Comedian Mike Bubbins has taken to social media to criticise Transport for Wales for missing a connection on his journey to Gwynedd.

The comedian is trying to get to Bangor University for the BBC New Comedy Awards - a nationwide talent search to find the best new stand-up, sketch and musical comedians.

Theatr Bryn Terfel will host the Wales and the West heat tonight with Kiri Pritchard-McLean as MC and – hopefully - Mike and fellow comic Sikisa as the judges.

But Mike is worried he may not get there in time, and posted this on his social media accounts: “Dear Transport For Wales trains, I will now miss the 2.30pm connection at Shrewsbury. That means waiting there for an hour to get the 3.30pm which gets into Bangor at 5.45pm. Hopefully I’ll be at the theatre by 6pm. I left home at 11am. 7 hours to travel 170 miles. Average speed 24mph. It’s 2023.”

Elfed Wyn ap Elwyn from Trawsfynydd, a Plaid Cymru councillor for Bowydd and Rhiw, Blaenau Ffestiniog, who just last week completed a 230-mile walk from Bangor to Cardiff as part of a campaign to reopen rail links between south and north Wales, shared Mike’s Facebook post to his own page, saying: “Dyma pam bod angen rhwydwaith gwell hefo trena” (“This is why we need a better relationship with trains”).

Hopefully Mike will make the journey to Bangor in time for tonight’s competition.

Transport for Wales has been asked to respond to the Cambrian News. They are yet to reply, but they did respond to Mike's post on X (formerly Twitter).

Meg said: "Hi Mike, I am very sorry to hear this, you can make a claim for your delay here: https://tfw.wales/help-and-contact/rail/delay-repay… I am very sorry for the issues this has caused today, take care ^Meg."

To which Mike replied: "Thanks, Meg. To clarify, can I also claim for the job this may well cost me? Or for the wasted day when I could have been doing other work? Or do you just mean that if I fill in some forms @tfwrail might give me my money back for the service I paid them for, but didn’t receive?"