Clwyd West MS Darren Millar has expressed his disappointment and concern that Transport for Wales (TfW) has ditched plans to introduce more trains to Manchester Airport from North Wales later this year.

As part of a shake-up of train timetables, the company has announced today that some of their committed timetable additions will no longer be taking place in December 2023 as planned, including introducing a service to link Bangor to Manchester Airport.

Commenting on the news, Darren said:

“I have been advocating improved rail links to Manchester Airport for a number of years and was delighted when TfW first announced that they would be introducing more services from North Wales later this year. I am therefore extremely disappointed by today’s announcement.

“Improvements to routes between North Wales and airports in both Manchester and Liverpool are critical in connecting businesses and individuals to markets and job opportunities, as well as making international travel easier for people living in North Wales.

“Rail travellers in North Wales were looking forward to these improved links and will be as disappointed as me at the changes.

“TfW say they are “absolutely committed to improving performance and providing enhanced rail services which meet the needs of the customers and communities we serve”, I don’t think people in North Wales will see it that way!

“How will we ever get people off the roads if we don’t provide a reliable and frequent alternative?”