BEIRNIADAETH DAVID JONES AR WASANAETHAU TRENAU ARRIVA YNG NGOGLEDD CYMRU
Mae David Jones, Aelod Seneddol Gorllewin Clwyd, wedi rhoi beirniadaeth gref am wasanaethau trenau Arriva yng Ngogledd Cymru. Rhoddodd ei farn ar y mater yn ystod dadl flynyddol Dydd Gwyl Dewi ym mhrif siambr Ty’r Cyffredin, gan ddweud fod safonau cysurdeb y cwmni yn ‘warthus o isel’.
Yn ystod y ddadl, mi ddywedodd Mr Jones ei fod yn medru teithio o Ogledd Cymru i Lundain ar drenau Virgin yn gynt o lawer nac y gall deithio i Gaerdydd gyda Arriva, a fod Arriva hefyd yn cynnig gwasanaeth sy’n gyffredinol waeth.
Mi siaradodd hefyd am bwysigrwydd cydnabod y berthynas economaidd agos sy’n bodoli rhwng Gogledd Cymru a Gogledd Orllewin Lloegr, a mi bwysleisiodd, unwaith eto, yr angen i drydaneiddio rheilffordd arfordirol Gogledd Cymru.
Mae nifer fawr o bobl wedi lleisio beirniadaeth ar safonau gwasanaethau trenau Arriva yn ddiweddar, yn dilyn cyhoeddiad adroddiad gan Which? a ddatganodd for 32% o gymudwyr wedi profi oediadau ar eu taith ddiweddaraf, a fod Arriva ymysg y cwmniau tren gwaethaf, o ran oedi.
Yn hwyrach, mi sylwadodd David Jones:
“Mae gwasanaethau tren effeithlon yn hanfodol i ddatblygiad economaidd Gogledd Cymru. Mae gwasanaeth Virgin i Lundain wedi gwella’n fawr dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf, ond mae Arriva yn parhau i ddarparu trenau araf ac anghyffyrddus, heb socedi trydan, gwasanaeth ‘wi-fi’ neu gyfleusterau ymborthi derbyniol, ac yn aml yn defnyddio trenau hen ac anarferedig.”
Isod, gellir gweld trawsgrifiad swyddogol o ran o’r araith a draddodwyd gan Mr Jones yn ystod y ddadl.
Detholiad o gofnod Hansard
3 March 2016: Column 1171
Mr Jones: I do have concerns about the franchise, but now that the hon. Lady has raised the subject, I am bound to say that the citizens of north Wales would not express much satisfaction with the franchise that has been put in place by the Welsh Assembly Government. Arriva Trains provide a very poor service. It is actually much quicker for me, as a north Wales MP, to travel to London by Virgin Trains than to Cardiff by Arriva. Certainly, issues of topography are partly responsible for that, but they do not explain the appallingly low standards of comfort that one experiences on Arriva. I would certainly hope, therefore, that all aspects of the franchise will be looked at, not least the adequacy of the service that is provided at the moment.
The north Wales coastal line needs to be upgraded. We must not miss out on the opportunity to tap into the new service that will be provided as a consequence of the advent of HS2. It looks very much as if a new hub will be provided at Crewe, and it is essential for the travelling public of north Wales that proper, electrified services connect the whole north Wales coast, from Holyhead, all the way to Crewe.
In that connection, valuable work is being done by the North Wales Economic Ambition Board, and the new all-party group can play a role in that. It is hoped that there will shortly be a meeting that will be attended by the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my hon. Friend the Member for Stockton South (James Wharton), who is the northern powerhouse Minister. I was very pleased to see the Minister at a meeting organised by the board in Llandudno a few months ago. It is essential that the Government do not take their eye off the ball, because electrification of the north Wales line is fundamentally important to the economy of north Wales and to its connectivity with the northern powerhouse.
Similarly, consideration should be given to the Borderlands railway line that runs between Wrexham and Bidston, connecting the two enterprise zones at Wirral Waters and Deeside. Electrification of that stretch of line, particularly between Bidston and Shotton, would provide a relatively inexpensive, but highly desirable, piece of infrastructure. It would put Deeside industrial estate within commuting distance of the centre of Liverpool, again improving connectivity.
