Yahoo News 'Watching Avanti like a hawk' says UK Government minister with warning if it misses targets
Avanti West Coast is being watched “like a hawk” says the UK Government to ensure services improve. Secretary of State for Transport Louise Haigh told Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville Roberts, Avanti may be stripped of its franchise sooner than expected if services along the North Wales coast don’t get better.
The company has been under fire for scaling back services, delays and cancellations - with the North Wales to London route particularly badly impacted. Despite this the last Conservative government signed off an extension to Avanti’s contract to 2026, and potentially 2029, after some improvements in their performance.
Raising Avanti’s performance in the House of Commons, Liz Saville Roberts called on the Secretary of State for Transport to address consistent cancellations which was "punishing commuters and the local economy in North Wales".
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She said: “Earlier this year, Avanti West Coast services on the North Wales main line had on-the-day cancellations of more than 20%. Its timetable is yet to return to pre-covid standards, and there were no direct connections with London on Saturday. Given that the Avanti West Coast contract runs to 2026, what is the Secretary of State doing to ensure a reliable mainline service for the people of north Wales?”
Minister Louise Haigh said: “My views on Avanti’s performance are well known, I think. The right hon. Lady is absolutely right that it has not been acceptable. Shockingly, the way that national rail contracts were written under the previous Government means that Avanti has not defaulted.
“It is on a remedial plan to drive improvements, and we have seen a small increase in punctuality, but it still has a long way to go. We are watching over Avanti like a hawk to make sure that if it does default, it can be immediately brought into public ownership.”
Ms Saville Roberts MP added: “Rail-users in North Wales remain greatly inconvenienced by the continued cancellation of rail services between North Wales and London, with perennial delays to journeys compounding the situation. The North Wales Main Line is an economically important route, serving to connect the port of Holyhead with the rest of the UK rail network. It also serves Bangor University, conveying students from across the UK to study in north west Wales. It is a disgrace that this route is being run to the ground by an inept operator. People deserve certainty and confidence that their train will run on time or at the very least turn up.
“Without a reliable timetable and the ability to book tickets with confidence - it is very difficult for people to plan.”
