rail linc ( cy, linc trên) is a brand name applied to routes formerly operating under the now-defunct

South East Wales Transport Alliance South East Wales Transport Alliance (Sewta) was a consortium established by the 10 local authorities in South East Wales to promote and develop transport strategies and projects in the region. Founded on 1 April 2003, Sewta worked in close liaiso ...

- but now operating under

NAT Group Adventure Travel (stylised as Adventuretravel; formerly NAT Group and New Adventure Travel) is a bus and coach company in South Wales. It is a subsidiary of ComfortDelGro. History Established in 2008 with four buses, Adventure Travel has now g ...

History

In a number of cases, the services were set up sometime after rail services to the villages were axed as part of Dr Beeching's rationalisation of the British Rail network; however some services provide a link to villages that never had a railway station. Many Rail Linc routes have been withdrawn due to low ridership. When the

stood down, control of routes passed over to councils to manage and put out to tender. Caerphilly County Borough Council manage the 901 and

Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council The Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council was the local authority for the Vale of Glamorgan in South Glamorgan, Wales, created in 1974 and reconstituted in 1996 as the Vale of Glamorgan Council unitary authority. It was a second tier district authority ...

manage the 905. = Rail Linc routes =

Route 901

The 901 was previously numbered the RL5 but was brought under the 'Rail Linc' brand as what we know today - the 901. The service was originally operated by Clarkes Coaches, but liquidated in 2011. The 901 was then operated by VR Travel of Merthyr Tydfil up until 2013 where it sold to

. NAT still operate the 901 to this day. Previously, the 901 was used using a dedicated

Optare Solo The Optare Solo is a low-floor minibus/midibus with one or two doors manufactured by Optare in the United Kingdom since 1998. The Solo name is a play on its low-floor status, the manufacturer marketing its vehicle as having an entrance that is ...

and

Dennis Dart The Dennis Dart is a rear-engined single-decker midibus chassis that was introduced by Dennis Specialist Vehicles of Guildford, England in 1989, replacing the Dennis Domino. Initially built as a high-floor design, In 1996 the low-floor seco ...

- but is now run using a branded

Alexander Dennis Enviro200 The Alexander Dennis Enviro200 (previously known as the TransBus Enviro200) is a midibus that was manufactured by TransBus International and later Alexander Dennis between 2003 and 2018. The original TransBus Enviro200 design was innovative bu ...

short wheelbase. The 901 was however under review by Caerphilly County Borough Council as part of their budget cuts in 2020. As of September 2021, it continues to run hourly Mon-Sat between Blackwood and Ystrad Mynach railway station.

Route 902

The 902 was previously a route that ran between

Maerdy Maerdy (, cy, Y Maerdy) is a village and community (and electoral ward) in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, and within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales, lying at the head of the Rhondda Fach Valley. History "Maerdy" i ...

and Ystrad Rhondda railway station, and provided by Thomas of Rhondda. The service was operated using a dedicated Optare Solo. The route ceased in 2012 due to low ridership.

Route 903

The 903 was previously a route than ran between

Rhigos Rhigos () is a small village on the saddle of higher ground between the Vale of Neath and the Cynon Valley. It was part of the old Neath Rural district Council under Glamorgan until 1974. The village then came under the jurisdiction of The Cynon ...

and Aberdare railway station, and provided by Clarkes Coaches. The service was operated using a dedicated Optare Solo. The route ceased in 2011 due to Clarkes Coaches ceasing trading. The 903 was also previously a route that ran between

Rogerstone railway station , symbol_location = gb , symbol = rail , image = Rogerstone railway station (geograph 5521240).jpg , borough = Rogerstone, Newport , country = Wales , coordinates = , grid_ ...

and

Newport railway station , symbol_location = gb , symbol = rail , image = Newport_railway_station_MMB_32_43187.jpg , caption = Newport railway station looking eastbound. , borough = Newport, Wales , country = Wales , coordinates = , grid_name = Grid reference ...

and provided by Stagecoach South Wales. The service was operated using a dedicated Optare Solo - but not in all-over Rail Linc two-tone green. It was in standard Stagecoach Beachball livery but had Rail Linc vinyls. The 903 was again withdrawn in 2013 due to low ridership.

Route 904

The 904 was previously a route that ran between Caerau and

Maesteg railway station Maesteg railway station is one of two railway stations that serve the town of Maesteg in Wales. The British Rail 1992 built station is located in the centre of the town, adjacent to the Asda Supermarket store and on former sidings north of ...

, and provided by Llynfi Coaches. The service was operated using a dedicated Optare Solo. The route ceased in 2011 due to low ridership.

Route 905

The 905 is a route that runs between

Cardiff Airport Cardiff Airport ( cy, Maes Awyr Caerdydd) is the only airport offering commercial passenger services in Wales. It has been under the ownership of the Welsh Government since March 2013, operating at an arm's length as a commercial business. Pa ...

and

Rhoose Cardiff International Airport railway station Rhoose Cardiff International Airport railway station is a railway station that serves Cardiff Airport and the village of Rhoose in southeast Wales. A dedicated shuttle bus connects this station with the airport terminal building. The station is ...

, and provided by

. The service was previously operated by

Crossgates Coaches Crossgates CoachesCompanies House extract company no 472634
C ...

(trading as Veolia Transport Cymru), but passed to NAT Group when Crossgates Coaches ceased trading in 2013. The service was previously operated using a dedicated Optare Solo with Crossgates Coaches, but now NAT Group operate the service using a non-rail linc branded MAN Citysmart, and previously an

Optare Tempo The Optare Tempo is an integral low-floor, full-size rigid single-deck bus manufactured by Optare and was launched in late 2004. It is marketed and sold as the replacement for the Optare Excel. It is designed as a lightweight bus, to use less ...

Route 906

The 906 was previously a route that ran between

Rassau Rassau, sometimes The Rassau ( cy, Rasa ( Gwenhwyseg)), is a village and community located in the historic county of Brecknockshire (Breconshire) and the preserved county of Gwent. It currently lies on the northern edge of the county borough ...

and Ebbw Vale Parkway railway station and provided by Clarkes Coaches. The service was operated using a dedicated Optare Solo. The route ceased in 2011 due to Clarkes Coaches ceasing trading.

Route 907

The 907 was previously a route that ran between

and

and provided by

Newport Bus Newport Bus (the operating name of Newport Transport Limited) is the main provider of bus services in the city of Newport, Wales. A limited company whose shares are wholly owned by Newport City Council, it is one of the few remaining munici ...

. The service was operated using any vehicle that Newport Bus had, but was operated using a dedicated Optare Solo for some of the time that the route was in operation. The route ceased in mid-2010 due to low ridership. The route was then brought back as the new 903 in 2012, operated by Stagecoach South Wales. ''See the 'Route 903' section for more information on this.''

Route 908

The 908 was previously a route than ran between

Abertillery Abertillery (; cy, Abertyleri) is a town and a community of the Ebbw Fach valley in the historic county of Monmouthshire, Wales. Following local government reorganisation it became part of the Blaenau Gwent County Borough administrative area ...

and

Llanhilleth railway station , symbol_location = gb , symbol = rail , image = Llanhilleth - railway station.jpg , borough = Llanhilleth, Blaenau Gwent , country = Wales , coordinates = , grid_name ...

and provided by Henleys Buses. The service was operated using any vehicle that Henleys Buses could use. The route ceased in 2009 due to low ridership.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Sewta
Bus transport brands Bus transport in Wales