 The watchdog is concerned about cuts in a Virgin service |
Rail passengers in Wales have been warned that they will continue to receive a second-class train service. Further cuts are likely which will only worsen the current situation of unreliability, ageing carriages and increasing numbers of complaints.
The Welsh rail passenger watchdog blames the problems on red tape and bureaucracy, which has meant users are waiting for overdue improvements.
But the Welsh Assembly Government has defended its record on rail services.
A spokesman said that, although the latest data showed First Great Western had been performing more poorly, First North Western and Wales and Borders had become more reliable.
"Customer satisfaction with punctuality, reliability and the quality of the journey on each of these operator's services has also improved over the past year," he said.
Concerns about the service were raised in the annual report of the Rail Passengers' Committee for Wales.
 |  Passengers will walk away from a railway which is not meeting their needs  |
The report said delays in awarding the Wales and Borders rail franchise, and the financial crisis within the Strategic Rail Authority led to a service that was "inconsistent, with all too infrequent signs of improvement."
It also listed bureaucratic structures, government indifference, and potential for further cuts to services in the future.
These, it said, would create a situation where "passengers will walk away from a railway which is not meeting their needs."
Committee chair Paul Harley said that, overall "Wales continues to receive a second class passenger rail service, especially in rural areas where there is little incentive to leave the car at home and use the train."
Mr Harley said it was not all bad news, and there had been support for public transport from organisations such as the Welsh Assembly Government.
 There is little to encourage train use in rural areas, says the report |
"There have been some significant mileposts, including improvements to stations both within Wales and on routes serving Wales," said Mr Harley. But he warned that much still needed to be done.
The committee's concerns also included:
In north Wales, the continued absence of a greater frequency Virgin service between the increasingly busy port of Holyhead and London Euston. Access issues across north Wales for elderly and disabled people and those with young children in pushchairs. Reliability of First North Western's Class 175. The train is described in the report as "fine when it runs." In south Wales Virgin Cross Country reduced its service from seven trains daily to two (and from autumn 2003, one) after eight months operation. But the committee welcomed the introduction by Wales and Borders trains of new bilingual customer information systems at some main south Wales stations.
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