Connecting you to what's important
 
  • Passenger Panel Arriva Trains Wales

    We run two consumer forums to represent the demographic of customers that use our network.

     

    Christopher Boulter

    Routes represented: Cambrian coast and North Wales

    Get in touch at:

    Christopher, a retired lawyer, a railway and classic vehicle enthusiast living in Snowdonia, comes from an old railway family. He understands transport operations as a lifelong professional passenger, a  volunteer guard on two preserved Welsh railways and as owner and driver of his own Routemaster double decker bus. A former chairman of a registered charity for the disabled, Christopher provides a balanced view of the needs of and cost to railway passengers, the resources available and the necessary profit to management. Christopher believes there is a need for greater scrutiny, best value and exceeding passenger expectations. 

     

    Passenger Panel - Chris

    Gareth Peate


    Route represented: Chester to Shrewsbury via Gobowen

    Get in touch at:

    Gareth has been a regular Arriva Trains Wales customer for many years, making the daily commute by rail between home in Gobowen to his place of work in Telford for almost eighteen years. Away from work, Gareth remains passionate and enthusiast for good quality rail services both in the local area and across the country, regularly travelling to meet with friends and explore new places. More recently, Gareth has left Shropshire to pursue a new career in York, though ties to family and friends in the area mean he still makes regular journeys back to Shropshire and across the Arriva Trains Wales network.


      Passenger Panel - Gareth
     

    Jaymie Thomas

    Routes represented: Cardiff to Manchester

    Get in touch at:

    Jaymie lives in Cwmbran and is a daily commuter using Arriva services between Cwmbran and Cardiff, including the Cardiff Valley lines for hobbies and personal interest and has considerable experience of using the network. As someone who delivers and expects excellent customer support, Jaymie enjoys analysing every customer experience he encounters or observes, applying critical thinking and assessment skills on every journey in the pursuit of better customer service. A problem-solver by profession, Jaymie’s aim is to provide feedback, approach challenges creatively and devise effective tactical solutions to deliver Arriva’s goals.


    Passenger Panel - Jaymie
    1
     

    Neil Evans


    Routes represented: Carmarthen to Port Talbot

    Get in touch at:

    Neil lives in Carmarthen and travels to Port Talbot for work. Having traveled almost every day on ATW trains since 2008, he has noticed the improvements we have made and has knowledge and experience which could help improve our service further. Neil enjoys using our service to travel to events at Cardiff Bay and to watch the rugby. His career requires him to be strategic and constructive in providing advice. Neil is keen to work with ATW to contribute to our strategic vision in the interest of customers.


    Passenger Panel - Neil

    Matthew Farrell

    Routes represented: Ebbw Vale line 

    Get in touch at:

    Matthew lives in Risca and commutes daily on Arriva services. He is also a local community councillor representing constituents’ interests at the Community Council, many of who are also rail users and commuters with a variety of needs. Working in a Government role Matthew investigates failings in customer service and helps deliver positive change and customer satisfaction, continually seeking ways in which organisations can improve. In his leisure time Matthew enjoys travelling and attending sporting fixtures and does so with a disabled relative. From these experiences Matthew is aware of the issues that users with mobility problems can face when travelling by train and the responsibilities that staff members have when assisting passengers.  


    Passenger Panel - Matthew

    Mike Steward


    Routes represented: Bridgend to Cardiff, Hereford and Cheltenham Spa.

    Get in touch at:

    Mike is a Technical Director in a large UK wide engineering consultancy who travels regularly on our trains, particularly from Bridgend to Cardiff, Hereford and Cheltenham. He has over 30 years’ experience in the delivery and management of highways for local authorities in England and Wales. Within his role, Mike regularly liaises with delivery and funding organisations such as the Local Enterprise Partneships, Local Transport Boards and the Department for Transport. His career has had a strong focus on continuous improvement. Mike is energetic and goal-orientated.


    Passenger Panel - Mike

    Morag Davies


    Route Represented: Chester to Manchester

    Get in touch at:

    Morag commutes from Chester to Manchester for her role in banking and travels via Crewe to Cardiff and Aberystwyth on occasional weekends. Her job role involves strategically reviewing, restructuring and implementing change and she is familiar with delivering feedback to senior management. As a seasonal ticket holder with a keen interest in travel, she believes that customer service is paramount and is keen to help enhance the ATW service. 


    Passenger Panel - Morag

    Rowland Pittard


    Routes represented: Cardiff to Cheltenham and Cardiff to Crewe

    Get in touch at:

    Rowland is a retired deputy head teacher and transport lecturer who travels extensively in Wales and other parts of Great Britain and the world. He records the changing Welsh rail scene, both freight and passenger, for the Railway Correspondence and Travel Society (RCTS) and Railfuture. Having been a co-editor of the First Edition of ‘A Development Plan for the Railways of Wales and the Borders’, he has a lot of ideas on how to improve train services. He has a keen interest in the provision of suitable transport, especially integrated transport, for young people, the disabled and visitors to Wales. His vision is for Wales to have a sustainable transport network for the future.

     

      Passenger Panel - Rowland

    Philip Evans


    Routes represented: Llandudno to Blaenau Ffestiniog and Chester to Shrewsbury

    Get in touch at:

    Philip has served as a local authority member for a number of years and is lead member on Conwy County Borough Council for public transport issues. He served two terms on the former Rail Passenger Committee for Wales.  Following retirement as Dwr Cyrmru Welsh Water's Network Development Manager, he has acted as a consultant on water and drainage matters for a regional firm of solicitors. His background in the water industry has given him an understanding of delivering regulated services and he has developed a wide experience of dealing with customer issues. Having been a regular user of rail and bus services all his life, he has developed an insight into the needs of the travelling public. Drawing on his previous role with the statutory Rail Passengers' Committee for Wales, he believes that he is able to make a positive contribution to the work of the Panel.


    Passenger Panel - Philip

    Alison Parsons


    Route represented: Barry to Cardiff Central

    Get in touch at:

    Alison is a qualified chiropodist with 2 children. Trains have played a big role in her working life and she now travels from Barry to Cardiff. For her, travelling by train is the cheapest, quickest and most reliable way to get to work. She was interested in joining the panel to see how things work and to try and discover what the future holds in terms of what will happen when there is more housing and when the BBC arrives on our doorstep.
    She believes that being on the panel has given her a better understanding and she enjoys chatting to passengers and listening to their views. She is passionate about providing answers and helping to ensure that customers receive a reliable service in an ever changing environment.


    Passenger Panel - Alison

    Ronnie Alexander 

    Route represented: Cardiff central to Lisvane

    Get in touch at:

    Ronnie lives in Cardiff and frequently travels across our network. He currently holds a position as a Local Consumer Advocate for the Consumer Council for Water. In his career, he has been focused on the well-being of the public, particularly disadvantaged groups. Ronnie has a relative with severe visual impairment and has provided support to a former colleague who was severely disabled. He is passionate about ensuring the elderly and less able can access public transport comfortably. His career has required him to have well-developed negotiation and persuasion skills which he can use to achieve positive and significant changes for our customers.

    Passenger Panel - Ronnie

    David Little

    Route represented: Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff Central

    Get in touch at:

    David lives in Merthyr Tydfil and is employed as a Business Analyst for a large company. He travels on our trains on a daily basis and is committed to providing us with feedback on the quality of service that both himself and other passengers have received. His Business Analyst role requires him to negotiate and drive improvements and to proactively investigate gaps and take steps to resolve issues quickly. In his career, Dave has been involved in providing improvements for customers and is keen to be part of enhancing the customer experience for ATW passengers.


    Passenger Panel - David

    Gareth Powell

    Route Represented: The Rhymney Valley line

    Get in touch at:

    Gareth uses our service to commute to Cardiff Bay and visit Manchester. Having used commuter services for the last 8 years, he’s interested in helping ensure they run effectively which can be complex and challenging when issues arise. He is focused on wanting to improve the communication of information for passengers travelling with us. Having worked in the social care sector for 20 years, Gareth is especially interested in how services support disabled passengers. As a consumer, he has a vested interest in making a difference. 


    Passenger Panel - Gareth

    Helen Bickley

    Route represented: Trehafod to Cogan

    Get in touch at:

    Helen has lived in Trehafod since 2005, and uses Arriva Trains Wales to commute to her job with Cardiff Council, as well as for leisure purposes. Helen has dyspraxia, an unseen disability which affects her co-ordination and means she is unable to drive. A key reason for joining the Customer Panel is that she is interested in representing the needs of disabled passengers across the network. She also wants the opportunity to voice the opinions of fellow passengers whose views may have otherwise gone unheard, and to provide subsequent feedback to both Arriva and members of the public. Helen holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Equality and Diversity. Her interests include her pets, reading, and attending the theatre. She is an active member of Sororitas Female Voice Choir and she is also learning Welsh.


    Passenger Panel - Helen

    Jude Aldridge

    Route represented: Taffs Well to Cardiff Central

    Get in touch at:

    Jude is passionate about train travel as a more environmental alternative to road travel. Having moved to Wales in 1995, she has become very familiar with the Valley lines and enjoys travelling by train for nights out, rugby matches, theatre performances and gigs. Having witnessed some of the issues affecting the satisfaction of our customers, she is keen to provide us with suggestions for improvement. Jude occasionally travels with her elderly parents and appreciates the challenges this can bring.

    Passenger Panel - Jude

    Paul Harding

    Route represented: Cathays to Penarth

    Get in touch at:

    Paul lives in Cardiff and is employed as a policy and public affairs manager for a charity. Having spent three years as a researcher for a shadow transport minister, he has developed substantial knowledge and a keen interest in transport. He enjoys travelling for work and leisure and has travelled across Europe by train. Paul has a wealth of experience in creating and communicating messages. As a member of Rail Future (Wales), he is passionate about improving train journeys for everyone.

     

    Passenger Panel - Paul

    Rhyan Berrigan

    Route represented: The Rhymney Valley line

    Get in touch at:

    Ryhan lives in Llanbradach and travels to Cardiff for work and leisure. In her former job she worked for a pan impairment organization which focuses on removing the access barriers which disabled people experience with public transport.  Even now these issues continue to be close to her heart.  Being a deaf passenger herself, she is committed to representing disabled passengers.  She has commented on national station improvement programmes, been a member of the diversity panel in a professional capacity, taken part in stations visits and completed and contributed to station equality impact assessments. Ryhan is very approachable and enthusiastic.

     

    Passenger Panel - Rhyan

    Steve Fletcher

    Routes represented: Bargoed and Rhymney valley lines

    Get in touch at:

    Steve is a regular commuter on the Cardiff Valley network. Having been head of customer experience for several UK market- leading companies, he recognises the importance of putting the customer first. Steve currently runs a website with more than 3500 active train-using members, from a variety of different backgrounds, showing his keen interest in helping improve train services. He has been proactive and enthusiastic when providing us with information to improve our service. He is passionate about helping us achieve better rush hour commutes and leisure journeys for our customers. 

     

    Passenger Panel - Steve