TfW FOI Request - mailing and HSTs

Date issued: 15 July 2019

I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information request on Transport for Wales’ use of direct mailing and HST operation.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy, I can confirm that we hold the information you require. You asked:

• if you signed up to transport for Wales would you receive any letters to your house?
• will there be HSTs running on the line?

Direct Mail

Transport for Wales will only use direct mailing where we have obtained consent.

We use the following wording to allow opting in or out of direct mailing: "I would like to receive marketing communications from Keolis Amey Operations / Gweithrediadau Keolis Amey Limited (KA) (operating as Transport for Wales Rail Services) and have read KA's privacy policy".

In the booking engine the wording used is:

• “we would like to e-mail you information about discounted train tickets, offers, destination ideas and competitions”; and
• “once you have registered an account you can change the way we contact you in your account preferences and opt out from marketing at any time”.

If a customer purchases a ticket from Transport for Wales Rail Services and requests that the tickets are posted instead of collected at station or electronic fulfilment, then we would fulfil this request regardless of opt in status in order to fulfil the request.

If there is legitimate interest, Transport for Wales may occasionally contact customers by mail where we do not have specific consent or they have opted in. Legitimate interest may apply, for example, if you lived within a certain distance of a line or a station where maintenance work was planned to be carried out overnight that could potentially be disruptive. In such a circumstance, TfW might write to you as a lineside neighbour to let you know that the work was happening and for how long etc.

HST operation

Transport for Wales considered the use of HSTs some months ago as one of a number of options to provide short-term additional capacity to the network. For several operational reasons this was ruled out and is not currently being considered. Instead, additional capacity has been introduced in the form of two class 37 loco-hauled sets on the Rhymney line.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Transport for Wales.

Yours sincerely

Transport for Wales