GWR accused of disrupting Wales-England train links

[whole diary]

[PrestburyRoad]

Could any one explain what exactly TfW^▸ (Transport for Wales) want,I was under the impression that TfW was already in control of its trains in Wales and routes.

Politicians often want two things: money and publicity.

[Bob_Blakey]

Picking next Monday (15/06/26) at random RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) indicates that there is a half-hourly service for most of the day from CDF^▸ (Cardiff Central station) to BRI^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads station (that is the formal station code - see also BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads station (strictly, it should be BRI) but BTM is a commonly used alternative))), or Bristol Royal Infirmary (hospital), depending on context) with alternate England-bound trains going to either PMH^▸ (Portsmouth Harbour station) or, predominantly, TAU^▸ (Taunton station) & EXD^▸ (Exeter St Davids station ).
The return Wales-bound trains all terminate at CDF.
All of these services are run by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)
So I think that Transport for Wales (TfW^▸ (Transport for Wales)) have a valid complaint about their customers in South Wales, west of Cardiff, being poorly served. Perhaps in the forthcoming brave new world of GBR^▸ (Great British Railways), when revenue abstraction should no longer be an issue, westerly extension of a few services, if justified by passenger loadings, might happen.   
 

[Noggin]

Could any one explain what exactly TfW^▸ (Transport for Wales) want,I was under the impression that TfW was already in control of its trains in Wales and routes.

TfW wants to extend their new Cardiff to Bristol TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context) stopping services (starting Sept 26) to begin at Milford Haven or Fishguard (by extending the route of existing TfW services). The rationale is so that passengers west of Cardiff don't have to change trains to get to Bristol TM.

At face value, they want to offer customers in west Wales new journey options. But the cynical might wonder whether it's an attempt to edge GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) out of West Wales and reduce the viability of Lumo's planned Carmarthen to London service.

[infoman]

Questions
Were their ever through services to London from Pembroke Dock or Milford haven in the last fifty years?

When did the West Wales(boat train) service cease between the port to Bristol Parkway which is now the 05:00 am ish service to London.

I still have the London to Fishguard journey video from 2002.

[grahame]

There still are summer Saturday trains from Pembroke Dock to London Paddington - today's at 10:02 and 15:02

https://www.railwaymagazine.co.uk/25448/from-the-archive-the-fishguard-boat-express/ is an interesting potted history of the Fishguard train but does not give an exact date it last ran.  From https://historseye.wordpress.com/2017/03/26/britains-last-boat-trains/:

Fishguard was famously served by Great Western HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) from London Paddington until 2003

From the Western Telegraph:

Welsh Labour has pledged to deliver a direct rail connection between Milford Haven and London as part of its wider plan to improve public transport and  boost regional connectivity.

There were a number of Wales and West services into London Waterloo to support Eurostar when it ran from there from places such as Manchester and Maesteg - and I have vague memories that there might have been one from Milford Haven?  Otherwise it was a long time ago

[TaplowGreen]

There still are summer Saturday trains from Pembroke Dock to London Paddington - today's at 10:02 and 15:02

https://www.railwaymagazine.co.uk/25448/from-the-archive-the-fishguard-boat-express/ is an interesting potted history of the Fishguard train but does not give an exact date it last ran.  From https://historseye.wordpress.com/2017/03/26/britains-last-boat-trains/:

Fishguard was famously served by Great Western HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) from London Paddington until 2003

From the Western Telegraph:

Welsh Labour has pledged to deliver a direct rail connection between Milford Haven and London as part of its wider plan to improve public transport and  boost regional connectivity.

There were a number of Wales and West services into London Waterloo to support Eurostar when it ran from there from places such as Manchester and Maesteg - and I have vague memories that there might have been one from Milford Haven?  Otherwise it was a long time ago

Ironically.......

08:48 London Paddington to Pembroke Dock due 13:50
08:48 London Paddington to Pembroke Dock due 13:50 was terminated at Swansea.
It will no longer call at Llanelli, Pembrey & Burry Port, Carmarthen, Whitland, Saundersfoot, Tenby, Manorbier, Pembroke and Pembroke Dock.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

15:02 Pembroke Dock to London Paddington due 20:13
15:02 Pembroke Dock to London Paddington due 20:13 will be started from Swansea.
It will no longer call at Pembroke Dock, Pembroke, Lamphey, Manorbier, Penally, Tenby, Saundersfoot, Kilgetty, Narberth, Whitland, Carmarthen, Pembrey & Burry Port and Llanelli.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[Hafren]

The overnight Cardiff-Waterloo train (which went via Reading and Olympia, unlike the day ones via Salisbury) started back at Pembroke Dock – I suspect as much because the diagrams worked out that way than through intentional end-to-end planning. I think one of hte daytime Waterloos might have been from Milford. They ended in the early 2000s. The Waterloo one's closure meant a curve near Clapham Junction lost its service, so there was a pointless replacement bus for a while...

I think I saw in a historic timetable that the weekday Carmarthen-Paddington train, for a long time daily but very recently becoming more frequent,  ran to/from Milford in the (very) early 90s.