Lack of Connectivity for passengers North of Aberystwyth on the T1C Aberystwyth to Cardiff service

Subject : Lack of Connectivity for passengers North of Aberystwyth on

> the T1C Aberystwyth to Cardiff service

>

> Dear Ken Skates,

>

> In November 2016  the Welsh Government stepped in to run the 701 when

> Lewis coaches went into administration and on 18 November 2016 you

> stated that  _”” it had been recognised how “vital” the service was,

> and reintroducing this long-standing service provides vital public

> transport links to and from rural Wales, giving passengers extra

> choice on this key strategic route.””_.  The replacement service was

> designated the T1C

>

> I extend my thanks to the Welsh Government for introducing the new

> coach on the T1C Aberystwyth to Cardiff route.  I used the old 701

> route regularly when a coach with onboard toilet was in use, but gave

> up using the T1C because of the length of journey and lack of toilet

> facilities.  I recently used the T1C again following the recent

> publicity on 23/04/2018 in the Cambrian News that a coach had been

> reintroduced.   The coach was excellent, the driver an exemplary

> advert for the service.  It is also excellent that the T1C connects in

> Carmarthen to the T1S to Swansea, as the T1/ X11 route took forever,

> although the 3 minute connection on this new service between the T1C

> and T1S in Carmarthen is a real problem and we almost failed to

> connect with the T1S.

>

> However I am disappointed that there is only one T1C service per day

> and I am surprised that the opportunity was not taken to have 2

> services per day with a service running in the opposite direction from

> Cardiff to Aberystwyth and back to Cardiff, especially in view of the

> fact that the bus service provider New Adventure Travel Ltd is based

> in Cardiff.   I recently travelled from Cardiff to Aberystwyth setting

> off in the morning and a T1C service would have been one single

> journey instead of three on the X10/T1S/T1.   The old 701 service did

> run twice per day departing from Aberystwyth at 7.40 and 9.40.   The

> T1C now has only one service per day and departs from Aberystwyth at

> 9.30.  This service arrives in Cardiff at 13.05 and returns at 16.45.

> The T1C arrives in Carmarthen at 11.02 and connects with the T1S which

> departs from Carmarthen to Swansea at 11.05, leaving only 3 minutes

> connection time.

>

> The old 701 was extremely popular with the Aberystwyth University

> students (9,000 students in 2017 which compares with the 13,760

> population of Carmarthen and exceeds that of Cardigan).  I am sure a

> T1C service between Cardiff and Aberystwyth would be well used by the

> student population to reach University from their homes , as would a

> Trawscymru route between Wrexham and Aberystwyth.   A T1C service

> between Cardiff and Aberystwyth would also be well used by Cardiff and

> Carmarthen residents to take a trip to the seaside (Aberaeron and

> Aberystwyth), to travel to caravan sites on the West coast, to visit

> relatives and to visit the shopping centre in Aberystwyth, all of

> which would be a) beneficial to the local economy in West Wales and b)

> remove traffic from the roads.   A T1C service between Cardiff and

> Aberystwyth would also allow passengers from Cardiff and beyond to

> travel North as far as Bangor on Trawscymru services.

>

> I am also extremely disappointed and very deeply concerned that yet

> again the necessity to link the Trawscymru T2 and T1 services in

> Aberystwyth has been completely ignored, despite the key action to

> improve the T2/T1 route in the Welsh Government Transport Strategy,

> the conclusions of the Bevan Foundation Review of Trawscymru and the

> complaints regarding connectivity on the T1/T2 route.   The T2 from

> Dolgellau into Aberystwyth arrives at 9.30 and the T1C.from

> Aberystwyth to Cardiff departs from Aberystwyth at the same time of

> 9.30, which is exactly the same scenario as the T2 arriving from

> Bangor at 18.40 and the T1 departing to Carmarthen at 18.40 .  This

> means that passengers from North of Machynleth will not be able to use

> T1C to Cardiff and passengers from Machynleth will face a wait of 45

> minutes in Aberystwyth if they use the X28 to reach Aberystwyth to

> catch the T1C.

>

> The 8.10 Trawscymru T2 service from Dolgellau to Aberystwyth therefore

> does not connect in Aberystwyth with the 9.30 T1C departure to

> Cardiff.  The published written T2 timetable states the 8.10 T2 takes

> a diversion just before Aberystwyth through the village of Comins Coch

> and arrives in Aberystwyth at 9.32. The Travelline Cymru website shows

> the 8.10 T2 takes a diversion  through Comins Coch and arrives in

> Aberystwyth at 9.30.  There is a discrepancy between the arrival time

> in the published written timetable and that on the Travelline Cymru

> website.   Whichever arrival time is correct (9.30 or 9.32), it is

> clear that the T2 and T1C services will not connect in Aberystwyth.

> There is a simple solution to this problem which is to change the T2

> departure in Dolgellau from 8.10 to 8.00 and remove the 5 minute

> diversion .through Comins Coch village, which should be served by a

> local bus service.   A change to an 8.00am T2 departure would not

> conflict with connections to the T3 in Dolgellau and would not

> conflict with train connections in Machynleth.  This would bring the

> arrival time of the T2 forward by 15 minutes to arrive in Aberystwyth

> at 9.15.  The T1C could even set of 5 minutes earlier from Aberystwyth

> at 9.25,  which would then increase the connection time of the T1C in

> Carmarthen with the T1S to Swansea from 3 minutes to a much healthier

> 8 minutes  .

>

> On 16 February 2018 you made a statement to the Welsh Assembly saying

> that _“”the coach service will be procured on our behalf by Ceredigion

> County Council.””. I am not sure now who my suggestion regarding

> changing the T2 and T1C departure times should be addressed

> to.   In 2016 I was told that the Welsh Government did not hold a copy

> of the T1 service contract and I was referred to Carmarthenshire

> Council regarding suggested changes to the TI timetable.

> Carmarthenshire Council subsequently said the Welsh Government did

> hold a copy of the T1 service contract .  Also Ceredigion Council who

> are procuring the T1C service have said they are not partners to the

> T2 contract and changes to the T2 timetable are not subject to their

> agreement.   _Therefore I wish to ask the following questions of the

> Welsh Government who supply the funding for the T1C and T2 services:-

>

> (1) Can the T2 departure time from Dolgellau be changed from 8.10 to

> 8.00 and the diversion through Comins Coch village be removed  to

> allow the T2 from Dolgellau to arrive at 9.15 in Aberystwyth and

> connect with the T1C from Aberystwyth to Cardiff.?

>

> (2) Can the T1C departure time from Aberystwyth be changed from 9.30

> to 9.25 to allow the T1C to arrive in Carmarthen at 10.57 and connect

> with the T1S departure to Swansea at 11.05 giving 8 minutes of

> connectivity instead of 3 minutes.?

>

> (3) Can the Welsh Government consider a T1C service in the opposite

> direction from Cardiff to Aberystwyth with a return Aberystwyth to

> Cardiff.?

>

> (4) Was the 8.10 T2 departure from Dolgellau to Aberystwyth introduced

> in January 2018 along with the other T2 service changes?

>

> (5) Which organisation proposed an  8.10 T2 departure from Dolgellau

> to Aberystwyth ?

>

> (6) Ceredigion Council have said they are not partners in the T2

> contract.   Gwyned Council and Powys Council have said that Ceredigion

> Council are partners in the T2 contract.   Could the Welsh Government

> say whether Ceredigion Council are partners in the T2 contract or

> whether Gwyned Council and Powys Council are incorrect ?

>

> (7) Which organisation is responsible for connectivity of the T2

> arrival at 9.30 and the T1C departure at 9.30 in Aberystwyth.

>

> (8) Is the T1C service contract being managed by Ceredigion Council

> and, if not , which organisation is managing the T1C service contract

> ?

>

> (9) Does the Welsh Government hold a copy of the T1C service contract?

>

>

> (10) Which other organisations are partners in the T1C service

> contract ?.

>

> (11) Which partners in the T1C service contract hold a copy of the T1C

> service contract ?

>

> (12) Which organisation(s) is responsible for deciding the T1C

> timetable ?.

>

> (13) Which organisation proposed a 9.30 T1C departure from

> Aberystwyth?

>

> (14) Was the 9.30 T1C departure from Aberystwyth discussed with Gwyned

> Council, ( who manage the T2 contract),  and with Powys Council who

> are partners in the T2 contract , in view of the 9.30 T2 arrival, 9.30

> T1C departure in Aberystwyth.?

>

> I shall be asking similar questions of Ceredigion and Gwyned Councils,

> and would request that the suggestions on the T2/T1C/T1S route

> regarding changed timings/a T1C route from Cardiff are considered in

> the end of May 2018 report on the Trawscymru network, which the Welsh

> Government have said they will produce.

>

> Yours Sincerely

>

> Dr John McTighe