Battery-electric buses are set to be introduced on TrawsCymru route T1 between Aberystwyth and Carmarthen in 2022. They will represent a second tranche of such vehicles for the long-distance and interurban network in Wales.
Transport for Wales (TfW) anticipates that eight of them will be required to convert the T1 to zero-emission operation. They will join six Yutong E12 models on TrawsCymru services. The latter have been purchased for use on two routes in North Wales but are yet to enter service. No date has been given for when those vehicles may begin carrying passengers.
Route T1 is operated by First Cymru, with end-to-end journeys generally allowed around 140min to complete the circa 55-mile trip.
Conversion to battery-electric buses will form part of other improvements to the service starting in September 2022, TrawsCymru says. It is currently consulting on potential changes, with areas under examination including the level of service provision and vehicle specification. Appetite for bike storage aboard vehicles forms part of that work.
Separately, TrawsCymru and TfW recently introduced integrated bus and rail ticketing that captures the T1 service. It allows travel between points on the rail network in South Wales and Aberystwyth, Aberaeron or Lampeter, connecting between TfW Rail services and the T1 in Carmarthen.
TfW says it is the first integrated ticketing pilot between bus and rail in Wales and that data gathered from it will be used “to help us plan further pilots in the future.”
