Editor

I am writing this letter to express my disappointment with the level of service given by some of the guards on the Cambrian Coast Railway.

I have travelled on the railway twice recently, the first between Aberdyfi and Morfa Mawddach.The latter is a request stop but whilst we were travelling there, the guard made no attempt to come around and collect the fares and it was only at Fairbourne that I eventually managed to catch him as he operated the doors. I told him we needed to alight at Morfa Mawddach and we also required tickets for the journey. His reply was astonishing; he asked if we were crossing the bridge to Barmouth and when I replied in the affirmative, said that we could purchase our tickets at Barmouth (which we actually did)!

The other occurrence was a few days later when, having walked to Tywyn, decided to catch the train back to Aberdyfi.

The train was on time at Tywyn but the crossing train from Machynlleth was over 10 minutes late, time in which the guard could have easily collected all the fares. But he did not emerge and as a consequence, we had a free journey. However, I did feel bad about it as I do like to patronise the railways whenever I am in the area.

The railway company has cordoned off the ends of each carriage (doubtless due to Covid-19restrictions) so that unless you catch the guard’s attention as he opens or closes the doors, communication is all but nigh impossible.

This is not the way to run a railway, especially one whose existence over the years has been precarious to put it mildly.

Although now its future does seem assured with the recent massive investment in the Barmouth Bridge, but you do wonder how much revenue is lost this way.

As a postscript, with all those millions being spent on Barmouth Bridge, would it not be possible for the bridge to Picnic Island at Aberdyfi to be repaired and opened to the public again?

Philip Hugill Romsey

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