“THIS OPENING ARISES FROM BLIND PANIC”
William Graham AM describes
EBBW VALE – CARDIFF RAIL LINK OPENING
A media release by William Graham AM on 4th February 2008
William Graham (Conservative AM for South Wales East) condemns the announcement of the opening on the Ebbw Vale – Cardiff rail link as an action of total panic:
“Ieuan Wyn Jones (Assembly Deputy First Minister and Minister for the Economy and Transport) announced the opening of this rail link in an email to Assembly Members at 12:50 today (Monday 4 February) just 41 Hours and 50 minutes before the first train is scheduled to depart Ebbw Vale station on Wednesday morning”.
“How are passengers going to be made aware of the availability of this service at such short notice? Prudent people who commute to Cardiff will have already purchased season or weekly tickets for their journey to work”.
“Over 2 hours after the Ministers announcement the National Rail Enquiries website indicates ‘we are sorry, we are not able to find any trains that match your journey details’ when you request information of a return journey from Ebbw Vale to Cardiff on Thursday 7 February”.
“The ‘station facilities link’ says ‘the opening of the route between Cardiff Central and Ebbw Vale has been delayed until at least 26 January 2008’. Every option to get information from Rail Enquiries leads you to the opening has been delayed or no services match your journey details”.
“I would welcome a planned opening for this service, allowing people time to plan their journey options, backed-up by travel discounts (as happened when Cwmbran station re-opened). This opening appears to have arisen from blind panic, with no thought or planning on how to attract passengers”.
“I hope the Minister will be able to confirm a time for the link to Newport”.
William Graham JP, AM
CHIEF WHIP, PARTY CHAIRMAN AND EUROPEAN SPOKESMAN
Email – William.Graham@Wales.gov.uk