TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Stagecoach in South Wales gets very little coverage at times. I'd not been on it for a little while and not to the Western Valleys for many, many years (more than I'd realised) so as I was looking for somewhere to have a day out last week, I decided to get a South East Wales Network Rider; this is a multi operator ticket and the £8.50 is great value.
As always, it's part travelogue and part opinion and I hope it's of interest
I drove over the Severn bridge, abandoned dropping the car in central Cwmbran, catching the X24 in the 'burbs. This is one of the Stagecoach success stories, being upgraded in the mid noughties with new vehicles and enhanced frequencies and seeing stellar growth ever since. The latest move was conversion to Gold operation, using some late model e300s of which 27281 was my first machine. A very friendly lady driver and no problem getting the ticket, and we were off on the short spin to Newport. The luxury included leather seats, USB ports and wifi and it was fine but not much more than that.
Into Newport and the bizarre split bus station where Newport Bus have one half and the other is Stagecoach and NAT; nothing spectacular (though I feel they think it is). I got slower variant of the 30 with Cardiff Bus Omnicity 723. This has been lightly refurbished and the internal marketing (Best Impressions) was full of pretty, aspirational people. The reality was an old bloke talking loudly into his mobile about how he'd threatened the police onto someone who was harassing him
!! Still, a decent enough run through St Mellons and the curious, almost anachronistic use of an exact fare system. The similar machines of Newport Bus look tired, with the NB operation having a slight whiff of death about it. At Cardiff, Starbucks called with me enjoying a pavement latte. Whilst there, I had to see a man and woman who I assume were a couple and probably alcoholics. She was cowed, he was swearing at her with liberal use of the F word - this was just before 0900. He seemed a particular loathsome individual. They walked off, and eventually I headed off to catch my bus to Barry, past the new development at Cardiff Central that robbed the capital of what was a really well located bus station! Instead, Westgate Street was my stop to Barry Hospital on another CB Omnicity, 732 that hadn't been refurbished and was a bit frayed around the edges. I got off at Barry Hospital to enable my connection.
My next bus was the 303 to Bridgend through the Vale of Glamorgan and what a journey. I'd not done it since it was the 145 in 1994 when Golden Coaches ran it with a Rhondda Willowbrook Leopard. It is now operated by NAT and using a former demo e300 in their 324. Overall, it was a bit tired internally but a fantastic trip out. Bright sun and blue skies meant stunning views across to Somerset and Devon, passing via the airport and a selection of little villages and eventually rounding the vale near Ogmore and then up towards Bridgend. What a really great route - easily one of the most scenic in Wales with that weather!
Now, last time I got a bus into Bridgend, the old National Welsh bus station was closed and derelict! Since then, it's had another bus station and now the current one. I had lunch, and then made my way to sample another operator. This was First Cymru and their 74 to Nantymoel; I had a 5 year old e200 each way representing the commendable investment into that operator as they'd suffered for years with underinvestment. One thing I noticed was the internal advertising. There was plenty of it for First (instead of ads for checking which cancer you might have, or wear you might go to Uni) but it was so haphazard and poorly executed - a mile away from the Cardiff Bus/BI stuff. On my return, I got off at Bryncethin and readied myself for the 172.
For those who don't know, this is a classic route being operated for years from Aberdare to Porthcawl and providing a link to the coast for the families in the Cynon and Rhondda Valleys and, I confess, I'd stupidly never done it. It is a simply stunning route, and I'd implore you to sample it. Stagecoach e300 22639 was my home for the next 90 mins, and it was smooth and powerful as we made our way over the hill into the start of the Rhondda, looping around Gilfach Goch and through Tonyrefail, all in beautiful bright sunshine. For a large vehicle, it had to negotiate some pretty tight back streets and we headed through to Tonypandy which acts as a local hub for the services from Stagecoach's Porth depot, evidenced by the cluster of drivers enjoying a vape/fag in the sun. However, this is an Aberdare depot service, so we left there with the same driver and off to Ystrad where the route doubles back on itself to embark on the climb to Penrhys, affording stunning views of the upper and lower valley. We dropped down the other side with views over to Porth and then heading up the top part of the valley towards Maerdy and then the wild section of the route as we climbed past the former colliery site and then over the summit, 28639 approaching the hills with no small amount of power and then began the decline into Aberdare. This is a selection of hairpin bends, with stops to allow traffic to pass so we could swing out and back, whilst also allowing views across into the Brecons. It was beautiful, apart from Aberdare in the foreground. We reached the valley bottom and after a loop via the town, arrived at the bus station. I really cannot recommend the 172 enough especially if you're lucky, as I was, to have the weather.
Aberdare is a really depressed town, stuck at the top of the Cynon Valley. Hard to believe that it once sustained both a municipal and NBC depot that both disappeared in the National Welsh collapse and consolidation in 1992/3. When I last visited, I arrived on a Cynon Valley liveried Dodge S56, and left on a R&W liveried former Cynon Valley RESL though it was the early days of Stagecoach ownership. Now it is standard Stagecoach stuff with e300s for the 172, some e200s and Darts for the Pontypridd route, and a number of Solos that work local routes and are branded as such. Perhaps it reflects the fortunes of the town but bus services seem much sparser, with the direct link to Cardiff now left to the train. Oddly, I had a Solo SR in 47847 to take me to Pontypridd, once a major battleground between various firms but now exclusively Stagey except on Sundays where a two hour NAT tender suffices for the Mon-Sat 15 min daytime frequency - such massive differences are common in the Valleys!
After a reasonably uneventful trip down the Cynon Valley, I arrived into Ponty and didn't hesitate on getting onto the 120 for Caerphilly. This has been recently upgraded to Gold standard with new e200mmc of which 26183 was mine. These are a real step up from the e200 on the X24 - better seats, better build quality - for a Stagecoach bus, I thought it was exceptional. We purred along and I was sad to disembark at Caerphilly interchange. Now, I thought I might be able to head to Nelson and then catch a bus to Ponty and then to Cardiff but, on a late Saturday afternoon, frequencies drop pretty quickly and I quickly realised I would have problems; not quickly enough as I was on Harris Coaches C16 at the time but I bailed at Wingfield though missed the 26 going the other way so just went back on another Harris Coaches Solo on the C9 (Solos 28 out, 26 back). Harris seem to be a firm who have filled a niche in these smaller routes as other wars have raged on the better services.
Back to Caerphilly, and another recommended route in the 50 to Newport. I remember the bad days when R&W put Wright bodied Merc 811s on there but now it's standard Stagecoach e200s, and 36853 took me and my few fellow passengers through Bedwas and into lush green valleys towards Basseleg and a sunny arrival into Newport where people were already suitably refreshed despite it being about 6pm. I walked from there straight onto my X24, 27276, the comparison with my Gold mmc being really quite stark.
All in all, it was a really good day out and I actually thought it was one of the better Stagecoach operations, unlike the slightly decaying Midlands operation I enjoyed a few weeks back. I hope it was of interest and not too boring.
One last thing and it did really stick out. I've been on Stagecoach Gold in a few locations and it tends to be aimed at the more middle class, car user and I can see that with the X24. However, there are three routes in the Rhondda in the 120/130 and 132. Interesting that they've gone on those routes - are they trying to compete on quality with the train (and perhaps convenience and frequency) rather than end to end speed? Certainly, you might think the Tonypandy to Cardiff 122 is more typically a Gold type route and demographic - perhaps it's next but it did catch my eye!
As always, it's part travelogue and part opinion and I hope it's of interest
I drove over the Severn bridge, abandoned dropping the car in central Cwmbran, catching the X24 in the 'burbs. This is one of the Stagecoach success stories, being upgraded in the mid noughties with new vehicles and enhanced frequencies and seeing stellar growth ever since. The latest move was conversion to Gold operation, using some late model e300s of which 27281 was my first machine. A very friendly lady driver and no problem getting the ticket, and we were off on the short spin to Newport. The luxury included leather seats, USB ports and wifi and it was fine but not much more than that.
Into Newport and the bizarre split bus station where Newport Bus have one half and the other is Stagecoach and NAT; nothing spectacular (though I feel they think it is). I got slower variant of the 30 with Cardiff Bus Omnicity 723. This has been lightly refurbished and the internal marketing (Best Impressions) was full of pretty, aspirational people. The reality was an old bloke talking loudly into his mobile about how he'd threatened the police onto someone who was harassing him
!! Still, a decent enough run through St Mellons and the curious, almost anachronistic use of an exact fare system. The similar machines of Newport Bus look tired, with the NB operation having a slight whiff of death about it. At Cardiff, Starbucks called with me enjoying a pavement latte. Whilst there, I had to see a man and woman who I assume were a couple and probably alcoholics. She was cowed, he was swearing at her with liberal use of the F word - this was just before 0900. He seemed a particular loathsome individual. They walked off, and eventually I headed off to catch my bus to Barry, past the new development at Cardiff Central that robbed the capital of what was a really well located bus station! Instead, Westgate Street was my stop to Barry Hospital on another CB Omnicity, 732 that hadn't been refurbished and was a bit frayed around the edges. I got off at Barry Hospital to enable my connection.My next bus was the 303 to Bridgend through the Vale of Glamorgan and what a journey. I'd not done it since it was the 145 in 1994 when Golden Coaches ran it with a Rhondda Willowbrook Leopard. It is now operated by NAT and using a former demo e300 in their 324. Overall, it was a bit tired internally but a fantastic trip out. Bright sun and blue skies meant stunning views across to Somerset and Devon, passing via the airport and a selection of little villages and eventually rounding the vale near Ogmore and then up towards Bridgend. What a really great route - easily one of the most scenic in Wales with that weather!
Now, last time I got a bus into Bridgend, the old National Welsh bus station was closed and derelict! Since then, it's had another bus station and now the current one. I had lunch, and then made my way to sample another operator. This was First Cymru and their 74 to Nantymoel; I had a 5 year old e200 each way representing the commendable investment into that operator as they'd suffered for years with underinvestment. One thing I noticed was the internal advertising. There was plenty of it for First (instead of ads for checking which cancer you might have, or wear you might go to Uni) but it was so haphazard and poorly executed - a mile away from the Cardiff Bus/BI stuff. On my return, I got off at Bryncethin and readied myself for the 172.
For those who don't know, this is a classic route being operated for years from Aberdare to Porthcawl and providing a link to the coast for the families in the Cynon and Rhondda Valleys and, I confess, I'd stupidly never done it. It is a simply stunning route, and I'd implore you to sample it. Stagecoach e300 22639 was my home for the next 90 mins, and it was smooth and powerful as we made our way over the hill into the start of the Rhondda, looping around Gilfach Goch and through Tonyrefail, all in beautiful bright sunshine. For a large vehicle, it had to negotiate some pretty tight back streets and we headed through to Tonypandy which acts as a local hub for the services from Stagecoach's Porth depot, evidenced by the cluster of drivers enjoying a vape/fag in the sun. However, this is an Aberdare depot service, so we left there with the same driver and off to Ystrad where the route doubles back on itself to embark on the climb to Penrhys, affording stunning views of the upper and lower valley. We dropped down the other side with views over to Porth and then heading up the top part of the valley towards Maerdy and then the wild section of the route as we climbed past the former colliery site and then over the summit, 28639 approaching the hills with no small amount of power and then began the decline into Aberdare. This is a selection of hairpin bends, with stops to allow traffic to pass so we could swing out and back, whilst also allowing views across into the Brecons. It was beautiful, apart from Aberdare in the foreground. We reached the valley bottom and after a loop via the town, arrived at the bus station. I really cannot recommend the 172 enough especially if you're lucky, as I was, to have the weather.
Aberdare is a really depressed town, stuck at the top of the Cynon Valley. Hard to believe that it once sustained both a municipal and NBC depot that both disappeared in the National Welsh collapse and consolidation in 1992/3. When I last visited, I arrived on a Cynon Valley liveried Dodge S56, and left on a R&W liveried former Cynon Valley RESL though it was the early days of Stagecoach ownership. Now it is standard Stagecoach stuff with e300s for the 172, some e200s and Darts for the Pontypridd route, and a number of Solos that work local routes and are branded as such. Perhaps it reflects the fortunes of the town but bus services seem much sparser, with the direct link to Cardiff now left to the train. Oddly, I had a Solo SR in 47847 to take me to Pontypridd, once a major battleground between various firms but now exclusively Stagey except on Sundays where a two hour NAT tender suffices for the Mon-Sat 15 min daytime frequency - such massive differences are common in the Valleys!
After a reasonably uneventful trip down the Cynon Valley, I arrived into Ponty and didn't hesitate on getting onto the 120 for Caerphilly. This has been recently upgraded to Gold standard with new e200mmc of which 26183 was mine. These are a real step up from the e200 on the X24 - better seats, better build quality - for a Stagecoach bus, I thought it was exceptional. We purred along and I was sad to disembark at Caerphilly interchange. Now, I thought I might be able to head to Nelson and then catch a bus to Ponty and then to Cardiff but, on a late Saturday afternoon, frequencies drop pretty quickly and I quickly realised I would have problems; not quickly enough as I was on Harris Coaches C16 at the time but I bailed at Wingfield though missed the 26 going the other way so just went back on another Harris Coaches Solo on the C9 (Solos 28 out, 26 back). Harris seem to be a firm who have filled a niche in these smaller routes as other wars have raged on the better services.
Back to Caerphilly, and another recommended route in the 50 to Newport. I remember the bad days when R&W put Wright bodied Merc 811s on there but now it's standard Stagecoach e200s, and 36853 took me and my few fellow passengers through Bedwas and into lush green valleys towards Basseleg and a sunny arrival into Newport where people were already suitably refreshed despite it being about 6pm. I walked from there straight onto my X24, 27276, the comparison with my Gold mmc being really quite stark.
All in all, it was a really good day out and I actually thought it was one of the better Stagecoach operations, unlike the slightly decaying Midlands operation I enjoyed a few weeks back. I hope it was of interest and not too boring.
One last thing and it did really stick out. I've been on Stagecoach Gold in a few locations and it tends to be aimed at the more middle class, car user and I can see that with the X24. However, there are three routes in the Rhondda in the 120/130 and 132. Interesting that they've gone on those routes - are they trying to compete on quality with the train (and perhaps convenience and frequency) rather than end to end speed? Certainly, you might think the Tonypandy to Cardiff 122 is more typically a Gold type route and demographic - perhaps it's next but it did catch my eye!
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