THERE is fears that tourist attractions, hotels, restaurants, and other businesses in North Wales will suffer a loss of revenue as a result of the latest round of rail strikes.
This is the view of chief executive of North Wales Tourism Jim Jones who also worries the strikes are "tarnishing the reputation of train travel as a viable option for visiting destinations".
ASLEF, the drivers’ union, revealed strike action would be taking place across 16 train companies, including Avanti West Coast, on May 31 and June 3. Avanti West Coast will not be running any services on June 3.
A limited service will also run today (Friday, June 2) due to the RMT union strike. There will be no services to or from North Wales.
Mr Jones said: “As we navigate through unprecedented levels of harm on our tourism industry, the continuous strikes in train services have furthered the negative perception of our current rail infrastructure.
NEWSLETTER
“Visitors have voiced concerns about reliability, high costs, and unpleasant experiences, making it less appealing to take public transport and discouraging potential tourism revenue.
“The risk of missed or cancelled reservations, tours, or scheduled activities due to the train strike is a source of frustration and disappointment.
READ MORE:
- Here's what the weather is looking like in Wrexham and Flintshire this weekend
- Upset as popular public footpath is expected to remain closed throughout the summer
- Calls for urgent review into Transport for Wales following 'consistent failings'
“As a result, tourist attractions, hotels, restaurants, and other businesses in North Wales will suffer a loss of revenue.
“The effects of these strikes are not limited to a single industry, as they are simultaneously tarnishing the reputation of train travel as a viable option for visiting destinations, which in turn, may result in more people opting for cars as a means of transportation.”
Avanti's timetable and operating hours are reduced "significantly" today (June 2) and services that do run are expected to be busy. Passengers are advised to check before they travel.
Transport for Wales (TfW) is not involved in industrial action by members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers (RMT) and members of the train driver’s union ASLEF. Services are likely to be extremely busy as a result of the severely-reduced timetable put in place by other operators.
Breakdown Avanti West Coast's plan for strike days
Friday: One train per hour will run in each direction between London Euston and each of Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Preston, with a limited service to and from Glasgow.
There will be no services to or from North Wales, Shrewsbury, Blackpool, Stoke-on-Trent or Edinburgh, while Macclesfield station will be closed.
The first train of the day from Euston will depart at about 8am, and the last will leave shortly after 5pm.
Saturday: No trains.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here