Arriva Trains Wales Reviews 

Since this company has taken over I have been late for work a ridiculous amount of times because of late trains, and despite their website stating that trains later than 15 minutes will mean you get a reduced rate not a single ticked person will do anything for you. Also the amount of cancelled trains seems to have multiplied significantly since they came along. Utterly useless. **UPDATE** train turned up half an hour late and now the operator is standing outside his cabin playing on his phone. I'm getting fed up with these people. I'm now late for work AGAIN and they just stand there with a big grin on their face.

Had a day out to Chepstow races on the 12th of July 19. A few issues at Cardiff central train station they were only taking cash payments on this day. No idea why even the self ticketing machines were cash only.

So I went to use the cash machine directly outside the station. There are 2 machines available one was out of service. So waited in the queue for the only working one. Soon as I got to the front of the queue the cash machine displayed out of service.

So I explained this to the train guard who said ok pay on the train. Got on the train checked the prices of open return via trainline. They were quoting £10.80 each way. So £21.60 open return.

When it came to the train conductor asking for tickets I thought I'll just check how much he says the cost of the tickets are. He checked his point of sale machine £11.90 open return. So wallop good job I waited saved £10.

The train was clean had a point where I could charge my tablet so outward journey no issues.

The return journey all good except no charging in point in any of the carriages that I was permitted to be seated. Dont know whether there were points in 1st class didn't check but for Pete's sake 2019 no charging points near any of the seats. Not good enough.

This company is heading for bankruptcy! First, their website is very difficult to use. When you finally get to the point of purchase, you can't get your ticket, you have to go to a station, but many rural stations have no ticket machines or offices! Brilliant!
Another nasty scam is the ticket macines which will sell you a first class ticket for a train that has no first class seating!
If you are busy, travel by car. If you are not in a hurry, walk, Both options are better than Transport for Wales.

Awful - lost my case on the train and haven't heard anything back for over two weeks. No email response, phone team know nothing - all info i've been given is contradictory.

yesterday my partner and myself traveled from port talbot to cardiff central (its was the 2.41pm connection). there were two carriages, we were going to wait for the next one with FGW. only wish we had, the driver of this train must have thought he was on a racing track, at some points it felt we were coming off the track.....ive done my fair bit of traveling over the years and never have i ever come across such utter stupidity. i will never travel with this company again, even if they are the last train home, ill sleep on the bench 1st!

Horrible trains, but they have free WiFi?!?!? I have traveled in India on better trains than these, cold noisy trains.

The trains are over crowded to the point where you need to stand for most journeys, the conductors have a serious attitude problem, stupidly overpriced for a terrible service and lately each platform is swarmed with revuenue protection officers who have no issue treating you like dirt for the smallest of reasons.

Trains always either late or stupidly early, almost late to work everyday because of un coordinated times. My train arrives at 7:41 but always comes around 7:37-7:39 I know it’s not a huge difference but if you make it there on time you may have missed it causing me to be late to work.

So happy they've lost there contract in North Wales, train's are old and dirty, cost an absolute fortune and there policies on lost luggage and items are criminal. Constant delays with no explanation and always to small for the amount of people who use them.

Travelled from Wolverhampton to Telford last Sunday 25th November. Appalling service 1 yes (one) carriage. Stuffed in like sardines in a can. When are they going to provide the service we the public are paying for! If there was a lower rating I.e. abysmal I would give them that.

Terrible service

The worst train service I have ever seen, they even have better rail services in Europe... their trains are so old they just keep "refurbishing" them by painting over the outside... they're robbing people blind... it's nearly 3 quid every 1 stop which is like a 2 mile journey. Their trains stink of faeces/urine and vomit sometimes.. as soon as I use their services I feel like I'm stepping into a different dimension, it doesn't feel like I'm in the U.K anymore.

Their staff are ok, but I have been hearing and seeing so many people being stopped by so called revenue protection officers to pilfer as much money as possible from people before it's gone.. who's regulating these cowboys???

Everything about them is a travesty. Old and filthy rolling stock, loos not working, trains crowded to lethal levels, running the minimum possible service and either running late or not at all, as the driver is miles away as a result of previous late runnng. Their official excuse from the PR department before the franchise renewal was 'there are no easy or quick answers' which is total b.s. If they cared they would have had more rolling stock, drivers and maintenance - but hey, that would affect profits, wouldn't it? Last night I heard an obsequios announcement while waiting at Hereford for a (yes, you've guessed it) late running train announcing how proud they have been to provide a 'service' for the last 15 years. If that's real, then they're showing total contempt for all of their 'customers'. Yeah right Arriva, you can sod off as well. You won't be missed.

Absolutely awful. cancelled very often, rarely get a seat and usually dirty, noisy uncomfortable. Moved houses because I could still commute via a single train journey, now considering leaving my job because the last month of getting to work by Arriva trains has been absolutely appalling. Above all, no refund for season holders no matter how long the delay is and the tickets cost a lot too compared to other train providers.

Fortunately it is very rare I use public transport as I drive everywhere. The rare occasions I use the train they are dirty and late ( sometimes cancelled). No wonder Arriva didn’t bid for the new contract. They only got 1 star as I could not give them a zero rating.

If I could give these characters no stars I would.
On booking there was no option to have the tickets posted to me unless they could be signed for with next day delivery. As I was away from home that wasn't an option so I had to use the ticket machine at Caersws to collect them. That was out of order. So I drove to Newtown and there was no ticket machine there and as it was Saturday the station ticket office had closed at 1230.
Anyway... The trains are always late, overcrowded and dirty. I had reserved seats on a recent journey and all my seats had been double reserved.
I am so thoroughly sick of having to travel on Arriva Trains Wales. I shall use the car in the future.

Awful experience today on the train from Swansea to Manchester.

Packed full. No seat reservations available. You can’t use card to buy stuff from the trolley. Crap WiFi and no plugs to charge laptops etc

Miles behind competitors in terms of service and provision.

2 carriages short to Birmingham therefore no seats and very crowded conditions and still cramping people onto train. Quick enough to take your money and pay full price for these disgusting conditions. I will not be using these trains again. This is a health and safety risk!

Late over loaded trains.
Abismal planning and management, they always use the oldest and smallest trains for rush hour services, then larger trains once peek has passed!?!?!?

Sadly even though they are loosing the franchise but the same management will be running it so I highly doubt it will improve.

The app isn’t optimised for the iPhone X and doesn’t work despite marketing materials showing one.....