As problems for Transport for Wales in the running of the Wales and Borders franchise persist, Plaid Cymru AM Rhun ap Iorwerth again raised concerns in the Assembly Chamber regarding the issues passengers are facing and gave Welsh Government another chance to apologise for the problems travellers are dealing with.

Services the length and breadth of Wales have been affected by delays, replacements and cancellations in recent weeks, with Transport for Wales are in the early stages of their tenure delivering the franchise.

Mr ap Iorwerth, Plaid Cymru’s Shadow Spokesperson for Economy and Finance, again took the opportunity to raise concerns with Welsh Government in the Assembly today and pushed for the Cabinet Secretary to apologise for the troubles passengers are facing.

Rhun ap Iorwerth AM said:

“Once again we are receiving reports on a daily basis of rail services across the country being cancelled, postponed or replaced – this is just not acceptable and we still haven’t had an apology from Welsh Government.

“Welsh Government has bemoaned what the Cabinet Secretary labelled as the dreadful conditions of the rolling stock when it was inherited from the previous franchise holder, but as a partner in the delivery of Wales’s rail services under the Arriva franchise, did Welsh Government take its eye off the ball in terms of not properly monitoring the state of rail in Wales if it is as bad as they say it is?

“I want Transport for Wales rail to succeed, we all want a better rail service for the country, but it doesn’t appear that enough monitoring nor scrutiny was being done in order to make sure that Welsh Government were ready for the transfer to the new franchise, and as a result this current situation simply isn’t good enough.”