Transport for Wales has launched a consultation into a new express coach service, linking North and South Wales.
The service would link Bangor and Carmarthen, stopping at key towns and railway stations on the way, calling at Caernarfon, Porthmadog, Dolgellau, Machynlleth and Aberystwyth.
The expected journey time of the service is expected to be 4 hours and 45 minutes, down from the current option of 6 hours 20 minutes.
Plans include running up to eight coaches a day, initially using diesel power but TfW wants to start using electric vehicles on the service.
TfW will host three in-person engagement events across the route to meet bus users and potential users to talk more about the service.
- Monday 10th March, 11am – 2pm, Pontio Arts and Innovation Centre, Bangor University, Pontio, Deiniol Rd, Bangor LL57 2TQ
- Thursday 13th March, 12pm – 3pm, Aberystwyth Bus Station, Alexandra Road, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 1LH
- Friday 14th March, 12pm – 3pm, Carmarthen Bus Station, Bay 1, Blue Street, Carmarthen, SA31 3LQ
There will also be 2 online events on the 20th March.
Lee Robinson, Executive Director for Regional Transport and Integration at Transport for Wales said: “This proposed service represents an important step in improving sustainable transport options between North and South Wales. If you have any thoughts about the proposed service, we encourage everyone to take part in the online survey and help shape this significant transport link for Wales.”
Responses
Sounds like a good idea, but at 20mph I would hardly call it an express coach service.
This feels purely performative. The whole North/South Wales thing comes across as a confected nationalist rallying cry that doesn’t really stand up in court. Most people in mid- and north-Wales who are heading for south Wales will be going to the big cities of Abertawe and Caerdydd, not a provincial town like Carmarthen. And you can already get trains from Bangor to Caerdydd in under 4h30, which is much much quicker than getting the coach down to Carmarthen and then jumping on a train. Even to Abertawe, it is likely that the train via Shrewsbury would be at least as quick an option. TrawsCymru has a good network of long-distance buses, but I can’t see the demand stacking up to duplicate routes with stopping and express services all the way along this corridor.