A very unhappy St David's Day to Arriva Trains Wales!
Without any hint of irony the ORR decided today to announce that it had turned down ATW's application to run services between Aberystwyth and London.
There'll be some Tafia muttering in the valleys tonight!
Meanwhile expect jubilation from Reich Rail's very own WSMR.
This from the late Nye Bevan...
According to Wales Online...
THOUSANDS of rugby fans could find themselves stranded in Cardiff after Wales’ Friday-night clash with France, after one rail boss warned there will be no extra trains.
Now, a fair cop guv at first sight but as always there is more...
The stadium didn't tell people about the travel plan issues because they were worried about ticket sales, and there is no money in the pot for more trains so the best you can do is make them four coach sets on the Valleys.
But note how nobody takes the blame and the railway is put to the sword because the stadium has to play to the broadcasters (TV) tune and doesn't have the guts to be public about it.
And good to see the civil servants (sic) of WAG showing excellent form in line with their DaFT counterparts!
You quoted Fiennes earlier in the week, and indeed it is no way to run a railway, especially when your supposed friends leave you to face the music alone.
Nice bit of video - but what an extraordinary piece of demode music...
With a bowler tip to @andylaird25 via Twitter
UPDATE: This from PZT over at errr.. Peezedtee...
What do you mean, "an extraordinary piece of demode music"?
It's very nice music - PROPER music, for a change.
Presumably to chime with the fact that the chef is talking about it being an old-fashioned service.
Nothing extraodinary about it at all!
This just in from Gareth Marston, Chairman of SARPA
"Passengers hoping to catch the 16:24 Arriva Trains Wales service from Birmingham New St to Aberystwyth on Tuesday 23rd December discovered the truth of Tim Bells admission to the Welsh Select Committee that his franchise doesn't have enough trains
"Despite being a four car class 158 passengers struggled to board the train resulting in a departure 23 minutes late.
"NRES helpfully explained the cause of the late running as "an unusually large passenger flow"."
This obviously came as something of a surprise - what with Christmas coming round annually and all.
No matter.
Whilst the chaos at New Street unfolded a half empty Wrexham and Shropshire service from Marylebone to Wrexham meandered its way via Tame Bridge Parkway.
Of course to protect Beardie Rail profits WSMR services are barred from Birmingham New Street and so were unable to assist with the pre-Christmas "unusually large passsenger flow" to Shropshire & mid-Wales."
Thank goodness for moderation of competition which protects profits rather than the interests of pesky passengers.
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