SARPA want to improve Cambrian line services for passengers

The bizarre rail fare anomaly will be one of the many issues discussed by a rail user group when it meets Welsh Secretary Peter Hain in London.

The dearth of early-morning trains travelling into mid Wales will also be discussed by Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth Rail Passenger Association (SARPA) when they meet Mr Hain on 2 July.

Chairman Gareth Marston said the100 or more members of the association were concerned about a number of issues, many of which were a result of the privatisation of British Rail in the 1990s.

A cheap day return ticket from Newtown to Tywyn is half the price of a cheap day return ticket from Tywyn to Newtown Gareth Marston, SARPA chairman

"The fragmentation of British Rail into a number of private companies has led to contractors and sub-contractors looking to make a profit from each other," said Mr Marston.

One example of this according to Mr Marston is the long running saga of a broken light at Welshpool station.

Ladder

The platform belongs to Wales and Borders Trains and the footbridge belongs to Powys Council.

"No authority will admit responsibility for the lights on the footbridge which has meant a light has been non-functioning for three years," said Mr Marston.

Another issue is the possible errors in the range of summer fares on the Cambrian line which is being followed up by the Rail Passengers Committee for Wales.

The group will ask Peter Hain to back the mid Wales rail service

"A cheap day return ticket from Newtown to Tywyn is half the price of a cheap day return ticket from Tywyn to Newtown," said Mr Marston.

Another complaint of passengers using the line is that the first train travelling through Newtown from Shrewsbury does not reach Aberystwyth until 1120 BST each day.

"People living further away than Machynlleth have no option but to drive to Aberystwyth to work," said Mr Marston.

"This is also true of people travelling from Welshpool to Newtown because the first train to reach Newtown in the morning doesn't get there until 1015 BST," he added.

SARPA believes that regional governments should control the rail network in their area, which is the case for Germany, France and Spain.

"At the moment, Andrew Davies, the Welsh assembly minister for transport can't tell the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) what to do," said Mr Marston.

Two years ago the Welsh Assembly earmarked �2.5m towards building a loop system on the Cambrian railway line which would enable an hourly train service to run between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury.

"Because the assembly couldn't force the SRA to carry out the work it has been more or less sidelined for the foreseeable future," added Mr Marston.

"We will tell Mr Hain that if public money is provided to support the rail network then we need one that is of use to people."

A Wales and Borders Trains spokesperson said: "We inherited a number of anomalies in the fares system on the Cambrian line, including the Newtown to Tywyn fare.

"This is currently being rectified and the whole fare structure on the line is currently under review."

On the lights at the Welshpool station, the spokesperson said that passenger safety and convenience was paramount and the situation was not acceptable.

"We understand that Network Rail are confident of a solution in the near future," she added.