New Welsh rail company is promising £800 million for extra staff and infrastructure. We asked the Cardiff public if they were hopeful about the change in management.
Old Arriva Train In Cardiff Central Station r_p_marks Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)Adios and Au Revoir to the widely hated Arriva Trains Wales company and Croeso to the Spanish and French joint venture KeolisAmey, who are taking over the Welsh Trainlines.
KeolisAmey, won the five-billion-pound bid last May and have promised new trains and stations to be in operation by 2023.
First Minister Carwyn Jones said, “This is an important moment for transport in Wales and begins a new chapter for rail services in this Country.”
With this declaration from the First Minister and the promise of investment into the service, we asked the public in Cardiff what they thought.
Andrea, 61, Retired Teacher
“I doubt it very much, I don’t have any bad experiences but there are not enough carriages, it’s very crowded. I’d like to see more train travel and the companies putting the prices down and more carriages.”
Kezi, 22, Barista
“I know Arriva gets a lot of stick but I’ve been back and forth on these trains since I was 16 and I have to say they’ve improved a lot in six years. I still hope they get even better though”
Di, 72, Retired
“We can only hope. I have been all over the place from Hereford and I haven’t yet had any delays. What I would say is that they don’t put enough carriages on and I have had to stand from Swansea to Llanelli in the past.”
Tom, 27, Project Manager
“I am not too sure, I have travelled from Swansea to North Wales and it is an absolute nightmare. I usually get the bus because it’s a third of the price, that’s how I get home to London normally.”
John, 87, Retired Headmaster
“It’s the first time I have travelled on the train in 40 years. I would say they need extra carriages because people can’t get on or off, once you get to Carmarthen it’s a nightmare.”
Paul, 62, Retired
“It’s difficult to say, it should have an effect. For the money, I would expect it to be a better or more regular service.”
Michael, 20, Student
“I have got no idea. In the past, I’ve come from Worcester and my train has been cancelled on my way to Cardiff.”