Months of lobbying for better rail services for the locality, sees a new summer timetable commencing on Sunday, May 18 that will include a number of improvements to the train service to Tenby.

Following sustained pressure from the South Pembrokeshire Rail Action Group (SPRAG), Transport for Wales has decided to add two additional weekday services to and from Tenby.

The new services will depart from Carmarthen for Tenby at 09:56 and 13:55 and will call only at Whitland. The return services will depart Tenby for Carmarthen at 10:40 and 14:39 again only stopping at Whitland.

The services will connect at Carmarthen into long distance services. For example the 10:40 departure from Tenby will connect at Carmarthen with a Great Western service to London Paddington.

These new services are in addition to the existing trains that operate every two hours.

The summer timetable will also see the return of the two Saturday only through services between Pembroke Dock/Tenby and London Paddington. These will depart from Pembroke Dock at 10:02 and 15:02 and from Tenby at 10:38 and 1538.

One through service will operate from London Paddington to Tenby/Pembroke Dock departing Paddington at 08:48 and arriving at Tenby at 13:16.

Summer Sundays will also see an earlier train service to Tenby and Pembroke Dock enabling passengers from Swansea to spend a day in Tenby. An earlier service will also operate from Pembroke Dock and Tenby to Carmarthen.

Trains at Tenby Railway Station
Summer Sundays will also see an earlier train service to Tenby and Pembroke Dock enabling passengers from Swansea to spend a day in Tenby. An earlier service will also operate from Pembroke Dock and Tenby to Carmarthen. (Observer photo)

Passengers travelling on weekends are strongly advised to check the timetable before commencing their journey as some services may be subject to alteration due to major engineering work being undertaken by Network Rail.

Neil Westerman, Chair of the South Pembrokeshire Rail Action Group, said that the weekday timetable improvements have only come about following months of lobbying for improvements to the service.

“Our aim is to see an hourly service on the line between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock,” he remarked.

“SPRAG has also been instrumental in ensuring that the new trains being introduced by Transport for Wales operate on the Pembroke Dock line.

“Originally it was proposed to retain some of the 40 year old single carriage trains (class 153) to operate services.

“Our lobbying of politicians at the Senedd resulted in a rethink! Another aim of SPRAG was to see longer distance trains introduced to the Pembroke Dock line.

“In December last year we were please to see that services from Pembroke Dock and Tenby now run through to Cardiff,” he continued.

SPRAG has also been instrumental in setting up a Local Rail Partnership with Transport for Wales and will continue to press for further improvements to services including a full hourly service on the line.

Neil stated that progress has been very slow but the group are making a difference as illustrated.

If you are interested in helping with lobbying please contact SPRAG via Facebook; on X (formerly Twitter): @sprag.wales or by email to the following address: [email protected]