Local bus firm secures contract for South Wales route

Local bus operator Celtic Travel has been awarded a contract to deliver the TrawsCymru T4 service between Merthyr and Newtown from September.

The popular route has been operating for 14 years and is well used by commuters, students, residents, and tourists accessing Bannau Brycheiniog, the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show, and many of the towns and villages along the route.

Celtic Travel, based in Llanidloes, Powys, has been delivering reliable transport services across Mid Wales and the surrounding areas since 2006.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates said: “It’s good to see Celtic Travel join the Traws network and deliver the T4 from September this year. This is an important route linking towns and villages in mid Wales.”

Phyl Davies, Director of Celtic Travel, commented: “We’re excited to be taking on this new contract and will be working with our colleagues at Williams of Brecon to ensure we deliver an improved level of service and reliability for T4 customers using our many years of experience delivering coach and bus services to the people of Powys.

“It’s great to be part of the TrawsCymru network, and with our knowledge of the local road network and an appreciation of the geography of this area, we feel we can bring a great deal to this service.”

Lee Robinson, Executive Director for Regional Transport and Integration at TfW, said: “We’re looking forward to working with Celtic Travel to provide this service. We will be developing the timetable and improving services where we can, including the introduction of new vehicles in March next year.

“This is a fantastic example of how small and medium-sized operators can work in partnership to bid for tenders and take on new contracts.”

The TrawsCymru T4 will continue to be operated by Stagecoach until the end of August, then from September Stagecoach will launch a new X4 service between Merthyr and Cardiff with buses operating up to every 60 minutes, Monday to Saturday.

The new X4 service will serve Treforest Industrial Estate, offering improved connections to places of work, education, and leisure.