and provide improved commuting opportunities, and later services will become more conveniently timed with some journeys being extended to start from/terminate at Crewe.
The lead time for the recruitment and training of staff means that the additional services will commence at the earliest possible timetable change date in May 2015.
The Heart of Wales Line Forum will receive a grant of £150,000 to undertake a further research into community rail development and potential alternative local management arrangements for rail services. The Forum will submit a further report to the Minister at the end of the year.
