The UK Department for Transport and Arriva Train Wales have agreed to a £1.2m deal to provide extra rail services between England and Wales.
As part of the deal, an additional 2,450 seats will be provided for rail passengers commuting in England and Wales during morning and evening peaks every week from December. The deal comes after Deutsche Bahn’s acquisition of Arriva.
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UK Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "This is good news for passengers travelling between England and Wales. I know how popular these services are, so it is important to get extra carriages and seats on the network."
The deal has received support from the Welsh Government and involves operating an additional locomotive, as well as four carriages, on routes between Llandudno and Holyhead to Manchester and Birmingham.
Welsh Transport Minister Edwina Hart said: "This announcement builds on the Welsh Government’s investment in locomotives that are currently used on the north-south express service."
Arriva Trains Wales managing director Ian Bullock said: "Improved service performance levels and the increased popularity of sustainable transport has led to more than 75% growth in passenger numbers using our Manchester and Birmingham services since our Wales and borders franchise began in late 2003.
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By GlobalData"This extra capacity will help us better meet the demand along these key routes and hopefully encourage even more passengers to use the rail network."
Image: UK DfT and Arriva agree to offer extra rail services between England and Wales. Photo: courtesy of UK Department for Transport.
