Improvements on the Wrexham-Bidston Line

Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, has welcomed announcements from Transport for Wales hailing positive changes on the Wrexham-Bidston Line.

While welcoming the progress, Mr Rowlands also expressed significant concerns regarding the long-term future of the crucial cross-border route.

Mr Rowlands highlighted the recent introduction of the new Class 197 trains on the line as a welcome step forward in modernising the line. Serious questions had been raised about the reliability of the Class 230 units which gained a record for being unreliable.

Mr Rowlands said:

"While I commend the efforts to improve the Wrexham-Bidston line, we cannot ignore the persistent challenges that continue to impact passengers.  The Class 230 trains, while innovative in their conception are ill-suited for the line. They frequently need to be replaced by other trains during bad weather, which causes disruption and raises questions about the long-term suitability of the current rolling stock."

"It is unacceptable that passengers waiting at stations between Wrexham and Bidston are left without information when trains run straight through to recoup lost time. Clear and timely communication is essential for maintaining passenger confidence."

"Data from On Times Trains paints a concerning picture of the current usage of the Borderlands Line.  We also see that the performance figures for many stations on this line are amongst the bottom 500 in the UK, with some even languishing in the bottom 100. This highlights the urgent need for a comprehensive strategy to attract more passengers and improve the overall reliability and attractiveness of the service."

- The latest real time and historical performance data for the UK rail network can be found from On Time Trains (www.ontimetrains.co.uk), including Gwersyllt station being in the bottom 100 train stations in the UK here.

- The Class 230 trains are refurbished 1980s former London Underground D78 stock.

- The Class 197 are new diesel multiple units manufactured by CAF.