Commuters on the North Wales Main Line are bearing the brunt of perennial cancellations and delays, as figures from Avanti West Coast reveal the North Wales to London route has the highest on-the-day cancellation rate across its entire network.
Figures from Avanti West Coast for July to August 2024 reveal that the North Wales to London route tops the table when it comes to service cancellations at 15.4%, the highest cancellation rate across the whole Avanti UK network.
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Raising the matter in the House of Commons today, Plaid Cymru MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, Liz Saville Roberts called on the Secretary of State for Wales to use her role to address consistent cancellations which was punishing commuters in north Wales.
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Speaking in the House of Commons, Liz Saville Roberts MP said:
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On-the-day cancellations on the North Wales to London line stood at 15.4% in August. We consistently have the highest on-the-day cancellation rates for the entire Avanti network – three to four times higher than the next worst part of the network. How will she use her role to stop Avanti West Coast punishing Welsh travellers?
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In reply, Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens MP said:
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The government is clear that the performance on Avanti West Coast has not been good enough. We have heard many times in this Chamber about the appalling service. Too many cancellations and too many delays. This government has required Avanti West Coast to improve performance on services. I discussed this with the Transport Secretary last week. Ministers and officials are holding regular talks and performance reviews with Avanti West Coast and Network Rail to hold them to account, closely monitoring compliance with contractual obligations and driving improvements using the contractual mechanisms.
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Liz Saville Roberts MP added:
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Rail-users in north Wales remain greatly inconvenienced by the continued cancellation of rail services between north Wales and London, with perennial delays to journeys compounding the situation. The north Wales Main Line is an economically important route, serving to connect the port of Holyhead with the rest of the UK rail network. It is a disgrace that this route is being run to the ground by an inept operator. People deserve certainty and confidence that their train will run on time or at the very least turn up. Without a reliable timetable and the ability to book tickets with confidence - it is very difficult for people to plan. Whilst I recognise the recent and long overdue investment in a fleet of new and improved trains on the Holyhead to London route, commuters across north Wales continue to suffer increased journey times and poor communication. This ongoing disruption is both bad for business and bad for the north Wales visitor economy. It needs sorting.
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