Avanti West Coast say they are working hard to provide people in Wrexham with a train service they deserve after calls for improvement. 

Following the news that Avanti West Coast (AWC) is to have its services on the West Coast Main Line, which includes North Wales, extended for six months, Wrexham’s MP, Sarah Atherton has called for improvements to the service.

In response to constituent’s dismay with AWC services, earlier this month Ms Atherton wrote to the train service to obtain assurances about the reliability, frequency and quality of train services to and from Wrexham.

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Following that Ms Atherton met with senior executives of AWC to express Wrexham residents’ concerns with their substandard service.

Sarah Atherton MP said: "Constituents continually contact me about Avanti’s poor services that are irregular, often only take cash payments for refreshments on board or have facilities out of use, are cancelled at late notice or severely delayed or stop halfway on the route so you have to get off at a different stop.

"All of these complaints from constituents I know to be true as I have experienced them myself.

"I have long campaigned for better transport links for Wrexham, something which is vitally important now that we are a city. We need more frequent and reliable services to ensure growth in Wrexham and I am hoping in the response to my letter to Avanti, they can recommit to a seven-day direct service between Wrexham and London Euston.

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"With this six-month extension to the contract, Avanti has a brilliant opportunity to focus on improving their services so that Wrexham constituents can rely on them, and I am very much hoping they do."

Wrexham currently has one direct train per day to and from London on weekdays, the same number as pre-covid. 

Avanti West Coast say that from mid-December there will be a significant step up in their timetable, including weekend services.

A spokesperson for Avanti West Coast said: “We know we’re not delivering the service our customers rightly expect and we apologise for the enormous frustration and inconvenience.

"Our customers and communities in North Wales and Wrexham deserve a dependable train service, so we’re currently working hard to rebuild our timetable in a resilient and sustainable way.”

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