TRAVELLERS in Powys will soon be enjoying the benefits of an upgrade on Arriva Trains which the company is conducting thanks to funding from themselves and the Welsh Assembly Government.
Ministers are providing £7.5 million to the improvement programme which will take place over the next 18 months.
The upgrade will include new seating, a state-of-the-art passenger information system, improved luggage storage facilities, additional space for wheelchairs, as well as a full refurbishment of toilets.
Arriva Trains Wales Commercial Director, Mike Bagshaw, said Arriva Trains Wales is now one of the most punctual rail companies in the UK with passenger numbers growing all the time.
“Our focus now is very much on improving the quality of our trains and stations together with reducing journey travel times,” he said.
“This joint programme of investment between Arriva and the Welsh Assembly Government will deliver a step change in quality and will benefit the millions of passengers every year travelling on our main line routes.”
Welsh Assembly Deputy First Minister, Ieuan Wyn Jones says the investment in Arriva will see a much better travelling environment for passengers with trains upgraded and modernised.
“Our aim is to make the travelling experience more appealing,” he said. “There is strong growth in the number of people travelling on train services in Wales and we are investing in these improvements to make people’s journeys more comfortable and more enjoyable.
“We hope these refurbishments, as well as our significant investment in improving Welsh train stations, will get more people out of their cars and onto our trains.”