TrawsCymru boosted with 30 new bus investment

It forms part of a £15.3m investment in new buses by Transport for Wales

Transport for Wales (TfW) has invested in 30 new buses serving its TrawCymru long distance network. TrawsCymru spans 13 routes across Wales and was created in 2012 to connect communities where rail links are limited.

Some of the new buses are in operation with the majority expected to be in service next month. The Welsh Government, through its transport body TfW, invested £15.3m on 61 vehicles in its 2025/26 financial year.

Following legislation passed earlier this year, TfW will be responsible for the planning of services across Wales through a new bus franchising model. This will see operators bidding for contracts to provide services, aligned with rail services, on bundles of routes identified by TfW. The first franchises will be awarded in south-west Wales next year. The all Wales franchise model is scheduled to be completed with north Wales in 2030.

Around three quarters of public transport journeys in Wales are made by bus.

The 61 new vehicles procured by the Welsh Government also include buses for other services, including Fflecsi, the on-demand transport that operates in various locations across Wales. It has also supplied some new buses to Powys as part of the mid Wales ‘bridge to franchising’ programme where TfW are supporting local authorities to recontract their bus services in the run up to franchising. TrawCymru now has a fleet of 54 buses.

Deputy Transport Minister, Mark Hooper, said: “Transport plays a key role in supporting economic growth by helping people access work, education, and other services.“Simplified fares, more frequent services, connectivity with other bus services and newer vehicles are all part of this service.

“I am really excited to be building on Wales’ existing transport connections with a fleet of new, modern, accessible vehicles designed for comfort and sustainability and I look forward to seeing Welsh communities benefit from these enhanced services.”

Lee Robinson, executive director for regional transport and integration at TfW, said: “TrawsCymru services are vital for communities across Wales, and we’re pleased to introduce these new buses to the network. They will deliver more comfortable, higher-quality journeys for our customers, while supporting a shift from private car use to public transport.

“Crucially, they will also help strengthen access to essential services, including healthcare, education, leisure and employment, opening up greater opportunities for communities across the country.”

On the impact of bus franchising, speaking earlier this year chief executive of TfW, James Price, said: “I think it’s a once-in-a-generation chance to build a bus network that truly reflects the needs of Wales; urban and rural, coast and countryside, young and old, and a network that’s reliable, affordable, flexible and easy to use. To do that, we want to take the best of the private, public and third sectors and combine it as part of a coherent and thought-through proposition for the whole of Wales.”

He said that buses, trains, trams, active travel routes and cars should “come together not in competition, but coherently as one.”