While it may be under-fire for overcrowded, late and cancelled trains, Transport for Wales (TfW) shouldn’t be criticised for its 2020 prices.
A return ticket to Shrewsbury for Welshpool customers will cost £6.80 on the firm’s web site, an increase of 20p to what we were paying last year, or roughly 3%.
And if you are travelling to North Wales you could even find that the price of your ticket is cheaper than it was in 2019.
“We are seeing an overall decrease of -1.12% across our entire network,” said James Nicholas, TfW Communications Manager. “The bulk of the decrease comes from journeys in north Wales or to and from north Wales, which have seen a real term 10% decrease on fares.
“So for example if one of your readers purchased a ticket from Welshpool to Rhyl then they will benefit.
“Equally we have introduced a number of initiatives which will really benefit people in mid Wales. (This includes) Free travel for under 11s when travelling with a fare paying adult (up to two children) and free off-peak travel for under 16s when travelling with a fare paying adult (up to two children). Advance tickets are also now available on the day of travel.
“So these and the increase in Sunday services on the Cambrian line which began in mid-December, means there are some real positives for our customers in mid Wales.”
It has been a difficult first year for TfW who inherited the ailing Cambrian line service from Arriva Trains in late 2018. They have promised things will get better, but to expect some more short term issues with a lack of carriages and staff shortages continuing to hamper local progress.