Sam Rowlands MS expresses anger over continuing poor rail services in North Wales

Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, has called on the Welsh Government to improve train services in his region.

Mr Rowlands, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Transport and a long- time critic of the way rail services are run in North Wales, was commenting after Figures from the Office of Rail and Road show that Labour run Transport for Wales has been ranked among the UK’s least reliable train operators, with cancellation rates more than double the national average.

Figures show that TfW scrapped 7.6% of its planned services between January and September 2025, equating to around 15,958 cancellations out of 210,088 scheduled trains. This places them 21st out of 24 train operators nationwide, compared with a UK average of just 3.43%.

Mr Rowlands said:

“For cancellation rates to be more than double the national average shows that far more must be done to deliver a reliable transport network.

“Labour has poured more than £1 billion into Transport for Wales, yet commuters are still being let down daily. Reliability is slipping, and passengers are simply not seeing a return on that investment of taxpayers’ money.

“The gap between TfW and the UK’s other rail operators is staggering. Passengers in Wales are being let down and It’s clear that Labour’s mismanagement has left commuters paying more for a poorer service.

“It really is quite shocking and no wonder people are reluctant to use the train. The service needs to be reliable especially if you if you need to use this form of transport to travel to work or for a timed appointment.

“I have said time and time again that the services provided in North Wales are simply not good enough and my constituents deserve so much better. Late trains and cancellations are simply not acceptable.

“Quite clearly what we continue to see is a symptom of years of under investment and poor management of the train services here in Wales it is time they go to grips with the issue.

“Investment is long overdue and I will continue to campaign to get a better deal for my constituents.”

Pictured - Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales.