Rail franchise deal to see guards retained

Whichever of four bidders ends up winning the Wales and Borders franchise, which runs Shrewsbury station and operates trains through the county to Cardiff, Birmingham, Manchester and Aberystwyth, they will not routinely run driver-only trains.

The Welsh Government said it was committed to keep a "safety critical" conductor/guard on all trains, including heavy rail Metro services.

The commitment follows a "clear public response" in consultations, where more than 90 per cent of respondents said a second member of staff was either quite important or essential in the Wales and Borders region.

At present Arriva runs the service under its Arriva Trains Wales business. It is also on the shortlist for the renewed deal through a new business, called Arriva Rail Wales, and will be up against Abellio Rail Cymru, KeolisAmey, and MTR Corporation (Cymru).

All four will submit final tenders for the service by December 21 ahead of a decision on the new operator early next year. The franchise will begin next October.

Abellio's name may be familiar to rail users in Shropshire, as the Dutch company was part of a consortium which will take over the West Midlands franchise from London Midland in December.

Guards on trains have been a controversial issue, with the Rail, Maritime and Transport union planning two 24-hour strikes next week on Southern, Merseyrail, Arriva Rail North and Greater Anglia in disputes over the role of guards and driver-only trains.

First Minister Carwyn Jones said: "Our hard-working railway staff are a major asset in delivering a modern and safe railway, and it is right that they are central to our ambitious plans for the new Wales & Border Services and South Wales Metro.

"I am, therefore, delighted that we have been able to have such positive and constructive discussions with the railway trade unions, something I have been keen to ensure from the offset.

"These are progressive commitments that will mean a better service for passengers and a better railway in Wales, and I look forward to this positive dialogue continuing as we develop our plans."

Ken Skates, Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure, added: "I'm delighted that we have been able to make progress in issuing the tender and also that we have been able to make these commitments to passengers, rail unions and their members.

"We want to hold up the Welsh rail network as an example of where a government can work in effective social partnership with trade unions to deliver a world-class railway for commuters, our economy and our communities."