ARRIVA Trains Wales is urging customers to check their journey plans after announcing several timetable changes set to come into force from Sunday.

The company says the changes, which will include a bus journey between Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth, have been made in response to what the company is calling “customer and stakeholder feedback” as well as improvement work requirements, and are set to take effect this Sunday, 13 December.

The changes set to affect those travelling to and from Aberystwyth include the following:

• On the Cambrian line, the current 5.46pm Monday to Friday, Pwllheli to Machynlleth service will be retimed to start earlier at 17:42.

• Due to essential Network Rail improvement work over the winter, the current 8.30am Sunday, Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth service will be replaced by a bus service and a new 9.47am Sunday service from Machynlleth to Aberystwyth will be added.

• The 9.51am Sunday, Birmingham New Street to Shrewsbury service will be extended to Aberystwyth.

An Arriva Trains Wales spokesperson said: “Changes featured in the new timetables have been made in response to customer and stakeholder feedback and essential improvement work requirements in consultation with the Welsh Government, Network Rail and other key partners. 

“This change has also provided an opportunity to ‘fine tune’ operations to improve efficiency and to enable better connections to other services.”

Lynne Milligan, Arriva Trains Wales customer services director, said: “For the new timetable we have listened to our customers and stakeholders and have provided,  where possible, additional services or stops for communities where our train service provides a vital connection for both work and leisure acti­vities. 

“We are urging all customers to check their journeys before they travel, to check for planned Network Rail improvement works and also for unforseeable delays that sometimes occur on our network.”

Posters highlighting significant alterations are on display at the relevant stations and info­rmation can be found on the Arriva Trains Wales website including downloadable versions of the new timetables and a list of all the significant changes at www.­arrivatrainswales.co.uk.