New five-hour bus route to connect north and south Wales

A coach service linking north and south Wales is to launch by the autumn, the Welsh government has said.

Multiple services will run daily using eight vehicles bought for the route, which will be about 90 minutes quicker than the current six-hour rail journey.

They will stop at Bangor railway station, Caernarfon, Porthmadog railway station, Dolgellau, Machynlleth, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth bus station, Aberaeron and Carmarthen railway station

The Welsh government said the service, which will cost about £2m to run in the first year, will improve connectivity, access to jobs, education and healthcare.

Deputy transport minister, Mark Hooper, said: "For decades, many rural communities have been ill-served by public transport, but this new coach service is the first step in improving connectivity between the north and the south of Wales."

The service, the Welsh government said, would open-up sustainable tourism to places like Eryri National Park, the Llŷn Peninsula and Cardigan Bay and provide a greener alternative to using a car.

Transport for Wales' Lee Robinson said: "By linking key towns and communities along the west coast, we're creating faster, more reliable connections for work, education and leisure."

Transport journalist Rhodri Clarke said at the moment it took about four hours to travel from Bangor to Aberystwyth, followed by a change to reach Carmarthen.

Current services lacked toilets and had limited stops, he said, adding that he hoped and a new route would have comfier seats and and more services over time.

Communities have campaigned for better north–south rail links for decades, Clarke said, but costs remain high due to indirect routes through England since lines were closed in the 1960s.

An integrated transport system, Clarke believed, could help align tickets and timetables, making connections smoother and improving journey times.

In Dolgellau some welcomed the proposals while others questioned if there would be enough demand.

Joan McCarthy, who regularly uses buses, said poor connections meant she rarely travelled beyond her local area.

"The buses don't tend to link up," she said.

"You would just miss the next connection."

She said she hoped to see "more connectivity" and to be able to travel to other Welsh cities like Cardiff and Aberystwyth on the bus.

Regular bus user Paul Hill said he would use the new service to visit his daughter, but questioned whether there would be enough demand.

"I don't think it's going to work because there aren't enough people travelling on the buses for it to be viable," he said.

"It needs to be profitable."

Hill also expressed doubt about whether there was enough infrastructure and money to support the plans.

Shaun Layton and his wife Chris both use their concessionary bus passes regularly to travel for free.

He said the proposed route was "a really good idea" and would make going on trips across Wales easier.

"We've always struggled to travel from north Wales to south Wales," Layton said.

"If we're using the train, which we do sometimes, we've got to go back into England and then down.

"We've been looking for other options, so it would just be fantastic," he added.

Funding for the route was confirmed in the Welsh Government's supplementary budget last week.

The same package included £8m to extend the £1 bus fare scheme for five to 21-year-olds until 31 March 2027.