Passenger Voice May 2016: Wales and Borders rail franchise

22 April 2016

When new franchise deals are let we want to see passenger views at the heart of decisions about services.

The Wales and Borders franchise, currently operated by Arriva Trains Wales, ends in October 2018 and the Welsh Government has been consulting on proposals for the future operation.

In April a number of Transport Focus staff went on a fact-finding tour to experience some Arriva Train Wales services. This experience helped us to build up our knowledge of the network and inform our input to the next franchise.

We also met the Welsh Government transport company (Transport for Wales) to discuss its approach to the franchise and highlight the importance of placing passenger interests at the heart of decisions. We have also been speaking to the Department for Transport about plans for devolution of powers to Transport for Wales.

In our consultation response we suggest that the top priorities for the next Wales and Borders franchise to address are:

• capacity and frequency
• value for money
• punctuality and reliability
• effective disruption management.

Attention should also be given to personal security on board trains, cleanliness inside trains, provision of accurate and timely information, and to build trust further, clear and open communication.

You can read our consultation response here.

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