Welsh Assembly Government awards franchise for Wrexham-Bidston Borderlands line to KeolisAmey Wales

Welsh Assembly Government awards franchise for Wrexham-Bidston Borderlands line to KeolisAmey Wales

Welsh Assembly Government awards franchise for Wrexham-Bidston Borderlands line to KeolisAmey Wales

                                                  

Bidston Train Station (Borderlands Line) 13th August 2016 (John Brace)
Bidston Train Station (Borderlands Line) 13th August 2016 (John Brace)

The Welsh Assembly Government has awarded the Wales and Border franchise (which includes the Bidston to Wrexham Borderlands line) to KeolisAmey Wales.

KeolisAmey Wales will take over from the current franchise holder Arriva Trains Wales on the 14th October 2018. From December 2018 an extra two trains will run on Sunday morning and two extra trains will run on Sunday afternoon between Bidston and Wrexham.
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Merseytravel councillors agree to push for ½ hourly service on Bidston Wrexham “Borderlands” line

Merseytravel councillors agree to push for ½ hourly service on Bidston Wrexham “Borderlands” line

Merseytravel councillors agree to push for ½ hourly service on Bidston Wrexham “Borderlands” line

                                     

Bidston Train Station (Borderlands Line) 13th August 2016 (John Brace)
Bidston Train Station (Borderlands Line) 13th August 2016 (John Brace) Photo taken by Leonora Brace

A public meeting of councillors on the Merseytravel Committee (part of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority) last month considered a report on enhancing services on the Borderlands Line between Bidston and Wrexham, as well as an Executive Summary of the Borderlands Line Service Enhancements Economic Appraisal Report.

Three councillors from the Wirral (Cllr Steve Foulkes, Cllr Jerry Williams and Cllr Les Rowlands) each spoke on the item, which you can watch starting at the 24 minutes 20 second point in the video below.

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Merseytravel Committee (Liverpool City Region Combined Authority) 28th July 2016 Part 2 of 2 (Enhancing Services on the ‘Borderlands’ Rail Line starts at 24:20)

The Merseytravel Committee agreed to work with the Welsh Assembly Government to push for a twice hourly service, to set up a joint steering group with the Welsh Assembly Government and to develop a realistic project plan to:

a) improve the line,
b) introduce a bus-rail interchange in the Hawarden Bridge area,
c) enhance intermediate stations (such as Heswall and Upton) to make them more convenient, attractive and accessible and
d) to look into a potential new station at Woodchurch.

Future reports on progress are expected to be made to the councillors on the Merseytravel Committee.

Attending the public meeting was the Chairman of the Wrexham Bidston Rail Users Association John Allcock. When asked for a quote for WBRUA’s views on the decision by the Merseytravel Committee he wrote, “The WBRUA welcomes the Merseytravel Committee’s decision to support the enhancement of the Borderlands Line. This railway has been a Cinderella line for many years but has the potential to be a significant part of the transport network in our area and benefit the communities and businesses it connects.”

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