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 Photo:- Robert Davies:-"Of Time and The Railway" |
THE SHREWSBURY - ABERYSTWYTH RAIL PASSENGERS' ASSOCIATION WELCOMES YOU TO THEIR WEBSITEThis page updated 16th September 2026 |
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SARPA is the local rail users group for the Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth
line
running from the English border through Montgomeryshire to the coast of
North
Ceredigion and ending up in the increasingly important University (and
Welsh Government administration
) town of
Aberystwyth. We exist to preserve and promote the line so that there is a
more sustainable
transport system for future generations. SARPA is one of the more active
rail
user groups in Wales and we are continually campaigning on
various issues from train times and frequency to station maintenance. We
welcome comments from anybody about the rail service in Mid Wales. Transport for Wales rail services were brought under Welsh Government control from February 2021. The takeover from KeolisAmey has taken place with day-to-day services now run by a publicly-owned company. This follows significant falls in passenger numbers during the Covid-19 pandemic. KeolisAmey will continue to be involved in operations, particularly in the South Wales region. Former British Railways Eastern Region manager, the late Gerard Fiennes pointed out very correctly that "the railway is judged by the comfort, speed, convenience, safety, punctuality and economy of its services". With its single line of way and an fairly intensive service, the Cambrian is quite a challenge for operators and a pitfall for those who are innocent of what they are letting themselves in for! After some time in the doldrums, there are signs that TfW are at last getting a grip on matters Cambrian. It is encouraging that reliability has improved and this is a key factor which will motivate people back to the railway after the hiatus of the Covid pandemic. Nevertheless, a theme which is repeated at various stakeholder meetings is that of overcrowding and lack of capacity. Indeed, it has even been suggested that there is not much point in publicising the merits of the route if there is no space on trains for extra passengers. TfW clearly still has some way to go, though there are signs that the rolling stock problems which have plagued the operator throughout Wales for some time are at last being solved, albeit slowly. As a group we remain somewhat unhappy that the new Class 197 units proposed for this line have less seats than the vehicles they will replace. We are not confident that they will answer in the longer term, given that an enhanced service which is promulgated to go full hourly will encourage more people to use the train, by virtue of the improved frequency. Twenty years ago, the provision of trains with just two cars was becoming unacceptable due to increased frequency of overcrowding. It was the cause of much dissatisfaction with the then operator, Arriva Trains Wales. TfW needs to learn from this and put in place the capacity which is needed for future growth. A belated response to very crowded trains will only damage their reputation. Meanwhile Network Rail have put in much effort to upgrade the route. This investment is well overdue and we should not forget that the Cambrian Lines were earmarked for complete shutdown just over fifty years ago, as part of a secret closure programme being considered by Edward Heath's government. The work has meant much disruption to services, which hopefully will decrease but the Cambrian has not had this much spent on it since the 1920s.  |
CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE |
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The Cambrian has suffered a lot as a result of the recent hot weather. There have been
problems with the ventilation systems on the Class 158 units for years, but this summer
the situation has worsened, with only a few services each day at times. SARPA has
asked for years about Transport for Wales' plans to cope with extreme and very
changeable weather - it is a cruel irony that such events affect the railways, which are
supposed to be part of the solution to reduce carbon emissions.
However, SARPA's work continues. For example, concerns were raised about the lack of help points, or faulty help points, at several stations on the Cambrian. This has caused problems for passengers, for example when trains were cancelled and passengers couldn't obtain information about the bus arrangements. Following this pressure, Transport for Wales has plans to install or upgrade help points along the Cambrian by 2028-2029. SARPA will also keep an eye on the arrival of the Class 197 units. As has been said many times over the years, the move from two toilets in each unit to one is likely to cause problems, especially because the toilets on the 197s are notorious for failing during journeys. We will, therefore, have to ensure that Transport for Wales keeps their word to run the 197s in pairs most of the time. Finally, there is a new Transport Minister in the Welsh Government and a new cabinet in Westminster. We therefore look forward to opportunities to continue to argue for additional investment in the Cambrian. Dr. Jeff Smith Cadeirydd SARPA/SARPA Chair Summer 2026 |
| You can see what we said about the railway industry in the past by clicking on this link to our archive page. We have archived all the newsletters back to November 2001. |
| Views expressed on the SARPA website are those of contributors and not necessarily representative of the Association and its Officers as a whole. Information provided is published in good faith, but
the Association cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage arising therefrom. Photographs used on the site are copyright of the photographers and should not be used without their permission by third parties. The Webmaster reserves the right to abridge or amend copy. |
| Please note that hyperlinks
included in the text throughout this site are intended for the benefit and information of our visitors. We try to include links that will be helpful for the understanding of railway terminology. They do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation on our part. |
Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth Rail Passengers Association (SARPA) c/o Arosfa, 7 Railway Terrace, Heol y Doll, Machynlleth, Powys, SY20 8BJ Wales, United Kingdom © SARPA 2005-2026 All Rights Reserved Website:- Angus Eickhoff |