Rail passengers face higher fares (BBC News)
 

New increased fares on many services being run by one of Wales's main train operators come into effect.

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Perhaps they are taking the approach that ebcaus they have upgraded their units to 175s passengers won't mind higher fares. This is where there is a need for competiton, as ATW could almost be classed as a monopoly for Wales. With the expeptions of Virgin and FGW services, but there aren't that many Virgin services in North Wales and FGW only go as far as Swansea, and there are no other TOC's operating in Mid Wales. So unfortunately this is a situation passemgers have no control of.

Which leads me to the question, why do we need these new pen access ventures like Grand Cntral when customrs have a choice between GNER (which od good advanced fares) and Hull Trains, yet there are places where customers have no choice and there is a lack of competition.

Arriva Trains Wales need to realise that they are a provincial train operating company and NOT an airline. In most areas of Wales and the Borders their train services are an alternative to private cars and buses.
By all means give people a discount for booking early but that shouldn't be at the expense of the many who can't. They are supposed to be providing an affordable public transport system for all and not just for business and leisure travellers whose journeys are generally planned in advance.

Just as a good point though, there are airline services between Cardiff and Holyhead, which might be a reason for an increase. But apart from that I agree, there is no need for these high prices. At the end of the day passengers will end up payign thse prices. After all if a leisure traveller bought tickets for a Welsh resort in advance for a holiday then they might be subject to bad weather or something like that.