Madam,

I had the misfortune to travel on the Arriva mid-afternoon train from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth on 17 August and can only say that it was an appalling journey.

A very full four-carriage train from Birmingham, which should have continued to Aberystwyth and Pwllheli, was terminated at Shrewsbury. After a period of uncertainty, a two-carriage train was provided for the onward journey to Aberystwyth, so the Birmingham passengers and all of their luggage, together with the additional passengers from Shrewsbury had to squeeze into it. The result was inevitable, with people having to stand in the aisles. Also, of course, the air-condi-tioning wasn’t working!

There have been several instances of delays and cancellations of late and, if one takes a look at the Arriva website, the reason given is invariably “operational challenges” whatever that gobbledegook means. They may as well say nothing. However, the station announcer at Shrewsbury let the cat out of the bag, the reason being, simply, a lack of trains. Since the unique signalling system was introduced on the Cambrian Lines a few years ago, our trains must be specially equipped to run on the route and, consequently, there is no flexibility to bring in additional trains at times of shortage.

A railway person confided to me that there are only just enough trains to run the service if there is 100 per cent availability. There is no reserve. Lose a train because of breakdown or damage and the service descends into inevitable chaos.

We are constantly being hit with fare increases, but in the face of a service which, if anything, is getting worse. If I were a cynic, I would say that the line is being starved of funding. Is it unreasonable to ask that some of the increased revenue is used to invest in additional trains and, also, to resolve the long-standing problem of inadequate air-conditioning equipment?

If I were a holidaymaker visiting the area, given this experience, I would think very seriously about returning.

Yours etc

John Lucas

Capel Bangor

Aberystwyth.