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On Transport for Wales’ website, it states: “‘Rail replacement bus’ is often the last phrase we want to hear when we’re planning on travelling by train,” and it seems many passengers would agree. 

Buses that are so small passengers have to stand, cancellations, missed connections, delays, detours and a replacement minibus – these are what passengers have to deal with when it comes to some rail replacement services. 

Passengers across Caerphilly County Borough are reporting problems with rail replacement buses – only made worse by the fact that construction work on the South Wales metro is causing disruption on the Rhymney to Cardiff line for the whole of 2023. 

A Senghenydd man told Caerphilly Observer about a recent journey on July 16 which caused him to miss his onward connection while other passengers failed to travel completely after a train was replaced not by a bus – but by an 18-seater minibus.

Adam Little, 36, chose the 8.10pm Cardiff to Rhymney train service in order to return to Caerphilly to catch the “sporadic” services home to Senghenydd. 

Instead, the situation involved a late minibus which left around 25 minutes late and left some passengers, who were unable to fit on board, stranded at the station. 

The onward journey included a “random” stop near the Heath – not the station – which caused one passenger to just get off and others to laugh “in disbelief”.

Arriving late into Caerphilly and missing his 9pm connection, Mr Little had to wait until 10.20pm for an onward bus as a taxi was “not in any way affordable for me”.

‘Ludicrous’

Mr Little said that he has experienced other replacement services which were poor. 

He described one service where the bus was small and overcrowded leaving “multiple people standing on a cramped bus for an hour” and another where a large coach got lost en route. 

Mr Little branded Transport for Wales’ overall planning to rail replacement services ‘ludicrous’ – adding that services during the week seemed to run better than those at the weekend. 

He said: “The lack of consideration for passengers who need to make onward journeys is breathtakingly absent, and just the overall lack of basic communication or awareness of what was actually going on was actually anxiety-provoking for many of us passengers who just want to get home before going into work on Monday morning (or, in my case, undertaking Industrial action). 

“I appreciate that TfW needs to undertake this modernisation, but cancelling trains for the entire weekend, during one of the busiest times of the year, is almost perversely cruel. 

“I think, overall, a company like TfW – which obviously has the full weight of backing from its state-owners – should be using its levers of power far more robustly to provide a far more professional rail replacement service that is planned in a way that isn’t completely disruptive to people’s weekends.”

A spokesperson for TfW said: “We’re working hard to provide a robust rail replacement service with sufficient capacity while essential rail infrastructure upgrades take place to deliver the South Wales Metro.

“Smaller vehicles are only used when a bigger vehicle is not suitable for the route, or in extreme circumstances when bus resource availability is limited.

“We understand this can be frustrating for passengers and would like to apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

“The South Wales Metro is a once-in-a-generation project which will transform public transport and we’d like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding while this vital work is being carried out.”

Caerphilly Senedd Member Hefin David said: “I’ve raised this with Transport for Wales and continue to liaise with them on the specific problems brought to my attention by residents. If residents continue to have issues they can get in touch with me on hefin.david@senedd.wales.”