Lobby group Growth Track 360 has welcomed commitments to improve services on the Borderlands Line from Transport for Wales and the Welsh Government.

GT360 met with Lee Waters MS, Welsh Government Deputy Minister for Climate Change and senior managers of Transport for Wales (TfW), and secured promises of improvement.

Services on the line have been unreliable over recent times, with passengers experiencing a steady deterioration since last winter, resulting in services being suspended.

TfW removed trains from the Borderlands line as it redeployed Class 150 diesel locomotives to other parts of the Wales and Borders network. The Class 150s were needed to stand in for Class 175 locos, which had to be withdrawn from service for repairs following several engine fires.

Train services returned to the Borderlands line in April, using new Class 230 trains. The new trains are refurbished London Underground stock, and are not yet running to time as they experience “teething” problems.

Growth Track 360 is a public-private partnership established in 2016, with the goal of cross-border transport connectivity with specific emphasis on rail. It works with the Welsh Government, Transport for Wales, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Mersey Dee Alliance, Ambition North Wales, Transport for the North, and the private sector.

Growth Track 360 Chair and Leader of Cheshire West & Chester Council, Councillor Louise Gittins, said: “Growth Track 360’s focus is to improve future rail services by seeking new investment in the rail infrastructure of North Wales, Cheshire and the Wirral. Local concerns about services on the Wrexham to Bidston Line required Growth Track 360 to make representations to the Welsh Government to improve the operation of existing services on the Borderlands Line. Poor service delivery and delays to the introduction of a long-promised half hourly service saw a steady erosion of passenger confidence in the service.

“The Minister, Lee Waters MS, Deputy Minister for Climate Change in the Welsh Government has responded. Along with the senior management of Transport for Wales, the train operator, he has apologised for poor services on the line and sponsored the development of an improvement plan.

“Credit is due to the Minister for his intervention and to the senior staff in Transport for Wales for entering into a constructive dialogue with local stakeholders to improve services. Growth Track 360 expects that the drivers, engineers and guards working the new Class230 trains are equally engaged in the process of improvement.

“The Borderlands Line has great potential to link three major employment zones and provide good access from Wrexham and Flintshire to Liverpool by public transport. The Minister, Transport for Wales and local stakeholders are all committed to work together to deliver reliable, improved services that will help drive passenger and economic growth.”

Growth Track 360 Vice Chair and Leader of Flintshire Council, Councillor Ian Roberts, said: “I welcome the commitment of Transport for Wales to restore train services which run to time by:
• Resolving outstanding technical issues with the new Class 230 trains
• Dedicating the Class 230 fleet to the Borderlands Line
• Working with drivers, guards and maintenance staff to operate the new Class 230 stock to their full capability.

“When Transport for Wales have restored hourly trains that run on time, they will introduce a new, hourly limited stop service which, with the existing hourly service, will offer half hourly services and accommodate freight services on the Line.

Transport for Wales has also committed to improve:
• Information services for passengers
• The availability of ticket purchase options
• The management of Rail Replacement Bus Services, which they pledge to keep to a minimum, as they do not suit the line and the local road network.

“These commitments are a platform for restoring confidence in the ability of Transport for Wales to improve services in the future.”

Ashley Rogers, GT360 Business Representative, Chief Executive of the North Wales Mersey Dee Business Council, said: “Performance on the Borderlands Line measured by punctuality and cancellations significantly underperforms average performance for both Transport for Wales and the UK. The recognition that services have not been good enough enables close collaborative working between the Welsh Government, Transport for Wales and local stakeholders to improve services.
It is really encouraging to see that the Minister wishes to involve local stakeholders in monitoring progress on the line. Growth Track 360 has proposed performance measures and timescales for improvement and looks forward to working with the Minister to help deliver an improved Borderlands service for all passengers and our communities.”