Plaid Cymru Dwyfor Meirionnydd The Rt Hon. Liz Saville Roberts MP and Mabon ap Gwynfor MS

Plaid Cymru Senedd Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, Mabon ap Gwynfor has again called on the Welsh Labour government to acknowledge that cuts to the Cambrian Coast Railway timetable have caused nothing but inconvenience and misery for those whose livelihoods depend on the reliability and frequency of services.  

Mr ap Gwynfor continues to receive complaints from constituents and local businesses along the Cambrian Coast who have been adversely impacted by the withdrawal of services, accusing rail operator Transport for Wales (TfW) of being disinterested in the lived experience of rural rail users. He has received numerous impact statements from constituents detailing how these changes are adversely impacting their lives.

Speaking in the Senedd, Mabon ap Gwynfor MS said:    

The changing of the timetable is having a significant detrimental impact on the economy of the Cambrian coast, from Machynlleth up to Pwllheli. I’ve received numerous messages from businesses who’ve found that footfall has decreased and have suffered loss of income. At a time when the hospitality sector is already struggling, this change to the train timetable is making things worse. Pubs, restaurants, local independent cinemas, theatres and others have been impacted. Here’s one example from the lovely Morlyn guesthouse in Llanfair, near Harlech:

Proprietor of Morlyn Guesthouse, Marie-Claire Marsden said:

It is little businesses like ours which are suffering. We have an ongoing contract with a Dutch company, Treinreiswinkel, where Dutch guests arrive to us in Llandanwg by train, stay for 2 days, then carry on by bus and train up to Llandudno, then on by train doing a grand tour of the UK. We are the first stop. They arrive all the way from Amsterdam on the first day and should be able to connect at Birmingham International with the Cambrian line arriving here at 18.13 but the connections don't always work, so inevitably they get to us 2 hours later the next train. Fine, except that this is now the last train of the day. Were there to be an issue with the Eurostar or the London to Birmingham train, our guests would be stranded. And this has happened. Guests arrived exhausted at midnight but at least had a warm welcome and a comfortable bed. Now that last train has gone, the only alternative is a taxi ride from Shrewsbury. Expensive and difficult to manage for non-first language English speakers.

Can the Cabinet Secretary explain to my constituents why they should have to lose income, jobs, and our economy suffer because of Transport for Wales’ failure to run an effective service on the Cambrian Line?