The Welsh government has awarded £400,000 to begin the process of converting long-distance TrawsCymru services to coach operation. Unlike the low-floor buses currently used, the coaches will have on-board toilets.
The government says: ‘Access will also be improved, having a positive impact on those with disabilities or young children.’ The funding allocation appears to be based on the cost of purchasing two new coaches. Asked for details, a government spokesman says: ‘The funding has been identified to upgrade certain TrawsCymru services to coaches in 2018-19.’
If coaches can be deployed successfully, they could attract new long-distance passengers. Currently they are used primarily as local bus services to the nearest town and back. The absence of toilets has been contentious for many years and is believed to deter older people, in particular, from making long journeys.
The successful use of coaches will depend on the design of vehicle selected for these services, which fill gaps in the Welsh interurban railway network.
Plaxton’s recent announcement of its lowentry Leopard coach for Stagecoach, based on a tri-axle Volvo B8RLE chassis, promises a vehicle with a low entry and low floor in the front sect…
