WelshBluebird
Established Member
- Joined
- 14 Jan 2010
- Messages
- 5,576
Arriva Trains Wales had some disruption on the Cardiff Valley Lines over the bank holiday weekend due to Network Rail work in the area. This meant replacement buses running between Treherbert and Pontypridd. Nothing new, we've had this before so didn't think anything of it.
Except when catching the replacement bus on Sunday, I specifically had left early so I could have a leisurely walk to the pick up point, only to pass the replacement bus whilst crossing the road by the traffic lights 20 metres away from the pick up point, 5 minutes earlier than what it was due (this was at 13.58, it wasn't due till 14.03 according to the National Rail timetable available on the National Rail app, website and on the ATW app and website). Onboard I asked the driver what the deal was and he showed me his timetabled which showed him being due there at 13.59, so from his point of view he was dead on time. Obviously the bus driver running to a different timetable than what the ToC provides the passengers is pretty awful, even more so when its a Sunday service so there is only one service every 2 hours! Of course, people will argue you should leave more time, but I specifically did leave earlier than I would normally for a train and still only really caught it thanks to the traffic lights!
So I guess my question is who is responsible for this mess up - ATW, NAT (who provided the buses and bus drivers) or NR, what would have happened if I had missed the replacement bus (as the next one wasn't due for another 2 hours) and is there a channel to ATW to at least try to fix this for the next time there are replacement buses in the area (they have ignored me on Twitter, and last time I had to contact their customer service team it took an absolute age to hear anything back).
Except when catching the replacement bus on Sunday, I specifically had left early so I could have a leisurely walk to the pick up point, only to pass the replacement bus whilst crossing the road by the traffic lights 20 metres away from the pick up point, 5 minutes earlier than what it was due (this was at 13.58, it wasn't due till 14.03 according to the National Rail timetable available on the National Rail app, website and on the ATW app and website). Onboard I asked the driver what the deal was and he showed me his timetabled which showed him being due there at 13.59, so from his point of view he was dead on time. Obviously the bus driver running to a different timetable than what the ToC provides the passengers is pretty awful, even more so when its a Sunday service so there is only one service every 2 hours! Of course, people will argue you should leave more time, but I specifically did leave earlier than I would normally for a train and still only really caught it thanks to the traffic lights!
So I guess my question is who is responsible for this mess up - ATW, NAT (who provided the buses and bus drivers) or NR, what would have happened if I had missed the replacement bus (as the next one wasn't due for another 2 hours) and is there a channel to ATW to at least try to fix this for the next time there are replacement buses in the area (they have ignored me on Twitter, and last time I had to contact their customer service team it took an absolute age to hear anything back).