Big departure for new rail franchise serving Shropshire and Mid Wales

You can't accuse James Price of giving people false hope. As he prepares for the launch of Shropshire's newest rail franchise tomorrow, he likens the service he has inherited from Arriva to buying an old car on its last legs.

“I think people need to be aware that we’ve bought a Ford Escort with 300,000 miles on the clock and the clutch is on the way out,” said the new man in charge.

As of Sunday, the familiar turquoise livery of Arriva Trains Wales will gradually begin to make way for the new red and white rolling stock of Transport for Wales Rail, or TfW Rail for short.

TfW Rail, a partnership between the Welsh Government, French private rail operator Keolis and British infrastructure company Amey, takes over the Wales and Border franchise from Arriva, which has operated the routes for the past 15 years.

The franchise is responsible for services from Birmingham International, through Shropshire and Mid Wales on to Aberystwyth.

See also:

• Shropshire rail users to see changes on the line as Arriva departs

The consortium beat off competition from Hong-Kong based operator MTR to run the service, after Arriva pulled out of the bidding process, and Dutch rival Abellio also withdrew following the collapse of its partner, Wolverhampton-based Carillion.

As part of the new deal, TfW Rail has pledged to invest £5 billion in services over the 15-year term of the franchise, but Mr Price has warned passengers not to expect the transformation to take place overnight.

TfW has inherited Arriva's already ageing rolling stock, including the Mk3 carriages which were built between 1975 and 1988, as well as the old British Rail Class 142 and 143 Pacers and 150 Sprinters, all of which date back to the mid 1980s. In this region, the slightly new Sprinter Express multiple units, dating from the early 1990s, will continue to be the mainstay of the fleet.

Mr Price warned: “We’re taking over at the most difficult time of the year. I’m not trying to get my excuses in first. We’re looking to provide a really high quality service.

"We’re doing everything we can to make it better. I just want people to be aware of the challenges we face."

He also says that the change of management has provided little incentive for Arriva to leave its fleet in the best possible state. Arriva, part of the German state-owned DeutscheBahn, insists it has maintained its fleet to exactly the same standard as it has always done.

Mr Price added: “I believe we’re going to inherit a fleet which is not as good as the fleet was this time last year. It seems there will be a significant amount of work to do.

“That’s no disrespect to any of the Arriva staff. They want the very best for passengers, but you do what your budget allows you to do.”

In a change from previous years, this latest franchise has been awarded by the devolved Welsh Government rather than the Department For Transport. The Welsh Government will also have an indirect role in the franchise through its not-for-profit public transport company Transport for Wales, headed by Mr Price.

First Minister in the Welsh Government, Carwyn Jones, said; “The way we shaped this procurement was different. We put passengers’ priorities at the centre of our thinking and threw out a challenge to all of the bidders to address the concerns they had about seat capacity, journey times and service frequency.

"People said they wanted affordable fares and newer, cleaner trains and we have worked hard to ensure this is reflected in what we are launching."

While operating a rail company is inevitably a thankless task, usually attracting far more in the way of complaints than praise, it is fair to say there are some who will not be shedding many tears for the end of the Arriva services.

Shrewsbury and Atcham MP Daniel Kawczynski has been one of the most fierce critics.

“Anything will be better than the service that Arriva Trains Wales is currently offering,” he said last year.

All-diesel

“Sometimes, when I have been on the train it has been like sardines in a tin. I was on a train where a lady collapsed because of the conditions and had to be taken off for treatment.”

Commentators on the issue say it is only fair to point out that to some degree Arriva’s hands have been tied behind its back by the lack of electrification on great stretches of its routes. This has left the company with little choice but to use an all-diesel fleet, a problem the new operator will also have to contend with.

Immediate improvements are said to include a new customer website and mobile phone app. A 'deep clean' of all stations run by the operator, and the refurbishment of trains will begin before the end of the year, and the ageing Pacer multiple units will be phased out during 2019.

In the longer term, there are plans for an £800 million investment in the trains themselves, which will see the entire fleet replaced by 2023, 95 per cent with new trains, with the remaining five per cent being extensively refurbished. As far as this region is concerned, the biggest change will be seen in 2021 when new trains are due to be running on the Cambrian, Marches and North Wales lines, as well as the West Midlands corridors.

More than half the rolling stock will be made in Wales, and it is claimed this investment will help boost capacity by 65 per cent, which would certainly go some way to dealing with the problem with overcrowding. Frequency of the Shrewsbury to Chester service is expected to double in December 2022, while extra services are planned for the Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth line in 2023.

Additionally, £194 million has been earmarked to renovate all stations managed by the franchise, which will surely be welcome in Shrewsbury.

Mr Price said: “This is the beginning of an exciting journey of transformation that will dramatically improve rail services throughout Wales and its borders and we’ve put our customers’ needs at the heart of this transformation.

"People and communities will be better connected by new and improved rail services, opening up a wealth of employment, leisure and other opportunities.”