PLAID Cymru MP for Arfon, Hywel Williams, has accused the UK government of “rewarding failure” by granting Avanti, the operator of the West Coast Main Line, a six-month contract extension.

The MP has tabled a motion in parliament criticising the Department for Transport for extending Avanti’s contract by another six months, and calling for the franchise to be replaced with a publicly run service.    

The train operator, which runs services on the North Wales Main Line through Bangor in Mr Williams' constituency, is now running drastically reduced services, with the cancellation of the majority of direct services from North Wales to London Euston.  

Ticket sales have been suspended, timetables have been drastically altered, services substantially reduced and of those trains operating, most are packed - all of which is significantly impacting commuter journey times.

Mr Williams said: “Rail users in North Wales remain greatly inconvenienced by the continued reduction in rail services, with no direct North Wales-to-London trains now running from my constituency where there was once two or three a day.

“The North Wales Main Line is an economically important route, serving to connect the port of Holyhead with the rest of the UK rail network.

“It is a disgrace that this route is being run to the ground by an inept operator.

“In light of the recent and sudden closure of the Menai Bridge and the additional pressure now placed on commuters and local transport infrastructure, the demand for a reliable train service has never been greater.

“Instead of firmly holding Avanti to account for their appalling service to the people of north Wales, the Department for Transport has instead decided to reward Avanti for its continued failures by extending their contract.

“People deserve certainty and confidence that their train will run on time. Without a reliable timetable, the ability to book tickets in advance and trains that actually turn up – it is very difficult for people to plan ahead with confidence.

“Whilst my Arfon constituents and indeed commuters right across north Wales continue to have their journeys disrupted, Avanti recently paid out £11.5million in dividends to their shareholders - that money would be better spent on improving services and training more drivers.

“Instead of rewarding failure, the UK government should revoke Avanti's franchise and divert its efforts on investing in a publicly run railway that benefits both passengers and workers.

“Commuters across North Wales continue to face significantly increased journey times compounded by very poor communication and a completely unreliable timetable.

“This disruption is both bad for business and bad for leisure travellers. It needs sorting.”

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Arfon MP slams Avanti’s cancellation of North Wales to London services

In December, Avanti is due to introduce a significant increase in its timetable, which will mean North Wales will have more services than in May.

Its weekday tickets are available into December, but weekends are made more difficult by engineering work, which is taking place almost every weekend until Christmas.

The company said it is making progress, though, and by early November, will be selling weekend tickets four weeks in advance.

It pledged to continue to push this booking window further out as quickly as it can.

An Avanti West Coast spokesperson said: “We know we’re not delivering the service our customers rightly expect and we apologise for the enormous frustration and inconvenience caused.

“Our customers and communities in North Wales deserve a dependable train service, and we’re working hard to rebuild our timetable in a resilient and sustainable way.

“Resolving this situation requires a robust plan that will allow us to increase services without being reliant on traincrew overtime, which has fallen dramatically in recent weeks.

“We would like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding.”