The Last Bus From the Cynon Valley

This is the first of a series of similar entries examining the various bus routes which criss-cross the South Wales Valleys. I've already written a general preamble called The Last Bus to Everywhere. For the next few posts (barring accident or incident, of course) I want to look more closely at specific areas in turn.

I've started with the Cynon Valley for a couple of reasons: mainly because it's where I live, and so I've experienced the problems at first hand on many occasions; but also because its topography makes it rather different from some of the neighbouring valleys. As well as the classic north-south ribbon development centred on the four main towns (Hirwaun, Aberdare, Mountain Ash and Abercynon), there are a couple of smaller branching valleys with distinct communities, and some sizeable villages scattered around the hillsides. It's also possible to drive out of the Cynon Valley in a northerly direction, which isn't true of some of the other valleys in South Wales, as you can see from Figure 1.

[caption id="attachment_12057" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Figure 1: The Cynon Valley and the surrounding area[/caption]

On paper, Aberdare should be at the hub of a bus network branching out to Neath and Swansea to the west, Brecon to the north, the 'Heads of the Valleys' to the east, and Pontypridd and Cardiff to the south. Instead, let's tear up the paper and look at the real situation.

The majority of services in around the Cynon Valley are operated by Stagecoach, with a handful of local services in the hands of other operators. Figure 2, taken from Stagecoach's website, shows the general layout of the routes they operate:

[caption id="attachment_12059" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Figure 2: Stagecoach bus services in the Cynon Valley[/caption]

I'll look at the buses running entirely within the Cynon Valley in the second part of this analysis. For the time being, I want to concentrate on the buses which connect our valley with the surrounding area. The obvious place to start is the nearest large town: Merthyr Tydfil, a few miles to the east.

Merthyr Tydfil has a busy shopping centre, one huge out-of-town retail park and a couple of smaller ones, and Prince Charles Hospital is a couple of miles from the town centre. There are a number of large employers in and around the town as well. It's an obvious place to start if you live in the Cynon Valley and you're looking for work. Or so you'd think…

Let's look at the alternatives on offer. Stagecoach runs two services between Aberdare and Merthyr: the 6, which travels through the village of Llwydcoed before climbing up and over the top; and the 9, which goes through Hirwaun and then across the A465. They run through the day, leaving and returning at half-hourly intervals. Here's how they look in practice:

[caption id="attachment_12031" align="aligncenter" width="617"] Figure 3a: Stagecoach route 6, Aberdare - Merthyr Tydfil via Llwydcoed[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_12032" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Figure 3b: Stagecoach route 9, Aberdare - Merthyr Tydfil via Hirwaun[/caption]

As you can see from these images (which, like all the others, is taken from the Traveline Cymru website), if you live in Hirwaun, the bus via Llwydcoed is no good to you, and vice versa. (I should probably declare an interest here. From my home in Trecynon, it's really easy for me to catch either bus.)

Let's look at the buses from Aberdare first of all. The first bus leaves at 0710 and runs via Hirwaun, arriving at Merthyr at 0750. If you're working shifts and need to be there for an 8am start, it's probably not going to happen. Even so, you're still better off than someone living in Llwydcoed, who won't arrive in Merthyr until 0810. I know Hirwaun is a lot bigger than Llwydcoed, but this doesn't make sense, does it?

At the other end of the working day, the last bus to Merthyr leaves Aberdare at 1800. It is possible to travel outside those hours, of course, but it involves a series of convoluted journeys by bus and/or train. You'll have to go ten miles or so to the south before going north again.

Let's look at travelling in the opposite direction. The first bus from Merthyr (via Hirwaun) leaves at 0805 and arrives in Aberdare at 0845. Meanwhile, the first bus via Llwydcoed leaves Merthyr at 0815 and also arrives at 0845. That's probably okay if you work in a shop or an office, but again it's useless for shift work.

At the other end of the day, the last bus via Hirwaun leaves Merthyr at 1825, and the last one via Llwydcoed leaves at 1815. Once again, if you're working shifts, then neither of these buses will be any use to you. If you're travelling earlier or later, then you need to go south and then go north again.

It's time to consider the financial side of things. A single ticket for the length of the journey costs £4.40. If you're going there and coming back the same day, it's cheaper to buy a Day Rider ticket, at about eight quid a pop. (I can't give you the exact price, because Stagecoach increased their fares over a month ago and the information still hasn't filtered through to their website.)

Bear in mind that anyone needing to get to Prince Charles Hospital will have to catch a second bus in Merthyr Tydfil itself, which can take one of several magical mystery tours around the outskirts of the town before reaching its destination. Stagecoach offers a range of weekly tickets at various prices, but anyone commuting between the two towns will be at least twenty quid a week out of pocket. That's pretty poor value for a half-hour journey, isn't it?

Sundays, needless to say, are a different story entirely. It's just over a decade since Sunday drinking was allowed throughout the country; we've still got a long way to go before we entirely catch up with the outside world. The bus from Aberdare to Merthyr on a Sunday is the mysterious 89, operated by the equally mysterious N.A.T. Group [Who they? – Ed.], who run a number of services throughout South Wales which never seem to appear on published timetables.

[caption id="attachment_12042" align="aligncenter" width="634"] Figure 4: The NAT Group 89 service takes this circuitous route via Prince Charles Hospital[/caption]

I've seen this Sunday service passing through Trecynon several times, but I've never ventured on board. The first one leaves Aberdare at 1345, and they run every two hours until 1745. The return 'service' (and I use the word in its loosest sense!) leaves Merthyr at 1508, with the last journey at 1805. A day return ticket costs £6.95. This service does have the advantage of calling at Prince Charles Hospital, so that people can visit their relatives, but it's absolutely no use to anyone who needs to get to work.

Let's have a look at the journey into the Rhondda Valleys and beyond. There's only one bus over the mountain from Aberdare, the 172 service to Bridgend. It takes a tortuous route through the Rhondda Fach, goes over the mountain into the Rhondda Fawr, then makes its way through Tonypandy, Tonyrefail and Gilfach Goch before reaching Bridgend nearly two hours later.

[caption id="attachment_12034" align="aligncenter" width="451"] Figure 5: Stagecoach route 172, Aberdare - Bridgend via everywhere[/caption]

I've taken this bus several times over the years, mainly to explore the valleys to the immediate west of Aberdare, but usually with no particular purpose in mind. It does come in handy at times, though.

One night, about ten years ago, weekend engineering work meant that a Replacement Bus Service was operating between Radyr and Pontypridd. Radyr Station is in the sticks, with nowhere to relieve the boredom while the buses get organised. I didn't want to take that gamble on my way home from work, so I caught the fast bus from Cardiff to Maerdy and jumped off in Ferndale, just in time to pick up the 172 on its way back to Aberdare. It's a matter of record that I arrived home long before any of the people who'd aimed for the Replacement Bus had left Radyr. It cost me an extra six pounds or so, but it saved me considerably more on headache tablets.

For some reason (which is probably lost in the mists of time) this service starts far earlier in the day than the services to Merthyr. The first one leaves Aberdare at an astonishing 0540; after that, it's more or less hourly until 1815, when the last one departs. Even so, just getting to Tonypandy takes a full hour, never mind the rest of the slog to Bridgend itself. Coming back, the first one leaves Bridgend at 0705, then there's a three-hour gap until the hourly running kicks in properly, and the last one leaves at 2045. It's a decent enough service, but it takes an age. It's also subject to the weather; if there's a heavy fall of snow, the mountain road will be closed and the 172 vanishes for the duration.

In contrast with many other valleys in South Wales, there is another way out of the Cynon Valley: to the north. From Hirwaun, it is possible to drive to Brecon, Neath and Swansea in a fairly reasonable time – half an hour to forty minutes or so. You probably won't be surprised to learn that in the year 2014, not one of those destinations is a practical option by bus.

Many years ago there was a direct service from Cardiff to Brecon via Aberdare. I think it vanished from the timetable soon after deregulation in October 1986. If you want to travel to Brecon now, you need to go via Merthyr. On paper, at least, it's possible to get there by 0830. However, the T4 service (which runs between Cardiff and Newtown, Powys) is scheduled to leave at exactly the same time as the first bus from Aberdare arrives. Just a small delay en route would scupper this plan entirely.

At the other end of the day, however, things aren't so convenient. There's a bus from Brecon to Merthyr at 1724, and another at 1824. The former leaves Brecon before many people have finished work; the latter arrives at Merthyr nearly an hour after the last bus to Aberdare has departed. The only way to get home would be to stay on the bus as far as Pontypridd, and then catch the train or bus from there. It's anyone's guess how much this would cost over a week. I probably don't need to tell you that Sunday is a complete non-starter.

That leaves Neath and/or Swansea as the other major towns, and I'm sure you won't be surprised to learn that it's a nightmare to get to either of them. My recent letter to the Western Mail addressed this very topic because it was fresh in my mind. A friend of mine had been to a university interview there a few days before, and her mother had to drive her there and back because there was no sensible alternative.

There was a direct bus from Aberdare to Swansea until a few years ago. I can't remember the name of the company which operated it; however, I did try ringing them once to find out their timetable, and the guy I spoke to knew nothing about it. Before that, it was run by a different company, and ran twice a day (or possibly as often as three times a day) in either direction. It must have been lovely if you just fancied a breath of sea air and a bucket of cockles from the market, but it was as much use as a chocolate fireguard if you were trying to get to work.

Using my old enemy the Traveline Cymru website once again, I've been able to compile the following information. The earliest departure from Aberdare is at 0710; don't get too excited, though – that's just Phase One!

Once you get to Hirwaun, you hang around for ten minutes until the X75 arrives. This is operated by a company called First Call, and (according to Traveline Cymru) it runs from Merthyr Tydfil only as far as Resolven. Now I've got nothing against Resolven, you understand, but it's kinda in the middle of nowhere:

[caption id="attachment_12077" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Figure 6a: The First Call bus X75 runs from Merthyr to the middle of nowhere[/caption]

This is where the mystery begins. According to Traveline Cymru, the X75 terminates at Resolven. Anyone wanting to go to Swansea will have to change to the X5 service. What isn't clear from the timetable is whether this is a different bus run by the same operator, a different bus run by a different operator, or the same bus with a different route number. This isn't unusual in South Wales. For example, the 172 bus becomes the 72 at Bridgend, then proceeds to Porthcawl. (See also my Magical Mystery Tour in Nice Work If You Can Get There, for a first-hand account of another unexplained bus transformation.)

Anyway, this X5 (allegedly) goes all the way, arriving in Neath at 0815 and reaching Swansea at 0840. You're (just about) in time for work in the city centre, but totally screwed for getting to university, Singleton Hospital, or anywhere else that involves travelling on from the city centre.

[caption id="attachment_12078" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Figure 6b: The three-stage journey from Aberdare to Swansea[/caption]

Coming back is a similar palaver, by the looks of things. In fact, if you finish work after about 4.30pm, you're pretty much screwed again! There's a First Cymru X5 from Swansea at 1650, which arrives in Glynneath at 1757. You kick your heels for twenty minutes until the 1817 Stagecoach bus leaves Glynneath for Aberdare. That gets you back to Aberdare at 1855, just over two hours after you set off. However, that's the very last bus from Glynneath. If the X5 is held up for any reason, you're screwed yet again!

There's apparently a way of coming back from Swansea a bit later, but once again it involves a change of bus (or possibly a change of bus number) at Resolven, and a further change at Hirwaun. If you're brave enough to risk it, that means you can stay in Swansea until twenty to six! That's like, crazy, man…

(I once had to get a taxi home from Pont Walby, right on the boundary between Rhondda Cynon Taf and Neath Port Talbot, when a First Cymru bus from Rhosili ran extremely late into Swansea one Saturday afternoon. I used my 'day out' ticket to get as far as Pont Walby in short hops, and had phoned ahead from Neath to book my ride home. After an angry phone call to First's office in Swansea on the Sunday morning, I sent my taxi receipt in and they reimbursed me in full. I wonder if that would happen today.)

Whether the X5/X75 is the same bus or not, the key feature here is that at least two (or possibly three) different operators are involved: Stagecoach for the stage from Aberdare to Hirwaun, and First Call and/or First Cymru for the rest. That entails buying at least two tickets. I'm sure you'll be amazed to learn that the Network Rider ticket isn't valid on First Call or First Cymru services. That's double the fun at double the cost (at least.)

Do I really need to tell you that Sunday is (again) out of the question? A company called Select runs a couple of afternoon buses from Neath as far as Pontneddfechan, further east than Glynneath itself. Stagecoach, in the meantime, run the mysterious 6A service from Aberdare to Rhigos, at the top of the Glynneath Bank:

[caption id="attachment_12086" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Figure 7: Stagecoach bus 6A takes this weird route[/caption]

Unfortunately, never the twain shall meet. It's a long walk from one terminus to the other, down (or up) a very steep hill. I think I'll give it a miss, personally.

Thanks to Traveline Cymru, however, I bring you some good news. There is another way of getting to Swansea in time for an early(ish) start: leave Aberdare at 0540 on the 172 to Bridgend, change there for the First Cymru X1 service, and arrive in Swansea at 0820. You can do the same thing on the return leg as well, if you want to stay in Swansea until an almost unprecedented half past six! Outward journey time, two hours, forty minutes; return journey time, three hours, two minutes. Any takers for a day trip on Saturday? No? I thought not…

Finally, let's head south towards Pontypridd and Cardiff. This is operated by Stagecoach from Monday to Saturday, and our mysterious NAT Group on Sundays. Stagecoach actually operate two services in this regard: the 60, which runs via Asda (just outside Cwmbach) before heading through Abercwmboi to Mountain Ash; and the 60A, which runs through Aberaman and Abercwmboi.

[caption id="attachment_12087" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Figure 8: The 60/60A route, Aberdare - Pontypridd[/caption]

These buses run alternately throughout the day, which effectively means that people living in Aberaman have only one bus an hour to Pontypridd. Even when Shamrock Travel was at its absolute worst, ten years or so ago, they still managed to provide a better service than Stagecoach do now. They've got a captive audience too, as the railway line runs along the other side of the valley floor, well away from Aberaman.

The same applies to people living further south, in Tynte, Ynsyboeth and the top end of Abercynon. There's a long run between the railway stations at Penrhiwceiber and Abercynon, which means the bus is the only form of accessible public transport for people living in this area.

During the week, the first bus leaves Aberdare at 0605 and runs to Pontypridd; you have to change to the Stagecoach X32 service to arrive in Cardiff at 0730. There's another one at 0635, and then a large gap until 0720. This one does run through to Cardiff, but only as far as Cathays Park, a five-to-ten minute walk from the city centre. It's timetabled to arrive there at 0851. You do the maths. On the other hand, the train takes exactly half an hour to travel from Aberdare to Pontypridd, and the same time to get from Pontypridd to Cardiff.

After those early starters, the buses run at half-hourly intervals until 1720. Subsequently they leave Aberdare at 1735, 1805 and 1940, with a last departure at 2140. Look at these huge gaps in the timetable once the evening rush hour is over. I know the train service from Aberdare isn't great after 1800, but it's still way better than the alternative!

Travelling to Aberdare from Pontypridd and/or Cardiff is a similar story. The first bus leaves Pontypridd at 0705 and arrives in Aberdare at 0755. That's well over an hour and a half after the first train gets here. The 60 and 60A run alternately until 1750; after that, they leave Pontypridd at 1805, 1820, 1835, 1850, 1905, 2040, and 2240. That gives you four buses in a one-hour period, an hour and a half wait until the next one, and a two-hour gap after that. Can anyone see any logic whatsoever in this?

I'll mention the Sunday service quickly, just for the sake of completeness. The first bus leaves Aberdare at 1015 and arrives in Cardiff at 1120; then they run at 1230 (only to Pontypridd), 1345, 1545, 1845, 2105, and 2305 (only to Abercynon.) Coming the other way, they leave Cardiff at 1125, 1445, 1645, 1945 and 2205. (There's also a 1307 bus from Pontypridd to Aberdare.) The train service isn't fantastic on a Sunday, but it's a lot better than this. And believe me, after years of commuting on Shamrock's unlamented 'services', I wouldn't want to rely on a bus that left Cardiff at five past ten on a Sunday night!

That's the situation faced by anyone who dares to try and leave the Cynon Valley by bus. Going into the neighbouring valleys isn't a problem, just as long as you work sensible hours and keep Sunday special. Going south is quicker by train, provided you're within easy shout of the station. If you want to go any further north or west – forget about it!

Next time, I'll highlight the shortcomings of public transport within the Cynon Valley itself, and I promise you a couple of surprises. Tune in then…