Salt in an open wound
Speech to Rail Cymru 23 Conference at Holland House Hotel Cardiff, 20th April 2023 Thanks for the chance to make a contribution, it’s a good opportunity to share some honest reflections on all that is going on in rail and some of the stark challenges ahead. I hope you are not expecting a bland speech peppered with platitudes. What I hope to do is give an unvarnished view of where I think we are in the hope and expectation that being clear about what we need to do will help us all to make improvements. I hope you take it in the spirit it is intended, a collective challenge rather than a pointed criticism. Despite what you may have read I am a regular rail user, and have been all my working life. In fact last year I swapped my second car for a folding electric bike, and I’m now a regular on the train to Llanelli. I experience first hand the frustrations that rail passengers have become all too familiar with. I must confess, it’s a little awkward bringing up with my fellow passengers t