TrawsCambria
TrawsCambria was a network of medium and long-distance express bus routes in Wales sponsored by the Welsh Government.
The initial trial summer service operated Fridays to Mondays only with one coach in each direction on the 230-mile route, with walk-on fares.
By August duplicate and triplicate operations occurred which resulted in the Welsh Office approving the continuation of the service through the winter.
In the late 1980s TrawsCambria also crossed bridges and ran daily to the Isle of Anglesey in the north and Bristol in the south.
While profits could be made most of the year, November and February low patronage always resulted in knife edge annual performance.
In the 1990s Crosville continued to run the service jointly with Rhondda Transport, with the main route being the 701 uniquely linking all the Welsh universities: Glamorgan (in Pontypridd), Cardiff, Swansea, Lampeter, Aberystwyth and Bangor.
This route was modified in the early 2000s, with the northern terminus changed to Llandudno and withdrawal of the Cardiff to Bristol extension.
Prior to and during 2005, the Welsh Assembly Government started to influence and recreate a renewed network, repositioning TrawsCambria in a new guise with shorter links with good frequencies, running with modern, high specification, low-floor buses.
With long-distance limited stop coaches being largely impractical for serving the dispersed population of Wales, the TrawsCambria network has evolved into a compromise solution between express coaches and regular service buses: it provides long-distance journey opportunities between Welsh towns while also catering for shorter-distance passenger flows along its route.
Toilet breaks (even though there are limited facilities along the rural route) would be frowned upon as they would interfere with the timetable.
[5] In 2014 a new 750 service was established, running on Thursdays and Saturdays from Aberystwyth to Cardiff via New Quay, Llandysul, Carmarthen and Swansea.
Lewis Coaches closed in 2016, and Ceredigion CC[8] has issued an amendment to its online timetable confirming the cessation of service 701 from that date.
These would be equipped with coach style seating, greater luggage space, real time information and WiFi.
The Welsh Assembly Government decided these upgraded routes, and eventually the network as a whole, were to be re-launched under the new TrawsCymru brand.
The Pulsars were initially planned to be an interim measure, until new Wright Eclipse Gemini double-deckers could be introduced in August 2012.
Instead, the new TrawsCymru service is known as the T1 and buses are provided by the operator, First Cymru, rather than the Welsh Government which has diverted the Tempos ordered for the TC1 to other routes.
This service operated roughly every two hours between Aberaeron and Cardigan Monday – Saturday, with 4 journeys extended to/from Aberystwyth.
The initial service ran the full length of the coast from Aberystwyth to Cardigan, including the diversions into New Quay and into Aberporth.
The southern section of route, still roughly every two hours, was then solely operated by Richards Brothers, with a change of bus being required at Synod Inn except for a few services operated by Richards Brothers from Cardigan to Aberaeron, New Quay and Aberystwyth (the latter only on two evening journeys).
Initially, it consisted primarily of a Cardigan to Synod Inn shuttle (via Aberporth) roughly every two hours.
The services that terminated at Synod Inn connected with Arriva Buses Wales CymruExpress 50 to Aberystwyth via New Quay.
Later in 2012, Richards Brothers extended the services that terminated at Synod Inn to Aberaeron via the direct route, avoiding New Quay.
[27] This service started in January 2006, was operated by Stagecoach South Wales and ran until 31 May 2011, using Optare Tempos.
[28] Although Merthyr Tydfil may not be an especially popular destination for Newtown residents, onward connections to Cardiff were available by train and bus (service X4).
