New Mid Wales train services start

New peak hourly trains between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury and extra services on the Heart of Wales rail lines, funded by the Welsh Government, start this week.

Four additional return services will operate between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury, Mondays – Saturdays, with hourly services for peak morning and afternoon times, leaving Aberystwyth at 06.30, 08.30, 12.30 and 18.30. The new services provide for improved connections, with shorter waiting times, to and from Cambrian Coast trains.

There will also be two new return Sunday services, leaving Aberystwyth at 10.30, 1433 and an improvement to evening services on the Cambrian Coast between Barmouth and Pwllheli (Monday to Saturdays).

On the Heart of Wales line, there will be extra  journeys between Llandovery and Gowerton/Swansea and between Llandrindod and Shrewsbury/Crewe offering good morning commuting opportunities on Mondays – Fridays. The new services will create 20 new train crew and depot jobs.

The Welsh Government approved the new services following a survey which found a great demand for them and the need to adjust timetables to better serve commuters.

Mrs Hart said:

“The investment in these new services demonstrates the Welsh Government’s commitment to public transport, which is a vital way for many people, including some of the most vulnerable in our society, to access jobs and services. These new services will benefit commuters, local businesses, tourism and university students.”

Ian Bullock, Managing Director of Arriva Trains Wales said:

“We were really pleased to work closely with the Welsh Government on these important improvements, both to the timetable and to the station at Aberystwyth. We are working closely with Visit Wales and our local partners to promote these new services to the people of Wales and our border regions.

”We expect that these new journey opportunities will encourage more and more people to visit these beautiful and scenic parts of our network.”

Rhydian Mason, of the Cambrian Railways Partnership also welcomed the news:

“This is a long awaited result, and I’m confident that over the coming weeks and months we’ll see passenger numbers increase as the added convenience, practicality, and usability of the service makes the Cambrian railway a far more popular choice. This will be a far more attractive proposition for tourists and visitors to Mid Wales as well, giving them the opportunity to be far more flexible in their plans and indeed making it easier for them to travel within Mid Wales during their stays here, and we are most grateful to the Minister for Science, Economy and Transport for Edwina Hart for her significant role in making this possible.”