Celtic Travel has been awarded a contract by Transport for Wales (TfW) to deliver a revised TrawsCymru T4 service between Merthyr Tydfil and Newtown from 1 September.
The Llanidloes operator will take over the route from Stagecoach South Wales. Currently the service continues from Merthyr to Cardiff, but under the new arrangement that section will instead be served by an X4 that Stagecoach will introduce from the same date and operate every hour Monday to Saturday.
Gaining of the T4 TrawsCymru contract by Celtic Travel marks the growing operator’s debut on that longer-distance network. It currently has a number of bus services across mid-Wales that extend from Carmarthen to Shrewsbury, and a coach operation.
Says Director Phyl Davies: “We are excited to be taking on this new contract and we will be working with our colleagues at Williams Coaches of Brecon to ensure that 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 is 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.”
Adds TfW Executive Director for Regional Transport and Integration Lee Robinson: “We are 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.”
