Neath to Pontneddfechan - Unclear timetable route 161.

[Envoy]

Pontneddfechan is a village at the head of the Vale of Neath that has seen increasing numbers of cars in recent times due to visitors going to the waterfalls. Out of interest, I checked out how one would get to this place using public transport?

First Cymru have an X7 service fro Swansea but that goes to Glyn Neath and not the extra mile or so to Pontneddfechan. The only bus I could find is service 161 run by something called dansa.org as a sort of community transport for which they get funds from the Welsh Government - among others. A dansa bus leaves Victoria Gardens in Neath at 8.55 for Pontneddfechan but incredibly the name of the village does not appear on the timetable. Neither does the Angel Inn - which is the stop needed for Scwd Gwladys/ Lady Fall. All that appears on the timetable is Min-Yr-Awel which is really Dinas Road, Pontneddfechan. In fact, it would be better if they called this final stop Dinas Rock, Pontneddfechan as that is also a location used by rock climbers and hikers heading north to Scwd-Yr-Eira (waterfall).

Why the Welsh Government is prepared to subsidise a service where the places they go to are not written clearly on the timetable for non locals is beyond me. By attracting tourists from places like Cardiff, it would help offset the costs of running the service from which the locals benefit. In fact, with increased patronage from tourists, they could perhaps run more buses? The first one leaves Neath at 8.55am and the next service is at 13.00. Ideally, a service should leave Neath around 10am and call at the train station rather than just Victoria Gardens bus station.

Here is the timetable:> https://www.dansa.org.uk/route-timetables/161-route-timetable/

Neath – Min yr Awel | Min yr Awel – Neath​

 

[RELL6L]

Pontneddfechan is a village at the head of the Vale of Neath that has seen increasing numbers of cars in recent times due to visitors going to the waterfalls. Out of interest, I checked out how one would get to this place using public transport?

First Cymru have an X7 service fro Swansea but that goes to Glyn Neath and not the extra mile or so to Pontneddfechan. The only bus I could find is service 161 run by something called dansa.org as a sort of community transport for which they get funds from the Welsh Government - among others. A dansa bus leaves Victoria Gardens in Neath at 8.55 for Pontneddfechan but incredibly the name of the village does not appear on the timetable. Neither does the Angel Inn - which is the stop needed for Scwd Gwladys/ Lady Fall. All that appears on the timetable is Min-Yr-Awel which is really Dinas Road, Pontneddfechan. In fact, it would be better if they called this final stop Dinas Rock, Pontneddfechan as that is also a location used by rock climbers and hikers heading north to Scwd-Yr-Eira (waterfall).

Why the Welsh Government is prepared to subsidise a service where the places they go to are not written clearly on the timetable for non locals is beyond me. By attracting tourists from places like Cardiff, it would help offset the costs of running the service from which the locals benefit. In fact, with increased patronage from tourists, they could perhaps run more buses? The first one leaves Neath at 8.55am and the next service is at 13.00. Ideally, a service should leave Neath around 10am and call at the train station rather than just Victoria Gardens bus station.

Here is the timetable:> https://www.dansa.org.uk/route-timetables/161-route-timetable/

Yes it does. See BusTimes as per this link

161 - Neath - Min yr Awel

DANSA

bustimes.org

You can look at "all stops" or the map for more information. The 161 does stop at the Angel Inn.
It's also only about a mile beyond the terminus of the X7 from Swansea.

 

[duncombec]

Why the Welsh Government is prepared to subsidise a service where the places they go to are not written clearly on the timetable for non locals is beyond me. By attracting tourists from places like Cardiff, it would help offset the costs of running the service from which the locals benefit. In fact, with increased patronage from tourists, they could perhaps run more buses? The first one leaves Neath at 8.55am and the next service is at 13.00. Ideally, a service should leave Neath around 10am and call at the train station rather than just Victoria Gardens bus station.

Here is the timetable:> https://www.dansa.org.uk/route-timetables/161-route-timetable/

I suspect it's a bundle tender primarily focussed on locals, and the bus does other things between runs. It can't be a big bus, as there doesn't appear to be anywhere easy for it to turn around! (That'd be Google pointing me to the previous stop and me not checking further...)

From your link to the DANSA website, I see there is also a service 162, which essentially offers two morning short journeys at 1000 and 1020 from Glynneath. Do either of those connect with an X7, that would provide the early, but not super-early, journey you're after?

Route 162 Timetable

Min yr Awel – Glynneath | Glynneath – Min yr Awel Download this timetable Monday – Friday (No Service Saturdays, Sundays or Bank Holidays) Min yr Awel – Glynneath Min yr Awel 09:5…

www.dansa.org.uk

 

[Dai Corner]

Tourists could go on a Sunday, when the First Cymru 55 offers a more civilised departure time of 10.25 from Neath and nearly five hours to explore the falls.

55 - Neath Victoria Gardens or Neath Victoria Gardens (9) - Min-yr-Awel

First Cymru

bustimes.org

 

[Envoy]

Many thanks for your responses thus far. The plain fact is that the dansa timetable does not show the most important information for tourists = Pontneddfechan, Angel Inn (Waterfalls). Some people might not know of the bustimes website . A pity that First Cymru don’t run that 55 everyday.

You would think that with the local population plus the tourists going to the waterfalls, that a pretty regular service would run to/from Neath to Pontneddfechan.