Trawscymru network – unnecessary timetable changes and incorrect statement regarding the T2 service Bangor to Aberystwyth

Reply-To: john.mct@

 

Copies Welsh Assembly Members, Ceredigion Council Members, Powys Council members, Gwynedd Council members, Carmarthenshire Council members, Aberystwyth Town Council members

 

Dear David Hall,

Thank you for your letter of 09/07/2018 in which you indicated that ”IN JANUARY 2018 WE HAD TO RETIME THE ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES OF MOST T2 JOURNEYS AT ABERYSTWYTH IN RESPONSE TO ADDITIONAL RUNNING TIME NEEDED FOR THE T2 AS A RESULT OF THE START OF A MAJOR PROGRAMME OF ROAD

WORKS BETWEEN MACHYNLLETH AND DOLGELLAU”    This statement is completely incorrect in 4 respects  –  the time the major programme of work started, the nature of the work,  the location where the retiming of services took place and the project which required the additional T2 running time.     I am also concerned about your reference to ”WE HAD TO RETIME THE ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES”, specifically the ”we”,  as there seems to be confusion over who is responsible for the Trawscymru timetables.     Your Director Simon Jones has said that the contracting Local Authority managing the contract are responsible for the Trawscymru timetables and the Local Authorities say you are responsible.

A major programme of road works did not start in January 2018 between Machynlleth and Dolgellau – the major programme between Machynlleth and Dolgellau did NOT involve roadworks,  but involved tree felling next to the road and it started last week. This work is not leading to long delays throughout a working day and delays are limited to times when a small proportion of trees that are close to the road are felled. The felling is being done from top of hillside to bottom of hillside and on many days there is virtually no disruption to road users with a short single lane stretch operated by men with Stop/Go signs

In January 2018 the T2 arrival and departure times of most T2 journeys were retimed NOT in Aberystwyth as you say in your letter, but were retimed in Bangor where all departure times were put back by 10 minutes to increase the travel time between Bangor and Caernarvon by 10 minutes to cater for the future construction of the Caernarfon to Bontnewydd bypass (which is now not due to start until November 2018 at the earliest)  .  All T2 journey times between Bangor and Aberystwyth were increased by this 10 minutes (the extra 10 minutes between Bangor and Caernarvon)  with one T2 journey exception.  This  T2 journey exception was the T2 service which arrived in Aberystwyth at 18.40 where the arrival time was changed  to 18.50 increasing the total journey time between Bangor and Aberystwyth for this specific service  by 20 minutes.

This T2 service had 2 unneccessary delays near Aberystwyth inserted, which added an extra 10 minutes.to the total journey time and ensured that this T2 arriving at 18.50 in Aberystwyth could not possibly connect with the 18.40 T1 departure to Carmarthen.

All departure times in Bangor were changed in January 2018 because of the Bontnewydd bypass, _  _but from a total of 17 T2 service arrival/departures  in Aberystwyth I can only find  3 changes in Aberystwyth that were made in January 2018 and not ”CHANGES TO MOST T2 JOURNEYS”as you say in your letter.   These 3 changes in Aberystwyth were nothing whatsoever to do with the Bontnewydd bypass or the major programme of works between Machynlleth and Dolgellau.

The T2 departure time in Aberystwyth at 10.05 am was changed to 10.00 am to reverse the change introduced in May 2016 by the previous Transport Minister, Edwina Hart following a complaint made in January 2016 which you had refused to address,    In January 2016 you refused to stop the Northbound 10.00am T2 service waiting for 5 minutes in a layby 3 miles outside Aberystwyth to get the T2 service back on timetable, even though the 5 minute stop in the layby compromised the connection in Aberystwyth between the Northbound T5 from Cardigan and the 10.00am T2 departure to Bangor . The reason you gave in early 2016 for not stopping the layby wait  and for not changing the 10.00am T2 departure to 10.05 was because a new bridge was to be built across the river in Machynleth  (In 2018 this  new bridge in Machynleth is no nearer being built).   The previous transport Minister Edwina Hart forced you into changing the T2 Aberystwyth 10.00am T2 departure to 10.05 and you reversed that change for no reason at all in January 2018 .   Gwynedd Council , who manage the T2 contract, say they did not request this change and Gwynedd Council  have said that you did make that change.

One other change in January 2018 to the T2 timetable in Aberystwyth was also the subject of a complaint made to you in January 2016 and this T2 service was the 18.40 last of the day T2 arrival which connected only intermittently with the 18.40 last of the day T1 departure to Carmarthen.   In January 2018 you changed the 18.40 T2 arrival time to 18.50 by inserting an unnecessary  5 minute delay in Machynleth and an unnecessary  5 minute diversion off the A487 on the edge of Aberystwyth through the village of Comins Coch and the Aberystwyth Waunfawr Housing Estate.    Gwynedd Council, Powys Council and Ceredigion Council have all said that they did not request the 5 minute delay in Machynleth and the diversion off the A487 through Comins Coch and the Waunfawr Housing estate.

Today (on Friday 13/07/2018) I used the T2 service  from Dolgellau to Aberystwyth (Depart Dolgellau 17.35 and arrive Aberystwyth 18.50). and I supply the timings below in addendum 1. These timings show that there should be no problem in making the 17.35 departure from Dolgellau a connecting service in Aberystwyth with the last T1 to Carmarthen at 18.40.  It is of some importance that connectivity on the last T2/T1 Bangor to Carmarthen service of the day is restored .

Following your letter of 09/07/2018 I would be grateful if you could please provide the following information.

(1) Could you tell me the number of T2 arrival/ departure changes, and the detail of each change,  that were made in Aberystwyth in January 2018.?

(2)  Could you tell me the number of T2 departure changes that were made in Bangor in January 2018 ?

(3) Could you tell me who proposed that the 10.05am T2 departure in Aberystwyth was changed to 10.00am in January 2018..

(4) Could you give the reason why the 10.05am T2 departure was changed to 10.00am in January 2018.

(5) Could you give the reason why the 18.40 pm T2 arrival in Aberystwyth was changed to 18.50pm in January 2018 ?

(6) Could you tell me who proposed that the 18.40 pm T2 arrival in Aberystwyth should be  changed to 18.50pm in January 2018 ?

(7) Could tell me who proposed that the 17.35pm T2 departure from Dolgellau to Aberystwyth had a 5 minute delay inserted in Machynleth in January 2018  ?

(8) Could you give the reason why the 17.35pm T2 departure from Dolgellau to Aberystwyth had a 5 minute delay inserted in Machynleth in January 2018 ?

(9) Could you give the reason why the 17.35pm T2 departure from Dolgellau to Aberystwyth had a 5 minute diversion inserted off the A487 on the edge of Aberystwyth through the village of Comins Coch and the Aberystwyth Waunfawr estate in January 2018 ?

(10) Could you tell me who proposed that the 17.35pm T2 departure from Dolgellau to Aberystwyth had a 5 minute diversion inserted off the A487 on the edge of Aberystwyth through the village of Comins Coch and the Aberystwyth Waunfawr estate  in January 2018  ?

(11) Could you give the reason why the current 10.00am T2 departure cannot be  changed back to 10.05am.as Edwina Hart directed you to do in May 2016 ?

(12) Could you give the reason why the 5 minute delay inserted in the timetable at Machynleth on the 17.35pm T2 departure from Dolgellau to Aberystwyth cannot be removed ?

(13) Could you give the reason why the 5 minute diversion off the A487 on the edge of Aberystwyth through the village of Comins Coch and the Aberystwyth Waunfawr estate cannot be removed  ?

Yours Sincerely

Dr John McTighe

 

ADDENDUM 1    Return Trawscymru T2 service from Aberystwyth to Dolgellau on Friday 13/07/2018

Aberystwyth 10.00  T2 departs Aberystwyth

Bow Street    10.07

Machynleth   10.32  Arrive (3 mins early)

Machynleth   10.34  Depart (1 min early)

Nr Corris       10.40  Tree felling area/no felling/parked vehicles/single lane traffic manually controlled by stop/go signs

Nr Corris       10.42  End 2 minute hold up

Dolgellau      11.07   T2 Aberystwyth to Bangor arrived Eldon Square (3 mins early – Journey time 67 minutes)

Dolgellau       11.10 T2 Bangor to Aberystwyth arrived

Dolgellau       11.11 T3  Wrexham to Barmouth arrived

Dolgellau       11.14 T3  Barmouth to Wrexham arrived

Dolgellau       11.19  All 4 Trawscymru services depart (1 min early)

Dolgellau       17.04 T2 Aberystwyth to Bangor arrived

Dolgellau       17.24 T3 Barmouth to Wrexham  arrived  (Double Decker) 1 min late

Dolgellau       17.30 T2 Bangor to Aberystwyth arrived (5 mins late)

Dolgellau       17.35 T3  Wrexham to Barmouth arrived (Single Decker) 10 mins late

Dolgellau       17.36 T2 Bangor to Aberystwyth departed (1 min late)

Nr Corris       17.56 Tree felling area /no work/ no holdup Machynleth   18.04  Arrive (6 mins early)  Driver and some passengers enjoyed a 10 minute cigarette break Machynleth   18.14  Depart (1 min early)

Talybont        18.34

Bow Street     18.42

Divert A487   18.44  Comins Coch/Waunfawr zero passengers off and on

18.49 back to A487

Aberystwyth   18.51 T2 arrives (1 minute late – Journey time 65 minutes)

COMMENTS

(1) In the morning the journey time between Aberystwyth and Machynleth was 32 minutes and on the return journey was 37 minutes.  The difference in ourney time was  due to the 5 minute diversion on the return journey off the A487 through Comins Coch/Waunfawr estate.

(2) In the morning the journey time between Machynleth and Dolgellau was 33 minutes and on the return journey it was  28 minutes, the difference being that there was no 2 minute wait at the tree felling site near Corris and less traffic in the evening.

(3) Because of the faster travel time of 28 minutes between Dolgellau and Machynleth in the evening the T2 service, (despite setting off 1 minute late from Dolgellau), arrived 6 minutes early in Machynleth .

(4) If this evening T2 service had been allowed to continue to Aberystwyth after  arriving in Machynleth at 18.04 it would have arrived in Aberystwyth at 18.41 . If the 5 minute diversion through Comins Coch/Waunfawr was also removed it  would have arrived in Aberystwyth at 18.36. This is why this particular T2 service did connect in Aberystwyth intermittently with the last T1 departure of the day to Carmarthen at 18.40 until the destructive and  unnecessary January 2018 changes to the T2 were introduced .  .

(5) If this evening T2 service had been allowed to leave Dolgellau at 17.30 and not wait for the T3 service from Wrexham (ie use a standard trawscymru 5 minute stop in Dolgellau) it would have arrived in Aberystwyth at 18.30 with plenty of time (10 minutes)  to connect with the last T1 to Carmarthen at 18.40.

—-Original message—-

From : David.Hall@

Date : 09/07/2018 – 09:08 (GMTST)

To : john.mct@

Subject : TrawsCymru

Dear Dr McTighe

The TrawsCymru Strategic Management Board has asked me to write to you on its behalf setting out members’ shared position on a range of TrawsCymru issues you have raised recently, including with Professor Stuart Cole and Barclay Davies. This response represents the joint position of all members of the Board which is made up of representatives of the Welsh Government, local authorities, bus operators, Bus Users Cymru and Traveline Cymru.

The Board has asked me to thank you for the comments and suggestions you have made about the TrawsCymru network.

Whilst we endeavour to provide good connections between TrawsCymru buses and trains at key hubs, given the nature of the extensive network we are unable to provide connections between all services at all times of the day. Sometimes the Board needs to prioritise certain connections over others, and we work closely with local authorities to identify these priorities. Aberystwyth is a key hub for TrawsCymru, and we have ensured that there is an extensive range of possible connections between TrawsCymru buses and trains throughout the day at this location. In January 2018 we introduced additional T2 journeys between Bangor and Aberystwyth (weekdays and Saturdays) to provide  more choice to passengers wishing to connect with the T1 and T5 south of Aberystwyth, but also had to retime the arrivals and departures of most T2 journeys at Aberystwyth in response to additional running time needed for the T2 as a result of the start of a major programme of road works between Machynlleth and Dolgellau. We will look to revise the T2 timetable again once these works have been completed early in 2019. The Board has asked me to use this opportunity to see if better onnections between the T2 and T1 and T5 services can be provided at Aberystwyth, and your comments will be considered as part of this work.

Earlier this year Professor Cole was asked by the Welsh Government to carry out a ‘High Level’ strategic review of the TrawsCymru T3 service which links Wrexham to Barmouth. Professor Cole has now completed his review and has submitted his findings. A copy is attached for your information. Having considered the evidence, he has not recommended  that the route of the T3 service be changed to serve Aberystwyth rather than Barmouth, and the Board has accepted that recommendation.

We continue to work closely with local authorities across Wales to explore opportunities to introduce new TrawsCymru routes or enhanced services on existing routes where there are clear, strategic benefits.

Recently we have been working with local authorities in north Wales to examine the feasibility of introducing a new TrawsCymru service along the A5 corridor linking Bangor to Chirk/Oswestry. Preparatory work was undertaken to evaluate this proposal, but as this service is currently out to tender it would be inappropriate for us at this stage to release this work. Powys County Council is also progressing proposals to further improve north to south TrawsCymru services across the eastern side of Wales. Powys County Council undertook a significant amount of preparatory work in advance of this tender. However, again as this tendering exercise is still live it would be inappropriate for us to release this information at this stage.

Finally, the Board has asked me to offer to meet you to discuss your concerns. However, given that you have previously declined such an offer, Professor Cole has himself offered to represent the TrawsCymru Board if that would be more acceptable to you.

Many Thanks

David Hall

Rheolwr Rhwydwaith TrawsCymru / TrawsCymru Network Manager

Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth / Cabinet

Secretary for Economy and Transport Seilwaith yr Economi / Economic

Infrastructure Llywodraeth Cymru / Welsh Government Ffon / Tel  0300 062 5428 Ffon symudol / Mobile 07792616475 Fax – Ffacs: 0300 062 5025