These photographs captured by a regular commuter illustrate the stark reality which faced travellers on a prime-time Shropshire train service.
But the doubling of the number of carriages on the daily Telford to Birmingham route means that train users are looking forward to a happier new year with lots more seats available for passengers.
Adrian Priest, a university lecturer, boarded the Arriva Trains Wales (ATW) service from Holyhead to Birmingham, via Shrewsbury and Telford, at Wellington at 8.35am.
- What’s your experience of Shrewsbury to Birmingham services? Enter your comments below
See our photo gallery below
He took the pictures before ATW increased the number of carriages from two to four.
Mr Priest, who had likened journeys on the service to those on the Asian sub continent, said the move appeared to have alleviated the congestion.
He had estimated up to 300 passengers were “jam-packed” into two carriages, posing a threat to the health and safety of users.
The Wolverhampton University lecturer wrote to ATW last year, cataloguing a string of complaints and asked Arriva bosses to experience the journey for themselves.
Mr Priest said since the return to work after the Christmas break, there were now seats available every day.
“I’ve only been back to work for a few days, but there is lots more room and it is far, far better,” he said.
“The photos were taken before I finished work for Christmas when there were only two carriages and highlighted the plight we had travelling to work. The extra carriages seem to have alleviated the problem and now there is plenty of seating.”
A new timetable means the service, which continues to Birmingham International now operates five minutes later, departing Wellington at 8.40am.
Vanessa Schotes, ATW head of marketing, said: “The new timetable introduced on December 15 provides an additional seats on busy services between Shrewsbury and Birmingham. We are delighted early feedback shows this making a difference to the comfort of our passengers.”
By Jo Cunningham
6 Comments
I use the trains in Shropshire a lot and only sometimes i’ve been unable to get a seat travelling to and from Shrewsbury. I find now if I get a train at Bham International it’s not busy now due to awareness, but soon I may still need to get on at New Street because of overcrowding on Virgin services when they already arrive at the airport. More funds need to be invested on the railways.
Report abuse
I’ve personally never used the train much. I found them unreliable and inconvenient. My daughter used to use the train to get from Telford to Shrewsbury but gave up and returned to driving to and from work as the trains were so unreliable and she got threatened with the sack from work due to lateness.
I no longer live in the UK. I live in the US.
I can always remember BR using an excuse for lateness of trains caused by leaves on the track. It happened again but not in the UK but here in the US. The “light Rail” in Baltimore had to use buses for a month on a section of the line as LEAVES on the track caused technical problems. Yes it’s not only on the UK that the dreaded autumn leaves cause rail problems. You have to laugh,
Report abuse
#Mr Priest, whom had likened journeys on the service to those on the Asian sub continent - only needs to go to London to see this type of travel experience - either on the Underground, the newly named Overground, or almost all rail services serving the main London termini during peak hours.
Even in Monacco - the richest EU country, I have often had to stand returning during peak times to Nice - a similer distance/travel time.
Report abuse
This is completely disgusting misleading journalism - the photos are from before the train carriages were increased - you’d never tell this from a quick glance at the article and photos. This kind of journalism can mislead readers and is bad for businesses who have been misrepresented - far better to have put in a nice positive article about the train company actually responding to demand and increasing its carriages than to report something long after the fact and after things havebeen remedied. Sensationalism and the Star should apologise and print a decent article that could have been delivered with this same info.
Report abuse
When I travelled on the trains in the early 90s, which was when they reduced the carriages to two, people complained.
Why has it taken 19 years for them to put more carriages on?
Report abuse
Since the fares rose in January I’ve had at least one morning train not come (not cancelled, just didn’t come) which meant a 20 minute additional wait on a freezing snowy Wellington station (no waiting room). I’ve also encountered a few delays and actual cancellations although the timekeeping is so far a touch better.
I did wonder where the normal back two coaches had gone from the train home from Shrewsbury Saturday night however (17.31 service from Aber/Pwllheli to Int’l). Usually 4 coaches down to 2 :S
The overcrowding on the morning trains from Shrews to Brum was completely unacceptable (I used to experience it regularly at that standard and worse on my way to University from Wellington to Brum). It’s reassuring to know they’ve taken note and done something to change it but you have to watch that those coaches then don’t disappear from other services. Had the Shrews/Chester football game not been cancelled Shrewsbury’s 17.31 would’ve been jampacked Saturday - people were already standing as it was, and whenever Shrewsbury play at home the station is understandably busier. (Especially when away fans need to get back home through Birmingham)
The main issue is that the hiked fares do not represent the service. There’ve been too many ‘cancellations due to missing staff’ on the London Midland services too, and the Arriva coaches are rarely clean inside or out, with toilets not properly functional and one one occasion bits of dead bird still left clinging to the carriage connectors.
There’s also the issue of the timing per hour - if there’s one from Shrewsbury at 31 and 47 past the hour, what are you meant to do if you get to the station at 50 minutes past? It should be 31 and 01 at least, to give people a fighting chance of catching a train once within a half hour. (Do London Midland and Arriva communicate on these things…?)
The trains in the midlands are definitely a strain still. Fixing overcrowding coaches is the very tip of the iceberg.
Report abuse