A FEW months back our local paper carried an article regarding the area manager from Arriva Trains Wales visiting Lydney.

She was reported as saying how much she valued the customers from the town and surrounding area and how she was listening to the comments about the train service especially those concerning the connections for commuters to Bristol via Severn Tunnel Junction.

Well a measure of how much we are valued has been shown. 

We were met with a notice telling us that between Tuesday and Friday this week the 06.09 from Lydney to Severn Tunnel will start from Chepstow.

It advises that customers catch the later CrossCountry service some half an hour later as Arriva will not be supplying a replacement bus service to join the train at Chepstow.

Does it not occur to Arriva that not all of us can afford to be late to work and not all of us can actually get to Chepstow for just after 06.15.

There is a reason why we catch the 06.09 which gives us a connection at 06.53 at Severn Tunnel after about 23 minutes.

We regularly put up with dirty trains sometimes smelling like a urinal and looking like they have not been cleaned for a month. 

Most seem to be around 40 years old as well. The journey is made bearable due to the regular train managers who some how seem to be able to retain a sense of humour at that hour of the morning.

I appreciate that there are sometimes only two or three of us catching the 06.09 but at times there can be seven or eight of us plus a couple of passengers from either Gloucester or Cheltenham going to South Wales and we have supported Arriva without too much complaint over the years – approximately 11 in my case.

Surely then Arriva could at least supply a minibus rather than simply telling us to basically sort it out ourselves?

Arriva will no doubt be getting some sort of rebate from Network Rail plus the savings on fuel with not having to drive the train all the way to Cheltenham and back.

Surely with this saving they can afford the costs of a minibus?

We the fare-paying passengers will be forced to finding transport to Chepstow, buying a single ticket from Chepstow to Bristol (or wherever) then another single ticket to get home to Lydney or maybe just a return from Lydney and lose part of it.

Whichever option, we end up paying a premium for the service that we are not getting and that Arriva contracted to supply when they bid for the franchise.

I have investigated the web to check times and options and find that I could actually buy a ticket for the 06.09 for this week with nothing to tell me that I will not be able to catch it! Great communication skills as well then.

I also heard that train fares are going up in the new year again and will likely be above inflation again.

I have made this letter open in the hope that the people of Lydney and area realise that they are not valued at all by Arriva Trains Wales.

Also in the hope that both they and at least one of our local councillors will raise objections when this franchise comes up again.

Who knows we may even end up with a decent company running our rail service.

– John Nicholls, Lydney.