CONCERNS have been raised that rail passengers from Radnorshire are missing direct trains to London because of timetabling issues.
For passengers travelling from Llanwrtyd, Llandrindod Wells and Knighton, the first available Arriva train into Shrewsbury arrives in the Shropshire town at 8.22am, missing the direct Wrexham & Shropshire train from Shrewsbury to London’s Marylebone Station which departs only 15 minutes earlier at 8.07am.
The next direct Shrewsbury to London Marylebone train is not until 12.07pm.
The Conservative Leader in the Welsh Assembly, Nick Bourne AM, has written to Arriva to bring a train timetabling issue to their attention.
“I appreciate that the demand for trains from Shrewsbury to London from Arriva passengers boarding at stations like Llanwrtyd, Llandrindod and Knighton is not massive in relation to other areas, however for the sake of a timetabling adjustment of a mere 20 minutes, we could see the journey become far more attractive to thousands of potential travellers,” said the leader of the opposition.
“For many, particularly those of an older generation, a direct train is the only viable option on such a journey; many will opt out of train travel to London if two or three changes are required.
“I hope Arriva will be able to address this timetabling issue. I have no doubt that it would make the journey to London far more attractive to many in this part of Mid Wales,” he added.
Although Arriva Trains refused to comment, a spokesperson for Wrexham & Shropshire said: “We work hard to provide the best possible service for all of our customers and we are proud of our achievements to date, including a 99% customer satisfaction rating in the National Passenger Survey 2010.
“We are aware of the timetable clash but unfortunately, due to being a relatively new operator, we have had to fit around existing services operating along the same lines. We are continually working to improve the situation where we can.
"In the meantime, we advise all customers to check timetables before booking tickets to ensure connections are not missed.”