A passenger has described Transport for Wales as "incompetent" after they left him stranded in Hereford due to a series of cancelled trains. Mabon ap Gwynfor was due to arrive in Cardiff just after midnight having taken a train with one connection. Instead he arrived at 2am having taken two trains, a bus, and a taxi costing £150.
The Plaid Cymru Senedd member had been at a funeral in north Wales on Monday and then put his children to bed before catching the 9pm service from Chirk to Cardiff, which should have one change in Shrewsbury. That journey normally means he arrives into Cardiff around 12.30am.
However he got to Shrewsbury at 9.35pm and saw that the train to Cardiff had been cancelled. He was told to get a rail replacement bus service to Hereford where he would then be able to get a train to Cardiff.
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When he checked the rail app it showed all but one service from Hereford to Cardiff was cancelled and the only one running was at 11.10pm. The rail replacement bus service arrived at 11.35pm so the train had already departed. He tried to find rail station staff to see the next step but there was no-one there. "I always thought the agreement was if something happened they were duty bound to provide an alternative but I went all round the station shouting 'hello' and knocking on doors but there was nobody there," he said.
When he went back outside into the rain a group of passengers who had taken a service from Cardiff heading to north Wales were there waiting. He asked for advice about where to stay but they didn't know the area so he walked to find a hotel. However when arriving at the Premier Inn he was told it was full. Instead he called a taxi. The driver asked for the £150 cash up front. "Thankfully I'm an elected member and I get a good wage so I could pay for that taxi but just imagine if I'd had the kids or not had the money," he said.
He said he would like an apology from Transport for Wales but the bigger issue is what they will put in place to ensure it doesn't happen again. "I was fine and I know it wasn't the worst thing in the world but what if I was a vulnerable person or I didn't have the financial means to pay for a taxi myself?"
Mr ap Gwynfor was scathing of the way he was directed to a service that would never have linked to a connecting train. "This is just another level of incompetence because they can't even put on a rail replacement service that matches up with the train service on time and ensure the bus takes you to your destination. I am absolutely livid."
Transport for Wales said services were affected due to an incident at Craven Arms on Sunday. Detectives from British Transport Police (BTP) have launched a major investigation after a Transport for Wales train caught fire when it's believed to have stuck a stolen digger that had been dumped on the track. Police and other emergency services were called to a report of fire on board a passenger train close to the station in Shropshire shortly after 10.30pm on Sunday, May 22. You can read about that here.
A spokesman for Transport for Wales said: “Due to the serious incident which took place near Craven Arms on Sunday night there were no trains between Shrewsbury and Hereford on Monday in order for the British Transport Police to carry out a criminal investigation. Passengers who missed connecting rail services as a result of delays to replacement road transport will be entitled to fair and appropriate compensation and this can be claimed via the delay repay section of the Transport for Wales website. We would like to apologise to Mr Gwynfor for his poor experience and the inconvenience caused.”
