Last weekend I took a trip over to Wales, travelling there on the Cambrian Line. However the experience has meant I'm hardly in a rush to repeat the experience.
My ticket from Birmingham to Harlech was supposedly for through train. The train was shown on the screens at Birmingham New Street as for Aberystwyth and Pwllheli. So far so good. I got on to a roasting hot 2*158 with all the windows open, but it was still way too hot.
When the guard came through to check tickets I double checked I was in the correct portion of the train. He told me "it doesn't matter, you'll have to change at Shrewsbury anyway". I replied that I thought it was a through train (it said so on my AP ticket) to which his response was "well, we like to keep you on your toes"!
On reaching Shrewsbury there was 2*158s in the adjacent platforms. It seemed one set had arrived from Aberystwyth and terminated and the other was the set I arrived on and they were simply swapping between them, causing all passengers to have to swap units. I've no idea why. When I used the same service on the same route a few weeks ago, the exact same thing happened, so it does seem like this is quite common.
Not great on a fine summer Saturday when many passengers have luggage! I checked with the guard which part to be in for Harlech and he directed me to the correct 2 coaches. However a few minutes after setting off it was announced that passengers for Pwllheli and the coast would have to change at Machynlleth for "a coach".
A few weeks previously we'd also had to change again at Machynlleth (despite supposedly being a through train) though at least on that occasion it was a train, not a bus. The guard advised that it was likely to take at least an hour longer by coach than the train. I am told the train was cancelled due to no guard.
In fact it turned out there were two buses. A coach, running non-stop to Barmouth and a double decker bus, serving all stations. I decided to change plans and go on the direct bus to Barmouth, as I know that the road route to get to Barmouth via Fairbourne, as the other bus would do, is much longer. If it was going to serve every stop, even the tiny request stops (some of which are along dead-end roads) I dread to think how long it would take. It would likely be quicker to wait 2 hours for the next train if going somewhere north on the line.
The coach was air conditioned and comfortable but got stuck in a traffic queue to get into Barmouth. We were stuck in a traffic jam for 40 minutes. When the coach finally reached Barmouth I bailed out. It was clear I was not going to get to Harlech in time to visit the castle before it closed and I couldn't face another 40 minutes in queuing traffic to get out of Barmouth again. In fact I'm not sure if the coach was going on if it was terminating and I'd have had to wait for the slower bus via Fairbourne.
On the return journey (yesterday) I was booked on the 15:01 from Barmouth. Yet again a baking 158 with no air conditioning. We got to Dovey Junction as the portion from Aberystwyth was arriving in the other platform, but left first to Machynlleth. Here the problems got worse.
It seemed there was a problem getting the two units to couple. I think each time they did it, the only one unit was able to get power. I think they must have tried to couple the units 5 or 6 times, whilst passengers sweltered on the stationary trains. Eventually it was announced that only the front 2 carriages (those I had arrived on) would operate through to Birmingham, and that a replacement bus would also be sourced for those left behind (Lloyds coaches must do very well out of Arriva!). I did wonder why they tried to couple so many times, I'd have thought it made sense to give up after the second or third time?
By this time, it was over 30 minutes after we were meant to leave. The guard then announced he would just pop over to the booking office to get water for passengers before we left and the train would be delayed no more than 5 minutes. When he returned, the water had all gone before I could get there. Then he announced that because of the delay the train coming to Aberystwyth was now occupying the single line, so we'd have to wait another 10 - 15 minutes for that before we could leave. He got more water ... this time I did get some, which was just as well as the temperature continued to rise inside the train. The refreshment trolley didn't seem to get on either.
Eventually we left about 50 minutes late. As we approached Newtown the train slowed to a crawl and we had to wait another approaching train. By this time it was over an hour late. At Caersws the replacement coach was still there. The guard was very keen to encourage people to switch to it saying that it's cool and air conditioned. I was tempted, but since I was on a split AP ticket I did not want to risk further issues by swapping from my booked (albeit now very late) train to a replacement bus (especially since it was never made clear where the bus was going, I doubt as far as Birmingham).
When we left the lady set next to me told me her phone was showing the train was cancelled beyond Shrewsbury. I had wondered if that might happen. So we endured a very hot journey to Shrewsbury. It was incredibly uncomfortable, and I've genuinely never experienced a train as hot and uncomfortable as this one was. I did hear the guard saying the air conditioning had been broken for at least a year.
The guard finally announced, as we were approaching Shrewsbury that he'd "just been informed by control" that the train would terminate there, and we were to transfer onto another train to Birmingham (I think this one had come from Chester). However to cap it all, he then announced that when we arrived at Shrewsbury, with 5 minutes to change onto this alternative service, he wouldn't open the doors until we had coupled to another unit, which took 5 minutes. By the time the doors opened, the other train was due to be leave, but had been held for us (so unnecessarily delaying that unit, too).
Of course the onward train was another sweltering 158 with broken air conditioning, for the rest of the journey to Birmingham.
Is it always this bad? I've booked a few times on a train through from Birmingham to Pwllheli and I've never once actually had a through journey. It always seems to be neccessary to change at Shrewsbury (regardless as to what the timetable might say) and often again at Machynlleth. I also noticed the last train of the day (there are only 4) yesterday was also cancelled. I don't know if the replacement buses even get to some of the more remote stations.
Given how busy the area was I thought the rail service to be extremely poor. The heat was extreme, but with numerous cancellations, delays and enforced extra changes, it was just adding to the unpleasant experience.
Now because I was travelling on two split AP tickets I hope I'm now not going to have a battle on my hands to claim delay repay for both tickets (since I was using two tickets, but making one journey).
All in all I felt it a real shambles and although it is such a beautiful railway line (and area) I'm not in a hurry to return there by train and repeat the experience.
My ticket from Birmingham to Harlech was supposedly for through train. The train was shown on the screens at Birmingham New Street as for Aberystwyth and Pwllheli. So far so good. I got on to a roasting hot 2*158 with all the windows open, but it was still way too hot.
When the guard came through to check tickets I double checked I was in the correct portion of the train. He told me "it doesn't matter, you'll have to change at Shrewsbury anyway". I replied that I thought it was a through train (it said so on my AP ticket) to which his response was "well, we like to keep you on your toes"!
On reaching Shrewsbury there was 2*158s in the adjacent platforms. It seemed one set had arrived from Aberystwyth and terminated and the other was the set I arrived on and they were simply swapping between them, causing all passengers to have to swap units. I've no idea why. When I used the same service on the same route a few weeks ago, the exact same thing happened, so it does seem like this is quite common.
Not great on a fine summer Saturday when many passengers have luggage! I checked with the guard which part to be in for Harlech and he directed me to the correct 2 coaches. However a few minutes after setting off it was announced that passengers for Pwllheli and the coast would have to change at Machynlleth for "a coach".
A few weeks previously we'd also had to change again at Machynlleth (despite supposedly being a through train) though at least on that occasion it was a train, not a bus. The guard advised that it was likely to take at least an hour longer by coach than the train. I am told the train was cancelled due to no guard.
In fact it turned out there were two buses. A coach, running non-stop to Barmouth and a double decker bus, serving all stations. I decided to change plans and go on the direct bus to Barmouth, as I know that the road route to get to Barmouth via Fairbourne, as the other bus would do, is much longer. If it was going to serve every stop, even the tiny request stops (some of which are along dead-end roads) I dread to think how long it would take. It would likely be quicker to wait 2 hours for the next train if going somewhere north on the line.
The coach was air conditioned and comfortable but got stuck in a traffic queue to get into Barmouth. We were stuck in a traffic jam for 40 minutes. When the coach finally reached Barmouth I bailed out. It was clear I was not going to get to Harlech in time to visit the castle before it closed and I couldn't face another 40 minutes in queuing traffic to get out of Barmouth again. In fact I'm not sure if the coach was going on if it was terminating and I'd have had to wait for the slower bus via Fairbourne.
On the return journey (yesterday) I was booked on the 15:01 from Barmouth. Yet again a baking 158 with no air conditioning. We got to Dovey Junction as the portion from Aberystwyth was arriving in the other platform, but left first to Machynlleth. Here the problems got worse.
It seemed there was a problem getting the two units to couple. I think each time they did it, the only one unit was able to get power. I think they must have tried to couple the units 5 or 6 times, whilst passengers sweltered on the stationary trains. Eventually it was announced that only the front 2 carriages (those I had arrived on) would operate through to Birmingham, and that a replacement bus would also be sourced for those left behind (Lloyds coaches must do very well out of Arriva!). I did wonder why they tried to couple so many times, I'd have thought it made sense to give up after the second or third time?
By this time, it was over 30 minutes after we were meant to leave. The guard then announced he would just pop over to the booking office to get water for passengers before we left and the train would be delayed no more than 5 minutes. When he returned, the water had all gone before I could get there. Then he announced that because of the delay the train coming to Aberystwyth was now occupying the single line, so we'd have to wait another 10 - 15 minutes for that before we could leave. He got more water ... this time I did get some, which was just as well as the temperature continued to rise inside the train. The refreshment trolley didn't seem to get on either.
Eventually we left about 50 minutes late. As we approached Newtown the train slowed to a crawl and we had to wait another approaching train. By this time it was over an hour late. At Caersws the replacement coach was still there. The guard was very keen to encourage people to switch to it saying that it's cool and air conditioned. I was tempted, but since I was on a split AP ticket I did not want to risk further issues by swapping from my booked (albeit now very late) train to a replacement bus (especially since it was never made clear where the bus was going, I doubt as far as Birmingham).
When we left the lady set next to me told me her phone was showing the train was cancelled beyond Shrewsbury. I had wondered if that might happen. So we endured a very hot journey to Shrewsbury. It was incredibly uncomfortable, and I've genuinely never experienced a train as hot and uncomfortable as this one was. I did hear the guard saying the air conditioning had been broken for at least a year.
The guard finally announced, as we were approaching Shrewsbury that he'd "just been informed by control" that the train would terminate there, and we were to transfer onto another train to Birmingham (I think this one had come from Chester). However to cap it all, he then announced that when we arrived at Shrewsbury, with 5 minutes to change onto this alternative service, he wouldn't open the doors until we had coupled to another unit, which took 5 minutes. By the time the doors opened, the other train was due to be leave, but had been held for us (so unnecessarily delaying that unit, too).
Of course the onward train was another sweltering 158 with broken air conditioning, for the rest of the journey to Birmingham.
Is it always this bad? I've booked a few times on a train through from Birmingham to Pwllheli and I've never once actually had a through journey. It always seems to be neccessary to change at Shrewsbury (regardless as to what the timetable might say) and often again at Machynlleth. I also noticed the last train of the day (there are only 4) yesterday was also cancelled. I don't know if the replacement buses even get to some of the more remote stations.
Given how busy the area was I thought the rail service to be extremely poor. The heat was extreme, but with numerous cancellations, delays and enforced extra changes, it was just adding to the unpleasant experience.
Now because I was travelling on two split AP tickets I hope I'm now not going to have a battle on my hands to claim delay repay for both tickets (since I was using two tickets, but making one journey).
All in all I felt it a real shambles and although it is such a beautiful railway line (and area) I'm not in a hurry to return there by train and repeat the experience.
