| Re: GWR accused of disrupting Wales-England train links Posted by grahame at 17:12, 2nd June 2026 |     |
From the BBC
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c794pdy1jgjo
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c794pdy1jgjo
From the article
Great Western Railway said the changes should not be "detrimental to existing services"
Great Western Railway has been accused by the Welsh government of trying to "disrupt" plans for new direct train services between west Wales and Bristol.
Transport for Wales (TfW), which is owned by the Welsh government, wants the services from Milford Haven or Fishguard, in Pembrokeshire, to start before the end of the year.
It hopes to run two-hourly services from Monday to Saturday, with one beginning in Cardiff and the others in the west.
But Great Western Railway (GWR), which already runs Cardiff to Bristol trains, said the proposals would have a "significant effect" on its revenue.
Under the plans, passengers from west Wales could travel straight to Bristol Temple Meads without changing at Cardiff, as they currently need to do.
Great Western Railway has been accused by the Welsh government of trying to "disrupt" plans for new direct train services between west Wales and Bristol.
Transport for Wales (TfW), which is owned by the Welsh government, wants the services from Milford Haven or Fishguard, in Pembrokeshire, to start before the end of the year.
It hopes to run two-hourly services from Monday to Saturday, with one beginning in Cardiff and the others in the west.
But Great Western Railway (GWR), which already runs Cardiff to Bristol trains, said the proposals would have a "significant effect" on its revenue.
Under the plans, passengers from west Wales could travel straight to Bristol Temple Meads without changing at Cardiff, as they currently need to do.
An interesting argument and position. GWR has had an almost complete monopoly on South Wales to Bristol (and London) traffic got many years, and the monopoly was made complete when the daily Cross Country service was withdrawn.
It has been natural to defend that monopoly, and I recall a side conversation with a senior DfT person who involved who indicated there were no plans - but that's a few years back - to change that. Not an unexpected co-incidence of the DfT with GWR when you consider the same approach taken with the Bristol - West Wiltshire - Salisbury - London Waterloo service. In both that case, and in a the case of a Bristol to West Wales service, there was and is a demand for a service that doesn't require people to change - at Cardiff, or at Salisbury.
And - yes - it perhaps affects revenue on the core (GWR) services. But then a monopoly can provide a service that's less than ideal for the passengers, can't it? If I want to go from Bristol to Carmarthen I have no choice but to changes at Cardiff at present (and maybe at Swansea too). And I can understand GWR working still with the DfT, still looking to maximise revenue on a monopolistic service without having to complete with a Welsh service which for some sectors of the market would be very welcome.
Interesting to note from https://firstgreatwestern.info/BRI.html?limit=1500&sortby=0 some ticket sales counts
Bristol to Carmarthen - 8,000
Bristol to Swansea - 42,000
Bristol to Neath - 10,000
Bristol to Llanelli - 3,400
Filton Abbey Wood to Swansea - 1,250
All are there and back figures - so 8,000 is 4,000 eastbound and 4,000 westbound
| GWR accused of disrupting Wales-England train links Posted by TaplowGreen at 15:49, 2nd June 2026 | |
From the BBC
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c794pdy1jgjo
