Heart of Wales Railway Line Bus Boost X48

 

I never thought I would be saying this but I am pleased that Network Rail is progressing a £1 million pound project to cut back trees alongside the Heart of Wales railway line as the reliability of services on one of the most scenic lines through Mid Wales has been poor for some time and worsening as storm after Atlantic storm hits the Welsh coast. One of the main problems is the number of trees down on the line at during and following each event.

The X48 on layover at Craven Arms

And more to the point I would never have supported the idea of a bus supplementing the train service on the line, but matters are so bad following a cut in the through trains from five to four services a day in December 2024 that I have embraced the development positively.  As I understand it, following numerous representations Transport for Wales asked the Wales government for permission to operate a bus to fill the timetable gaps on the line and funded an initial project to be taken forward with Powys County Council as a delivery partner. The first phase is until August 2025 but the X48 bus is expected to be extended for a longer period beyond that deadline

X48 Bus

Right then, having got that off my chest I’d like to talk about how the service, the X48, can benefit us. The service operates between Craven Arms railway station car park and the Groe at Builth Wells (not Builth Road railway station) calling near to stations to Knighton, Pen-y-bont and Llandrindod. There are connections from Llanwrtyd Wells and one timetabled through service northbound in the afternoon. The timetable for buses is currently separate from the timetable for trains so it is not at all easy for the passenger to bring it all together. Evidently, there are software problems, but sooner or later the railway and bus sectors should be able to merge them. That’s what integration is all about.  A friend of mine let me have a version crafted by someone with the skill to do just that so here it is

Celtic Travel 

The good news is that Powys County Council tender was won by Celtic Travel and they do a great job in providing a reliable service on other routes in Mid Wales and into Shropshire on the X75. However, with regard to the latter many people are unhappy with a proposal to cut the service into sections rather than direct Shrewsbury-Llanidloes/Rhaedr service which exists now. If you feel like commenting spend ten minutes to complete the consultation survey currently posted by Powys Count Council at:

https://www.haveyoursaypowys.wales/powys-local-bus-network-consultation/surveys/online-survey

X48 Core Benefits

Here are some of the core benefits:

Valid train tickets are accepted on the bus and this is especially useful if you catch the 1030 from Shrewsbury to Llandrindod or Llanwrtyd as the best option for returning is likely to be the X48 bus.

Full size buses are being used so it means that group travel will also be possible, for example, for small walking parties.

Timings are not much different to the train as the bus is not able to call at all halts on the line.

The bus allows greater access to Bleddfa and Penybont operating as a hail and ride on those sections allowing easier access to the Radnor Forest.

But equally the train is still the best way to explore the Heart of Wales Line Trail!

Give it a try

I’ll be trying it out again soon as the 1401 and 1801 departures from Llandrindod (Interchange) are handy for a return journey to Shropshire.

Thanks go to the Heart of Wales Line Trail Co-ordinator who has made several useful suggestions to the bus planners to ensure that connections are made at Craven Arms and that everyone knows that while the X48 bus does not currently operate on Sundays the train still does.

Early days but let’s give it a try. Any feedback is welcome.