There are a lot of people living in the south Wales valleys who work in Cardiff. Many don’t have a choice - it’s just where the jobs are. And that means a daily commute back and forth to the capital.
The quality of that commute can have a big impact. If it’s a stress-free, enjoyable experience, you arrive in work on time and all set for the day ahead. And if it’s not? Well X-Ray has been hearing stories of some terrible train journeys, that have been causing big problems for some of our viewers.
If you look at the official figures, Arriva Trains Wales is doing a great job. But enger satisfaction with punctuality and reliability is falling. And the main problem – you just can’t get a seat.
So for the programme we asked regular travellers to record their experiences of their daily commute. We’ve heard stories of rush hour trains crammed tight with people, with sometimes not enough room for people even to get on.
Lots of the people X-Ray talked to said they are just fed-up with being forced to endure what they feel is a sub-standard service.
So what are Arriva Trains Wales doing about it? Well their Customer Services Director Lynne Milligan agreed to an interview with X-Ray. I couldn’t wait to ask her why it was just so hard to get a seat on a train? Surely that’s not much for regular rail s to expect? Couldn’t they just put on an extra carriage at busy times?
I wasn’t expecting her answer. Lynne told me there are no more carriages across the network available, so they simply can’t increase capacity. So, it’s just tough luck for travellers? Pretty much. And what about delays and cancellations? Well Lynne seemed pretty happy with their record.
So if you’re a regular commuter, it looks like this is how it’s going to be until at more carriages become available – around 2017 according to Ms Milligan. If you’re stuck on a packed train that’s going to seem like a long, long time ahead.
If you need X-Ray’s help, get in touch on 0370 3334334 or email xray@bbc.co.uk. This week's programme is on BBC One Wales, Friday 20 March at 7.30pm or catch us on iplayer, and you can tweet us via @BBCXray or @lucyowenwales.
