Would Snowdonia do better with an integrated network?

[backontrack]

This subject sort of sprung up on the Express Motors thread, but I didn't want to drag that discussion off-topic so I created a new one here.

The demise of Express Motors could bring around an end to the X1 bus, which competed with the trains between Llandudno, Deganwy, Llandudno Junction, Llansanffraid Glan Conwy, Tal-y-Cafn, Dolgarrog station, North Llanrwst, Llanrwst, Betws-y-Coed, Pont-y-Pant, Dolwyddelan, Pont Rufeinig and Blaenau Ffestiniog. That is essentially a replication of the Conwy Valley Line route - it doesn't detour into Dolwyddelan village, however - and some have noticed that the timings it runs on can sometimes be close to the trains, whereas the other service in the area - the Llew Jones route 19 - runs from Llandudno to Betws-y-Coed and Cwm Penmachno via Conwy, Tyn-y-Grows, Tal-y-bont, Dolgarrog village and Trefriw on the other side of the Afon Conwy.

It would be better for the area if the services didn't compete with each other, but instead alternated their services to grow the market in the Conwy Valley. But would this be applicable across the Snowdonia/Gwynedd region as a whole?

In some ways, this would be fairly simple. Arriva are the main bus operators in the area, and they also run most of the trains too. Here are their main bus routes:

3 Pwllheli-Criccieth-Tremadog-Porthmadog
4/44/X4 Bangor-Menai Bridge-Llanfair Pwyllgwyngyll-Llangefni-Holyhead
5/5C/X5 Llandudno-Conwy-Bangor-Caernarfon
10A/11G/11M Rhyl-Prestatyn-Holywell-Flint-Deeside-Chester
12 SAPPHIRE Llandudno-Colwyn Bay-Abergele-Rhyl
13 Llandudno-Colwyn Bay-Abergele-Rhuddlan-Prestatyn
35/36 Rhyl-Rhuddlan-Dyserth-Prestatyn-Rhyl
51/X51 MAX Rhyl-Rhuddlan-St Asaph-Denbigh-Ruthin-Wrexham
53/57/58 Bangor-Menai Bridge-Beaumaris
62 Bangor-Menai Bridge-Benllech-Amlwch(-Cemaes Bay)
67/67C/67L Bangor-Tregarth-Bethesda-Gerlan

You could timetable buses to Menai Bridge, Llangefni, Beaumaris, Benllech and Amlwch to connect with trains from Bangor, for example. I'm unaware of the extent to which things are already integrated but they could probably be better...

 

[Bletchleyite]

I agree...one of the things that breaks it though is the lack of a regular interval timetable on the trains.

Ideally a second unit would allow a regular-interval timetable on a 2 hourly frequency, but with a single unit the question is how this is done.

 

[0B00]

Looking at the details of each 'new' timetable as they appear - and Gwynedd have just put up the 1F, S4 and S97 on the website, they seem to be taking advantage of the demise of Express to drastically reduce the services one at a time. I suspect that there is zero interest in providing integration of any sort.

 

[Blackpudding]

A couple of points to take into account:

Arriva have pulled out of bidding for the next wales railway franchise.
The susceptibility of the Blaenau Ffestiniog line to flooding

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I agree...one of the things that breaks it though is the lack of a regular interval timetable on the trains.

Ideally a second unit would allow a regular-interval timetable on a 2 hourly frequency, but with a single unit the question is how this is done.

A second unit is just not feasible and I'd hate to think what the current cost per passenger subsidy is on the line with the current timetable! If there's money to burn on additional trains, there are better options in South Wales!

The reality is, contrary to Back on Track's statement, that there is very little competition between the two modes; they cater for different markets. The 3 between Pwllheli and Porthmadog runs every 30 mins - the train every two hours. The X1 runs hourly (and the 19 fits in around it to make it sort of half hourly) whilst the train runs every 3 hours. Anyone who thinks that bus is abstracting train traffic significantly needs to take more water with it.

Remember that you can already buy zonal North Wales Rovers valid on rail and bus. The biggest problem is Bangor station and the fact that it's stuck on the one way system and away from the town centre so it's not brilliant for interchanging although many services do sort of call close by (e.g. anything for Caernarfon Road or Menai Bridge). However, the Ogwen Valley and the Maesgirchen services don't call there so....