Stagecoach South Wales Network Changes

07 Feb 2024

In December 2023, the local authorities required all bus operators in Wales to complete a full tender exercise ahead of post-COVID government support ending on 31 March 2024. This enabled Welsh government and the local authorities to review the network and plan, procure and manage a network of services in a consistent and co-ordinated manner to support essential services across local communities.

Bus operators were asked to submit bids for bus routes that were declared no longer commercially viable following the effects of the pandemic and the slower recovery of bus passengers in Wales.

Stagecoach South Wales has been awarded over 50 new tender contracts across South Wales, which includes new routes and areas served by the business.

The contracts awarded by the local authorities will see the operator run bus services across Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Herefordshire, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Newport, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Torfaen to deliver an improved network for local communities across South Wales.

Stagecoach will operate the contracts from 1 April 2024 for three years with an optional extension of two further years. Stagecoach South Wales will serve the local communities with a combined commercial and tendered fleet of 266 buses and 600 drivers.

The details of the services are as follows;

Blaenau Gwent areas

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Service 1B	New Abertillery circular service
Services 26, 52 and 86X	Following a review, the 26 route merges Services 26, 52 and 86X. Changes to improve the reliability of the timetables.
Service 56	Changes to times to improve the reliability of the timetable.
Service 78	Will serve Cilfynydd to and from Pontypridd. Changes to times to improve the reliability of the timetable.
Service X15	Changes to times to improve the reliability of the timetable. Will no longer serve Duffryn.
815 school	Changes to times to improve the reliability of the timetables. Service will end in Blaina.
95A/B/C school	Changes to times to improve the reliability of the timetables.

Caerphilly areas

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Service C16	New Stagecoach evening and Sunday service from Caerphilly to Nelson.
Service C9	Full daytime journeys from Caerphilly to Bargoed.
Service H	New Stagecoach service from Caerphilly, Bedwas, Trethomas to Graig-Y-Rhacca.
Service 120	New evening journeys from Nantgarw to Caerphilly.
Services 26, 52 and 86X	Following a review, the 26 route merges Services 26, 52 and 86X. Changes to improve the reliability of the timetables.
Services 50/50A	Daytime journeys from Caerphilly to Newport and evening journeys from Bargoed to Newport.
Services 27 and 56	Changes to times to improve the reliability of the timetables.
Services A	New Sunday timetables and changes to times to improve the reliability of the timetable.
Service B	Changes to times to improve the reliability of the timetable.
Service C	New Sunday timetables and changes to times to improve the reliability of the timetable.
Services D,E,F,G,K	Changes to times to improve the reliability of the timetables.
Service C18	New Sunday timetable from Bargoed to Gilfach.
Service 151	Changes to times to improve the reliability of the timetable.
Service 5	Changes to times to improve the reliability of the timetable. Customers travelling to Springfield can use Service 26.

Merthyr Tydfil areas

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Service 22	New Stagecoach service from Merthyr to Heolgerrig.
Service 51	New service from Merthyr, Bargoed, Fochrhiw to Caerphilly and will replace Service 1.
Service 53	New service from Merthyr, Bargoed, Phillipstown to Caerphilly and will replace Service 3.
Service 33	Changes to times to improve the reliability of the timetable.
Service 78	Will serve Cilfynydd to and from Pontypridd. Changes to times to improve the reliability of the timetable.
Service 79	Changes to times to improve the reliability of the timetable.

Rhondda Cynon Taf areas

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Service 152	152 returns to a fixed timetable instead of the fflecsi service from Hendreforgan to Tonypandy.
Service 173	New service from Clydach Vale to Porth.
Service 404	New daytime only journeys from Pontypridd to Bridgend
Services 120, 122, 124, 130, 132, X32	Changes to times to improve the reliability of the timetables.
Service 150	More evening journeys and changes to times to improve the reliability of the timetable.
Service 103	Daytime journeys will be operated by Stagecoach as well as evening journeys from Oaklands to Pontypridd.
Service 104	New Stagecoach Service from Pontypridd to Upper Boat.
Service 106	New service from Pontypridd to Old Ynysybwl.
Service 121	Will now serve Tallis Street, Cwmparc and changes to times to improve the reliability of the timetable.
Service 91	New service from Penywaun to Abercwmboi.
Services 600 & 89	New 89 service from Merthyr, Aberdare. New 600 Aberdare, Pontypridd to Cardiff. Service will be numbered 61.
Services 60 and 61	Some changes to times to improve the reliability of the timetable and will provide better connections with Service 106.

Torfaen areas

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Service 5C	Will now serve Henllys.
Service 11	Will run up to every hour from Oakfield, Cwmbran to Pontypool.
Service X24	Will run up to every 7 minutes between Cwmbran and Newport and up to every 15 minutes to Blaenavon on Monday to Saturday. Will serve Malpas Road in the evenings and Sundays.
Service 21	Additional evening journey at 18:05 from Cwmbran to Blackwood and changes to times to improve the reliability of the timetable.
Service X21	Direct service from Cwmbran to Blackwood, changes to times to improve the reliability of the timetable.
Services 2, 6,7,9,10,12,15,16,17	Changes to times to improve the reliability of the timetables.
Service 23	Changes to times to improve the reliability of the timetable. Customers travelling to Oakfield can use Service 11.

Martin Gibbon, Managing Director, Stagecoach South Wales, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded these contracts and are looking forward to providing exceptional bus services to customers across South Wales.
“We have a fantastic team who have a proud history of serving the communities across South Wales and the results have been a testament of the hard work they do every day. We continue to work closely with the Welsh Government, our local authority partners and TfW with a shared goal to deliver outstanding services, create a more sustainable future and create better connected communities for our customers as a result”.
Full details and timetables are available at Stagecoachbus.com.

ENDS