The Department for Transport has today extended Avanti West Coast’s contract for a further 6 months after improvements have been made since October. This decision comes almost 6 months after the operator was initially put on a short-term contract by the government and ordered to develop a recovery plan aimed at addressing poor performance on vital West Coast Main Line routes, including between Manchester, Birmingham and London.
Following the confirmation of the contract extension, Robin said:
“I speak regularly with local rail users about their experiences of travelling with Avanti West Coast. The ‘Railway Users Survey’ on my website has also been used by hundreds of other residents and local rail users to share their experiences. I use this information to inform my own view and to challenge Ministers and Avanti’s management team.
“An improvement in services has been reported since December. I travel standard class between Llandudno and London every week to represent Aberconwy in Parliament and I recognise that there is still a very long way to go, but there has been a slight improvement. However, these improvements come from an extremely poor base and the service is still a long way short of the standard passengers reasonably expect.
"There are still too many cancellations – with insufficient train staff being the most commonly sited reason for cancellations. This, quite simply, is unacceptable.
“It is important to note also that our situation here in Aberconwy and across North Wales is compounded by the poor service provided by Transport for Wales with passengers often experiencing dreadful overcrowding between Chester and Llandudno Junction due to insufficient capacity.
“The Hendy UK Connectivity Review rightly highlighted the North Wales corridor as being of vital strategic importance to the UK. But poor rail connectivity is continuing to prevent us from unlocking the potential of Aberconwy and North Wales for residents and for our visitors.
“The government is right to demand continued marked improvements in the next 6 months. Stripping Avanti of the franchise remains a realistic option but would inevitably lead to disruption. Our tourism and hospitality sectors are crucial to Aberconwy’s local economy and, as we enter the key summer season, I am reluctant to make demands that risk disruption when we are trying to attract as many visitors as possible to our world class attractions.
“I am meeting the Rail Minister today and I will emphasise to him that if local businesses suffer and passengers are inconvenienced over the next six months then Avanti will have reached the end of the track and must be stripped of its franchise.
"I will continue working with passengers to ascertain performance levels and I will continue to campaign for the franchise to be renamed the North Wales and West Coast Main Line to reflect its vital importance to us and the rest of the UK. ”
Datganiad Robin ar estyniad masnachfraint chwe mis i Avanti West Coast
Heddiw, mae’r Adran Drafnidiaeth wedi ymestyn contract Avanti West Coast am 6 mis arall ar ôl iddyn nhw wneud gwelliannau ers mis Hydref. Daw’r penderfyniad hwn bron i 6 mis ar ôl i’r gweithredwr gael ei roi ar gontract tymor byr gan y llywodraeth, yn ogystal â rhoi gorchymyn iddyn nhw ddatblygu cynllun adfer gyda’r nod o fynd i’r afael â pherfformiad gwael ar brif linell hanfodol Arfordir y Gorllewin, gan gynnwys rhwng Manceinion, Birmingham a Llundain.
Ar ôl cadarnhau’r estyniad i’r contract, dywedodd Robin:
“Rwy’n siarad yn rheolaidd â defnyddwyr rheilffyrdd lleol am eu profiadau o deithio gydag Avanti West Coast. Mae ’Arolwg Defnyddwyr y Rheilffyrdd’ ar fy ngwefan hefyd wedi cael ei ddefnyddio gan gannoedd o drigolion eraill a defnyddwyr trenau lleol i rannu eu profiadau. Rwy’n defnyddio’r wybodaeth hon i lywio fy marn fy hun ac i herio Gweinidogion a thîm rheoli Avanti.
“Mae gwelliant mewn gwasanaethau wedi cael ei gofnodi ers mis Rhagfyr. Rwy’n defnyddio dosbarth safonol ar y trên rhwng Llandudno a Llundain bob wythnos i gynrychioli Aberconwy yn y Senedd, ac rwy’n cydnabod bod llawer iawn o waith i’w wneud o hyd, ond mae rhywfaint o welliant wedi bod. Fodd bynnag, mae’r gwelliannau hyn yn deillio o sylfaen eithriadol o wael ac mae’r gwasanaeth yn dal ymhell o gyrraedd y safon y mae teithwyr yn ei disgwyl yn rhesymol.
“Mae gormod o drenau’n cael eu canslo o hyd – a dim digon o staff trên oedd y rheswm mwyaf cyffredin dros ganslo. Mae hyn yn annerbyniol.
“Mae’n bwysig nodi hefyd fod ein sefyllfa yma yn Aberconwy ac ar draws Gogledd Cymru yn waeth o ganlyniad i’r gwasanaeth gwael a ddarperir gan Trafnidiaeth Cymru, gyda theithwyr yn aml yn profi gorlenwi ofnadwy rhwng Caer a Chyffordd Llandudno oherwydd diffyg capasiti.
“Roedd yr Adolygiad o Gysylltedd y DU gan Hendy yn tynnu sylw priodol at y ffaith bod coridor Gogledd Cymru o bwysigrwydd strategol hanfodol i’r DU. Ond mae cysylltiad rheilffyrdd gwael yn parhau i’n hatal rhag datgloi potensial Aberconwy a Gogledd Cymru ar gyfer trigolion a’n hymwelwyr.
“Mae’r llywodraeth yn iawn i fynnu gwelliannau sylweddol parhaus yn ystod y 6 mis nesaf. Mae dileu cytundeb masnachfraint Avanti dal yn opsiwn realistig ond byddai’n anochel yn arwain at darfu ar wasanaethau. Mae ein sectorau twristiaeth a lletygarwch yn hanfodol i economi leol Aberconwy ac, wrth inni ddechrau ar dymor allweddol yr haf, rwyf yn amharod i wneud galwadau a allai darfu ar wasanaethau pan fyddwn yn ceisio denu cynifer o ymwelwyr ag sy’n bosibl i’n hatyniadau o safon fyd-eang.
“Rwy’n cwrdd â’r Gweinidog Rheilffyrdd heddiw a byddaf yn pwysleisio wrtho, os bydd busnesau lleol yn dioddef ac os bydd teithwyr yn cael trafferthion dros y chwe mis nesaf, yna bydd Avanti wedi cyrraedd diwedd y daith a bod yn rhaid iddo ddileu eu cytundeb masnachfraint.
“Byddaf yn parhau i weithio gyda theithwyr i ganfod lefelau perfformiad a byddaf yn parhau i ymgyrchu dros ailenwi’r fasnachfraint yn Brif Linell Arfordir Gogledd Cymru a’r Gorllewin i adlewyrchu ei phwysigrwydd hanfodol i ni ac i weddill y DU. ”