Trawscymru Service News

[markymark2000]

Doesn't bode well for public control of buses in Wales...

The Welsh govt ignore these things though. Bus stops in Flintshire haven't had timetables updated in over 7 years so the new T8 isn't showing on plenty of bus stops. Same for Wrexham Council meaning the T3 and T12 aren't shown very well.

The Naptan databse (which tells journey planners where bus stops are) haven't been updated in years by either Flintshire nor Wrexham councils so some stops are listed online as over 100 metres away from their real place. This affects plenty of TrawsCymru routes, again, completely ignored.

TravelineCymru is completely incompetent. Their database is has more errors than I don't know what. I've reported errors to them over a year ago and their shambolic staff can't even correct things. T3 on Sundays missing the start/finish at Ruabon Vauxhall Industrial Estate and missing the set down only to Wrexham for example. T8 missing the Llew Jones trips and the set down only from Bretton Lane to Chester. I could go on! I've reported it all to the Welsh govt, they see this shambokic organisation as key to the future of Wales. The same team who can't do basic data entry now, is key to the future?


There is so much more that can be said but it wouldn't be relevant to TrawsCymru. Until the Welsh Government wakes up and starts fighting the public authorities who are collectively killing off bus demand with their actions, buses will never be successful in Wales.

 

[burns20]

We've taken things into our own hands at Lloyds Coaches and have started a programme of updating bus stop timetables, producing network maps, ticket product maps and now reintroducing paper timetables.

 

[GusB]

Could I remind everyone that the political aspects of Trawscymru are off-limits here; the thread is for discussing day-to-day running, service updates etc.

 

[Bwsbro]

Looks like Mid Wales Travel will be the latest operator to join the TrawsCymru family of operators as they have registered the replacement T1C service starting the 1st of April

This will run on a temporary contract until September 2023.

• Registration numberPG0006160/46
• Licence NumberPG0006160

• Variation number0
• StatusNew
• Service number.T1C
• Service typeNormal Stopping
• Start pointABERYSTWYTH BUS STATION SY23 1LL
• Finish pointABERYSTWYTH BUS STATION SY23 1LL
• ViaGLANGWILI HOSPITAL - CARMARTHEN RAILWAY STATION
• Date received21 Mar 2023
• Effective date01 Apr 2023
• End date
• Supported by subsidies?No
• Local authorities covered by route
• TAOs covered by route

 

[Markdvdman]

It is unreal Trawscymru still have not updated the T1C timetable on their site and Traveline. Very poor indeed and is live tomorrow!

 

[markymark2000]

It is unreal Trawscymru still have not updated the T1C timetable on their site and Traveline. Very poor indeed and is live tomorrow!

TrawsCymru don't update their own website, it's delegated to Traveline Cymru. My views on them are in post #61

 

[Dai Corner]

From yesterday's N&P.

Presumably this is the depot for the electric T1s

FIRST CYMRU BUSES LTD
Director(s): NATALIE REES, COLIN BROWN, Andrew Jarvis, DOUGLAS
CLARINGBOLD
Enterprise House, Easton Road, Bristol, BS5 0DZ, Easton Road,, Bristol, BS22
7FN
New operating centre: NANTYCI PARK AND RIDE, JUNCTION OF A40 TO
NANT Y CI, CARMARTHEN, SA33 5DR
New authorisation at this operating centre will be: 8 vehicle(s)

It is unreal Trawscymru still have not updated the T1C timetable on their site and Traveline. Very poor indeed and is live tomorrow!

Nor have Mid Wales Travel, the new operators.

As a reminder of bygone times, they have this on their News page though!

701 Service now accepts MWT Cards​

​

Students can now travel to Cardiff at a Student discount rate with our MWT Card on the 701 Service (Blue Bus) as from today. The MWT Cards can be purchased at the Aberystwyth Guild of Students Reception at a price of £65.00.

 

[markymark2000]

Nor have Mid Wales Travel, the new operators.

As a reminder of bygone times, they have this on their News page though!

I don't value them much either. They are on a managed decline spree. Zero effort but want pax to flood to their operation. Really poor operator in my opinion.

 

[Markdvdman]

Currently on the T1C tender specs and there is some interesting news on the new contract. I hadn't noticed it before but they intend on making some changes.

The bus will now take 4h 10 each way so much longer than previously but there are some more stops.

The service will now serve Carmarthen Rail Station and will serve Carmarthen Bus Station (not Peacocks). It will also divert into Swansea Uni Bay Campus. This will be the same timetable daily as well so no longer serving Swansea Bus Station on Sundays. Full timetable is in the photo below.


Other interesting things with the T1C is that despite it only being a 6 month contract, they are forcing the operators to buy uniform for each of the drivers (at a cost of over £200 per driver). What a waste of taxpayers money, demanding drivers wear the dedicated uniform for such a short contract. Given the route is daily, that's a good few drivers so extra cost on the tender for a 6 month contract. Longer term contracts the investment makes sense but for 6 months, really?

I can't link the source as it's the tender specifications which can't be accessed without creating accounts and signing up.

View notice - Sell2Wales

The official new timetable is close but they do not list a stop in Swansea bizarzly. https://traws.cymru/en/services/MWLM/T1C?date=2023-04-02&direction=outbound&all=on

That is for Cardiff to Aberystyth - but they may have it wrong! Will be using it Thursday night so will let you know!

 

[markymark2000]

The official new timetable is close but they do not list a stop in Swansea bizarzly. https://traws.cymru/en/services/MWLM/T1C?date=2023-04-02&direction=outbound&all=on

That is for Cardiff to Aberystyth - but they may have it wrong! Will be using it Thursday night so will let you know!

I am not sure if Mid Wales Travel did an alternative bid or the council backtracked on the proposal but the timetable shown by Mid Wales Travel and bus tracking suggests the Swansea Uni Bay Campus stop has not gone ahead

 

[SouthEastBuses]

Good to see another Traws Cymru bus route has been introduced now.

So i believe that means sixteen routes have now been introduced so far are as follows:

• T1 - Aberystwyth to Carmarthen
• T1C - Aberystwyth to Cardiff
• T1S - Aberystwyth to Swansea
• T2 - Aberystwyth to Bangor
• T3 - Barmouth to Wrexham
• T4 - Newtown to Cardiff
• T5 - Aberystwyth to Haverfordwest
• T6 - Brecon to Swansea
• T7 - Chepstow to Bristol
• T8 - Corwen to Chester
• T9 - Cardiff Airport to Cardiff
• T10 - Corwen to Bangor
• T11 - Fishguard to Haverfordwest
• T12 - Machynlleth to Wrexham
• T14 - Brecon - Hereford
• T19 - Blaenau Ffestiniog to Llandudno

So are there any plans to introduce the missing numbers routes? So far there is no T13 T15 T16 T17 T18 or even T20 or any number higher? So i am wondering whether other Traws Cymru routes are planned? If so where will these go?

Also i have seen mention of these routes being branded as Traws Cymru routes and showing up on the website and maps:

• 460 - Cardigan to Carmarthen
• X43 - Brecon to Abergavenny

Will these routes get renumbered to T prefix routes at some point in the near future? Or are they planning on just keeping them as they are?

Of these, I've filmed the T7 so far (nice route!), and the T1, T4, T6, T14, X43 are next for filming. Wonder which of these are the most scenic?

 

[burns20]

T1S, T9 and T19 no longer operate

 

[WelshBuses93]

Tender currently up for service T22, deadline date on the 12th June.

View notice - Sell2Wales

Title:T22 TrawsCymru Operate & Maintain Service
OCIDcds-kuma6s-131465
Published by:Cyngor Gwynedd Council
Authority ID:AA0361
Publication Date:15/05/2023
Deadline Date:12/06/2023
Deadline Time:12:00
Notice Type:02 Contract Notice
Has Documents:No
Has SPD:No
Abstractperate and maintain council owned electric buses for the T22 route (Blaenau Ffestiniog – Porthmadog – Criccieth - Caernarfon)
CPV: 60112000, 60112000.

 

[markymark2000]

Tender currently up for service T22, deadline date on the 12th June.

View notice - Sell2Wales

Maybe this time it will actually get awarded and start operating.

 

[Bwsbro]

Start date of 1st August, Criccieth removed from timetable. Sunday service is dissapoing running between Blaenau Ffestiniog and the Hospital near Porthmadog only

 

[markymark2000]

Start date of 1st August, Criccieth removed from timetable. Sunday service is dissapoing running between Blaenau Ffestiniog and the Hospital near Porthmadog only

I am struggling to see what the T22 brings to the bus network now as it is just duplicating over the T2 (and arguebly not the busiest part of the T2, least from my experience) and then does the 3B which should be viable in it's own right. a 1.5 bus service bringing in £146k per year is good going, why is that tendered? Part funded perhaps but not fully tendered.

Seems like a complete waste of time, money and effort. The only people who think it should run are Gwynedd Council and the Welsh Govt.

 

[Welshman]

I am struggling to see what the T22 brings to the bus network now as it is just duplicating over the T2 (and arguebly not the busiest part of the T2, least from my experience) and then does the 3B which should be viable in it's own right. a 1.5 bus service bringing in £146k per year is good going, why is that tendered? Part funded perhaps but not fully tendered.

Seems like a complete waste of time, money and effort. The only people who think it should run are Gwynedd Council and the Welsh Govt.

Agreed entirely.
It looks like electric buses looking for a route.

I suppose, though, if they re-introduced the T19 and made a circular via Llandudno and the coast, that could be a useful tourist attraction and provide scenic journeys.

But that would mean extra financial help from Conwy Council, and were that available then the T19 might not have finished in the first place.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The electric buses were meant for a project that would create an hourly service on the Conwy Valley, with each hour having either a T19 or a train, weren't they? What happened to that?

 

[markymark2000]

Agreed entirely.
It looks like electric buses looking for a route.

I suppose, though, if they re-introduced the T19 and made a circular via Llandudno and the coast, that could be a useful tourist attraction and provide scenic journeys.

But that would mean extra financial help from Conwy Council, and were that available then the T19 might not have finished in the first place.

T19 Llandudno to Porthmadog. Coast to Coast. Then separately have these extra run on the T2 kind of like T2 short runs

 

[GusB]

I've moved the posts concerning Roger French's observations to a separate thread:

Roger French's review of TrawsCymru services

Readers of this thread might be interested in Roger French's account of his visit to south-west Wales. He also caught the T1C to Cardiff. Among other things he comments on publicity, connections and ridership...

www.railforums.co.uk

Please keep this one for posting actual news, rather than getting bogged down in lengthy discussions.

 

[Welshman]

Start date of 1st August, Criccieth removed from timetable. Sunday service is dissapoing running between Blaenau Ffestiniog and the Hospital near Porthmadog only

Proposed T22

Well, Ist August is on Tuesday.
Have timetables been published?

 

[Dai Corner]

This week's Notices & Proceedings contains notices of cancellation from Adventure Travel for the T6, effective 3 September.

Presumably there is going to be a change of operator.

 

[DaveHarries]

This week's Notices & Proceedings contains notices of cancellation from Adventure Travel for the T6, effective 3 September.

Presumably there is going to be a change of operator.

I could see Stagecoach taking it: don't they have a yard somewhere in the Brecon area?

Dave

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I could see Stagecoach taking it: don't they have a yard somewhere in the Brecon area?

Dave

They had one at Bishops Meadow.

 

[Mwanesh]

I could see Stagecoach taking it: don't they have a yard somewhere in the Brecon area?

Dave

They closed it and moved everything to Merthyr.

 

[daodao]

This week's Notices & Proceedings contains notices of cancellation from Adventure Travel for the T6, effective 3 September.

Presumably there is going to be a change of operator.

I would make no presumption about the future of the T6 service, particularly through the sparsely populated countryside north of Ystradgynlais. Service T19 was not replaced when the previous operator pulled out.

 

[iantherev]

The current T6 tender ends in September. This seems to be a similar proced to what happened with the T1 and T5 earlier in the year when the incumbent operator deregistered The service from the date of expiry and a lot of people got very excited. There will doubtless be a new registration once the tender results are known.

 

[Rhydgaled]

Good to see another Traws Cymru bus route has been introduced now.

So i believe that means sixteen routes have now been introduced so far are as follows:

• T1 - Aberystwyth to Carmarthen
• T1C - Aberystwyth to Cardiff
• T1S - Aberystwyth to Swansea
• T2 - Aberystwyth to Bangor
• T3 - Barmouth to Wrexham
• T4 - Newtown to Cardiff
• T5 - Aberystwyth to Haverfordwest
• T6 - Brecon to Swansea
• T7 - Chepstow to Bristol
• T8 - Corwen to Chester
• T9 - Cardiff Airport to Cardiff
• T10 - Corwen to Bangor
• T11 - Fishguard to Haverfordwest
• T12 - Machynlleth to Wrexham
• T14 - Brecon - Hereford
• T19 - Blaenau Ffestiniog to Llandudno

So are there any plans to introduce the missing numbers routes? So far there is no T13 T15 T16 T17 T18 or even T20 or any number higher? So i am wondering whether other Traws Cymru routes are planned? If so where will these go?

Also i have seen mention of these routes being branded as Traws Cymru routes and showing up on the website and maps:

• 460 - Cardigan to Carmarthen
• X43 - Brecon to Abergavenny

Will these routes get renumbered to T prefix routes at some point in the near future? Or are they planning on just keeping them as they are?

Some of those routes (at least 460 and T11 and probably many more) are/were branded TrawsCymru Connect not just TrawsCymru. Not sure why some of the 'Connect' routes were renumbered with T prefixes and others weren't. I have a feeling the 460 wasn't included when the TrawsCymru weekend free travel scheme was running but I might be wrong there.

T1 will operate Daily,
T1X is a express positioning journey operating via the T1C route
T1A is planned operate via an alternative route between Aberystwyth and Lampeter.

I was comparing the T1X timetable with a previous local bus service on that route (551) and thought the T1X looked a little quicker - does this mean the T1X won't stop anywhere other than where it says on the timetable (ie. no 'hail & ride')?

Quality is important. I've already criticised the T19 for not being branded. Shouldn't carry the Traws brand if the full package isn't there.

I agree, the brand should only be applied to services which provide the full package. I don't necessarily agree on what that package comprises though - for example I would have said passenger comfort (legroom etc.) was more important than the driver's uniform yet when the T1 launched originally some of the branded vehicles were Enviro 200s (ex-Swansea Park & Ride I think)!

Same can be said for most of the routes though. The routes which seem to have the best compliance are the T1 and T5. The rest all have none branded buses out.

With the X50, 550, 411, 412 and 412 all having disappeared into the T5 and T11, and the 551, 552 and 554 either lost to a competior or (more likely) simply not retendered by the council I wonder how many buses Richards Bros have left in their own livery now.

 

[GusB]

Please remember that this thread is for Trawscymru service news.

 

[Markdvdman]

The T1C has an issue from its Terminus/Starting Point in Cardiff. Last Sunday, the driver had to go around the corner from the Penarth Road stop as he would have blocked off all the traffic! He said they will update it after he reports it but in typical fashion, no updates on the Trawscymru website!