A LETTER praising the Heart of Wales Railway but expressing sorrow at the few passengers using the service prompted replies from readers.
Bruce Lawson praised the line after using its services for a trip but remarked on how few passengers he saw enjoying the rural uplands of Carmarthenshire, Powys and Shropshire.
Readers shared their opinions and pointed to the unreliability and scarce services offered by the operators as the reason so few passengers depended on the Heart of Wales to commute.
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Lyn Hanley said: “I used to use the line a lot but these past few years it often has cancelled trains so can’t be relied on. Get the trains running properly and you’ll get the passengers. Simple.”
John Hardwick added: “The timetable is not the best and Sunday’s are just a joke. First train into Shrewsbury 15:14 and last train leaving 16:20 giving someone 66mins in Shrewsbury which I feel is really letting down the tourist trade in mid Wales. Maybe ask Transport for Wales why cant they make the line usable on Sunday’s in the summer time.”
Claire-louise Morris said: “Let’s be honest it’s because it’s hardly ever working and the times the trains are running are at silly times.”
Lee Cave-Berry added: “Its so terrifically easy for a train company to prove they’re not making enough money to run.
“All they have to do is cut the service to the bone, and then run those services unreliably. If we want public transport to replace private, it needs to be plentiful and reliable.”
Jill Payne Lester said: “Such a beautiful train trip. The line deserves better management and promotion.”
Lorraine Hough said: “So expensive now and half the time the train is cancelled making journeys a nightmare.”
Berni Benton said: “I have to warn my guests that more often than not there will be a bus replacement. It’s not reliable
“The times make it difficult for tourists to go somewhere on it have enough time and have a train to come back on. It’s a tragedy.”
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