Mid Wales rail passengers are fed up of overcrowded trains

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00:00to Aberystwyth, Canberra and Lyon.

00:03For many years, there have been commitments made by Transport for Wales and previous Ministers

00:07here.

00:08We have been told that new rolling stock, new carriages, would be coming online in 2023.

00:13Then it was this winter, and now we are told it is the back end of next year.

00:19All very frustrating and disappointing when new rolling stock is already in use in other

00:23parts of Wales.

00:25On top of that, we are also told, despite 10 years of commitments from Welsh Government

00:30Ministers here and from Transport for Wales, that there will be a true hourly service.

00:35Now we are told from 2026 that that will only be for four months of the year.

00:39Now, of course, it is your Government that wants to encourage people out of their cars

00:44onto public transport.

00:46I can hear other Members shouting about Westminster.

00:49These are commitments that have been made for a decade by Welsh Government Ministers

00:53here.

00:54It is the Welsh Government that owns Transport for Wales and operates Transport for Wales.

01:01My question is to you, First Minister, when will it be that the people of mid Wales can

01:07have a train service that they can rely on, and that is a good service, and it is a good

01:13service that they can depend upon so that they can get out of their cars onto public

01:17transport?

01:18Carwyn Jones AM Well, thanks very much, Russell.

01:21You will be aware that the demand on those services changes quite radically from season

01:27to season, and what is happening is that the timetable will be reflecting the difference

01:34between the summer months and the winter months.

01:37Now, I am sure you will be pleased to hear that there will be an additional service between

01:42Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury from May 2025, and additional services to establish an hourly

01:51service from the summer months between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury from 2026.

01:56So, I hope you can take that information back.

02:00But also, there will be an effort to reinstate two services on the Cambrian coastline in

02:07the summer months, alongside doubling the capacity on some of the busier services.

02:12That is because we have been listening to passengers and stakeholders in developing

02:18the timetable, reflecting those changes, and responding to what the people on those lines

02:23need.

02:24Y Llywydd, I thank you for that answer.

02:25Y Llywydd, I thank you for that answer.

02:26Y Llywydd, I thank you for that answer.

02:27Y Llywydd, I thank you for that answer.