Reliability of trains linking North-East Wales and Merseyside

Hopes have now been raised about the reliability of services for users of trains linking North-East Wales and Merseyside.

After a month of virtually no trains on the Borderlands Line linking Wrexham with Bidston, Wirral, one of five Class 230s battery/diesel hybrid trains has now entered service on the line.

 It means a two-hourly train service is available, but so cautious were Transport for Wales (TfW) managers earlier this week that they ran a rail replacement bus alongside it.

Alexia Course, Transport for Wales’ chief commercial officer, said: “We’re committed to improving services between North Wales and the Liverpool City Region.

“We’ve already introduced brand new trains on services between Chester and Liverpool and we’re planning to increase the frequency of services between Wrexham and Bidston, as well as providing a new direct service between Llandudno and Liverpool via the North Wales coast.”

The committee of Wrexham-Bidston Rail Users’ Association (WBRUA) is now monitoring the effectiveness of the new service.  Before it was introduced, members had unanimously called for action over the unacceptable lack of service on the line.

WBRUA leaders have put it to the Welsh Government that if improvements to the service cannot be guaranteed, then consideration should be given to handing over the service to Merseyrail. 

Justin Madders, MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston, and Neston-based councillor Louise Gittins, leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council,  have also taken up the gauntlet on behalf of constituents who want a reliable and regular rail service.

In a letter to TfW and the Welsh Government, Mr Madders had earlier written: “I have been increasingly concerned about Transport for Wales’ operation of the Wrexham to Bidston line which serves Neston in my constituency. 

“Concerns raised by constituents since TfW took over the line include an unreliable service with inaccurate information being provided to passengers. This has resulted in many passengers being unable to get about and at least one person I know of has had to change jobs because of the problems. 

 “It seems many have given up on TfW and believe they do not have the ability to run this service.”

 In a statement issued by the WBRUA committee, members “unanimously agreed something must change as TfW appears incapable of delivering an acceptable service.

“The ongoing unreliability of the Wrexham-Bidston service has resulted in many passengers questioning TfW’s ability to run the service. 

“The ongoing lack of train service forces those who use it to find alternatives (in many cases, their cars) while undermining their confidence in rail and it is almost certainly impacting on the local economy as well as worsening congestion on our roads. 

 “WBRUA suggests that this situation could have been avoided with more effective management of its rolling stock assets by TfW.”

 Meanwhile, TfW bosses say history was made on the line when the new battery-hybrid train service was launched, following months of testing and crew training.

TfW own five three-carriage Class 230 trains, which each having more than 120 seats and with capacity for over 420 customers – a significant increase over previous trains. The metro-style trains, which were repurposed from former London Underground trains, provide a more efficient and environmentally friendly service using diesel and batteries.

With fully accessible toilets, power sockets, electronic passenger information, Wi-Fi, bike racks and air conditioning, the trains are a significant milestone for TfW, as they continue to deliver on their plans to transform rail services throughout Wales and the borders.

Lee Waters MS, Deputy Minister for Climate Change with responsibility for Transport, said: “Funded by our £800m investment in a new fleet of trains, the Class 230s play an important part in our plans to transform rail services in Wales.

“These new trains will offer greater comfort and modern facilities and with the new hybrid engines will be better for the environment.”

Pictured - Justin Madders, MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston.