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 March 31, 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 coordinated 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, including new routes and areas the business serves.
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 April 1, 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 new services in full
The details of the services are as follows:
Blaenau Gwent areas
Service 1 | 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. |
95ABC school | Changes to times to improve the reliability of the timetables. |
Caerphilly areas
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
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
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
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. |
'Exceptional bus services'
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 Transport for Wales with a shared goal to deliver outstanding services, create a more sustainable future and create better-connected communities for our customers as a result.”
Find out more
Full details and timetables are available on the Stagecoach website. If you're interested in joining the Stagecoach South Wales team, click here to apply.
