Wrexham Connexion

[merlodlliw]

From North Wales rail website.

Wrexham Connexion - comment by George Jones
I have commented before about the failure of Virgin Trains (VT) to connect with Arriva Trains Wales (ATW) at Wrexham when the 20:50 local service provides the onward service for those arriving off the VT from London Euston, Crewe and Chester at 20:44. The failure for ATW to wait for a late running VT has been the subject of complaint to both train companies' management and promises of action had been obtained.

However. on 13 August the progress of the 18:10 from Euston, monitored on the National Rail Enquiries website, showed it running 15 minutes late. Such delay early in the journey suggests that a connection will not be made at Wrexham, and so it proved when I went along to the station to check.

At 20:40 Wrexham & Shropshire's train from London Marylebone was already tucked up in the stabling point and 150 245 was waiting in platform 3 with the train for stations south to Shrewsbury. With no sign of the VT coming in from Chester - and no information, as terminating arrivals do not feature on the screens - the ATW local was away on time at 20:50 with just two passengers on board.

At 20:54 (10 minutes late) Virgin Voyager 221 108 rolled into platform 1 with 25 or so passengers alighting.
Some passengers were left left looking for the now-departed 150 to continue their journey south to Chirk and Gobowen, now facing a 43-minute wait for the next southbound service at 21:37. not very happy people dumped on a cheerless platform with no facilities at that time of night; fortunately it was still daylight at this time of year.

Another example of a complete lack of liaison between VT and ATW failing to provide the through service which might be expected, especially as the VT service uses what used to be the Chester/Wrexham leg of the ATW slot. No attempt could have been made at Chester to advise the passengers that their connection would be missed at Wrexham, in which case they could have stayed at Chester, where there are slightly more amenable surroundings, to await the next ATW service towards Shrewsbury.

This state of affairs has been flagged up to Passenger Focus for action, and the 'knocking of a few heads together', hopefully. Exactly how many of the passengers getting off the VT are from Euston is a matter of conjecture short of doing a sample check, but past evidence suggests most get on at either Chester or Crewe.

I agree with George, after 9 months, still no change, mores the pity.

 

[TDK]

From North Wales rail website.

Wrexham Connexion - comment by George Jones
I have commented before about the failure of Virgin Trains (VT) to connect with Arriva Trains Wales (ATW) at Wrexham when the 20:50 local service provides the onward service for those arriving off the VT from London Euston, Crewe and Chester at 20:44. The failure for ATW to wait for a late running VT has been the subject of complaint to both train companies' management and promises of action had been obtained.

However. on 13 August the progress of the 18:10 from Euston, monitored on the National Rail Enquiries website, showed it running 15 minutes late. Such delay early in the journey suggests that a connection will not be made at Wrexham, and so it proved when I went along to the station to check.

At 20:40 Wrexham & Shropshire's train from London Marylebone was already tucked up in the stabling point and 150 245 was waiting in platform 3 with the train for stations south to Shrewsbury. With no sign of the VT coming in from Chester - and no information, as terminating arrivals do not feature on the screens - the ATW local was away on time at 20:50 with just two passengers on board.

At 20:54 (10 minutes late) Virgin Voyager 221 108 rolled into platform 1 with 25 or so passengers alighting.
Some passengers were left left looking for the now-departed 150 to continue their journey south to Chirk and Gobowen, now facing a 43-minute wait for the next southbound service at 21:37. not very happy people dumped on a cheerless platform with no facilities at that time of night; fortunately it was still daylight at this time of year.

Another example of a complete lack of liaison between VT and ATW failing to provide the through service which might be expected, especially as the VT service uses what used to be the Chester/Wrexham leg of the ATW slot. No attempt could have been made at Chester to advise the passengers that their connection would be missed at Wrexham, in which case they could have stayed at Chester, where there are slightly more amenable surroundings, to await the next ATW service towards Shrewsbury.

This state of affairs has been flagged up to Passenger Focus for action, and the 'knocking of a few heads together', hopefully. Exactly how many of the passengers getting off the VT are from Euston is a matter of conjecture short of doing a sample check, but past evidence suggests most get on at either Chester or Crewe.

I agree with George, after 9 months, still no change, mores the pity.

There was plenty of negociation between the 2 companies when the path was given up by ATW, one way street by looks of it. Lets hope WSMR get better slots from London in December.

Is VT continuing this service from the December Timetable as I heard a rumor that they were pulling the plug on it? The other point is what will VT do when the single line is closed as a Bus will certainly not make the connection either

 

[The Planner]

Dont expect any changes to WSMR trains for Dec 09.

 

[merlodlliw]

The 2009/2010 is out of consultation for the Wrexham/Chester run, I understand
VT gave the ORR a years trial which ends in December,so if any plugs are pulled it may be May 2010, a few will already have seen the Dec 2009 proposals.
I must add VT have not taken the traffic it expected, but we all know it was
a spoiler against W/S.

I also agree with TDK about ATW giving up its paths to VT, perhaps the honeymoon is over, from lets get into bed together to we dont talk now,
so the customer looses out by being kept in the dark about a 45 minute
wait at Wrexham.

As for W/S, not a word yet from anyone, but the Dec 2009 times must be in now.

 

[TDK]

The 2009/2010 is out of consultation for the Wrexham/Chester run, I understand
VT gave the ORR a years trial which ends in December,so if any plugs are pulled it may be May 2010, a few will already have seen the Dec 2009 proposals.
I must add VT have not taken the traffic it expected, but we all know it was
a spoiler against W/S.

I also agree with TDK about ATW giving up its paths to VT, perhaps the honeymoon is over, from lets get into bed together to we dont talk now,
so the customer looses out by being kept in the dark about a 45 minute
wait at Wrexham.

As for W/S, not a word yet from anyone, but the Dec 2009 times must be in now.

I think there is a wait on line speed improvement on the Chilterns that govern what WSMR can do with their timings. I also heard that the paths that were given to VT for their colapsed proposals to run trains South from wrexham are still in the hands of VT, I presume they will revert back to ATW, if they don't a preverbial bullet in the foot from ATW, as for passenger numbers from Wrexham to London on the 07.00 a VT TM told me just the other day they only carry 2 or 3 passengers past Crewe that board at Wrexham whether this is true or not is another thing however I have never seen more than a dozen on the train and most of them I know from past experience are for Chester & Crewe