Firstly on trains it makes a change to be able to say that we have received complimentary comments about the West Midlands Railway service between Telford and Shrewsbury regarding quality and timekeeping. However we remain aware that Transport for Wales trains are subject to frequent appalling overcrowding on services connecting Aberystwyth and Hollyhead to Birmingham International through Telford, and also between Cardiff and Manchester with connections in Shrewsbury. These services are run directly by the Welsh Government with whom we have no electoral relationship and so our only option is to write to the two MP’s who cover Telford (Telford Central Station) and The Wrekin (Wellington Station), which we will do now that the political party conference season has ended and our MPs are actually back at Westminster at last.
With regards to problems with the trains we will take up any issues where we have the day, the date, the station, the direction of the train service and the name of the company – West Midlands Trains or Transport for Wales.
There remain a number of issues about buses such as bus stop markings on the roads, lack of timetables at bus stops and electronic bus timetable information at bus shelters not working, and particular difficulties with the 101 service route in the Arleston area which we will take up, or have already taken up, with the borough council and the bus companies.
We have discussed complaints about the number of school children on some bus services at morning and afternoon peak times virtually preventing other users from travelling at these times, but have concluded that because these changes to using service buses for school children, rather than specific school buses, were introduced as essential cost saving measures, there is little we can do about this for the time being.
Remember that in order to follow up issues with bus services we need the day, the date, the bus service number, the direction of travel and the time that the service problems occurred. This allows us to effectively take them up because Arriva, at least, have the records for each vehicle journey each day.
You may recall that Arriva amended their timetables for services Nos. 5, 5A, 5E, 6, and 7 from the beginning of September to try and improve timekeeping. They now tell us that, unfortunately, due to the significant number of road works, and in some cases diversions, they have as yet been unable to assess how those changes are, or are not, working.
We have taken up with Arriva the question of inadequate information for intending passengers when bus services are significantly diverted because of impending roadworks, and particularly when services are returning to their normal route if roadworks finish early. We may well continue this with the borough council if we become aware of further problems.
We remain aware that the timetables for the new Select Bus/Chasewater services run on behalf of the borough council are difficult to track down and can be found on www.telford.gov.uk/busservices.
Ken Buttress, Chairman, Environment and Transport Action Group.
