The objections from GWR are ‘extremely disappointing’ says Wales’ transport minister

The Welsh Government has criticised Great Western Railway after the rail operator expressed concerns about Transport for Wales’ plans to extend services between Bristol and west Wales.

Transport for Wales wants to run new services for passengers from either Milford Haven or Pembrokeshire to be able to travel straight to Bristol Temple Meads without changing at Cardiff as they currently have to.

But Great Western Railway (GWR), which already runs Cardiff to Bristol trains, said the proposals would have a “significant effect” on its revenue.

The Welsh Government minister with responsibility for transport, Mark Hooper, said it was “extremely disappointing” GWR would seek to “disrupt these plans to improve things for passengers on both sides of the Severn”.

In a document as part of the consultation process GWR says it worries the plans could affect train services in the Bristol area and were “likely to have a significant effect on GWR’s revenue income”.

It also said the new services are a “large risk” to UK Government money.

Transport for Wales (TfW) is owned by the Welsh Government.

Documents show TfW plans are for a service which is broadly for a two-hourly route with nine services each way per day.

Two will start from Cardiff in the morning but all the others will be through services between west Wales and Bristol.

All bar two of the through services will be achieved by combining the new Cardiff-Bristol portions with existing West Wales services at Cardiff Central and two weekday trains will be entirely new services between Cardiff and Carmarthen then extending to/from Milford Haven or Fishguard Harbour in place of existing services.

Between Cardiff Central and Bristol Temple Meads they will call at Newport, Severn Tunnel Junction, Filton Abbey Wood, and Stapleton Road.

One train each way on weekdays and Saturday will additionally call at Bristol Parkway.

West of Cardiff the calling pattern will vary but will typically include Carmarthen, Pembrey and Burry Port, Llanelli, Gowerton, Swansea, Neath, Port Talbot Parkway, and Bridgend with most services originating from, or extending to, Fishguard Harbour or Milford Haven calling at all stations.

The application says connectivity between west and south Wales and the Bristol area has “long been recognised as essential” for supporting economic growth in the wider region.

“The direct service is aligned with the government mission of supporting jobs, growth, and housing,” it says.

It says it will benefit people travelling not only to Bristol but to Bristol Airport.

The application says the plan would have an operational cost of £21.4m and total value of benefits of £27.9m.

However GWR say it has “grounds for concern and objects to its approval”. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here.

It says: “We do not believe that the application has been discussed sufficiently with either Network Rail or with the MetroWest funder to enable a cogent plan to be developed and therefore the full extent of these impacts is unknown at this point. We are also unclear how the services relate to other service enhancements on the line of route in question including the proposed Cardiff-Bristol stopping services and associated new stations proposed by the Burns review.

“Approval of the application may significantly affect the capability to implement these.”

The GWR objection also says it has questions about how the Severn Tunnel would cope given “known capacity constraint”.

“The key grounds for GWR’s objection include the likely impact on performance of GWR and other services in and around the Bristol area and further afield, understanding the assumptions being made in relation to use of infrastructure both now and in the future and the impact of these services on GWR (and DfT) revenues.

“There are no new markets served in this proposal with GWR already operating up to three trains per hour between Cardiff Central and Bristol. The application – and the commercial intentions underpinning it – should, we believe, be seen in this light”.

It says it believes “a two-car cross border service could lead to significant crowding issues on these particular trains that could be better and more cheaply managed through alternative provision”.

The Rail and Road Office will make a final decision.

Mark Hooper is the new deputy minister for transport. He said: “As a newly-elected government we are committed to working with Transport for Wales on improving connectivity for people across Wales and the borders as part of a modern integrated transport network.

“A new service connecting west Wales with Bristol would not only increase rail capacity on a very busy route but could boost economic growth in communities on the way.

“We will be working collaboratively to ensure that the UK Government’s recent commitment to delivering six new stations between Cardiff and Bristol leads to more services on the route.

“Therefore it’s extremely disappointing that Great Western Railway, which is a UK Government rail operator, would seek to disrupt these plans to improve things for passengers on both sides of the Severn.

“If Great Western Railway’s objection succeeds it would negatively impact tens of thousands who could benefit from this service.

“I will be writing to the UK Transport Minister to urgently ask for clarification and call for some common sense on this issue.”

GWR has been approached for comment.