Created 17-Jan-20
Modified 8-Mar-24
Rhondda Transport may have only had a small coach fleet but it was well cared-for and travelled extensively as this gallery tries to show. In later years they developed a small series of express services.
An express service on Summer Sundays to Barry Island started in 1951 and was given the number X1 from 1957. This ran from Ferndale to Porth, Trealaw, Tonypandy, Tonyrefail and Talbot Green. From 1961 it started from Maerdy and it continued into early Western Welsh days until at least 1974. Of course the traffic to Barry Island would be dwarfed by the various club private hires that took place - these are covered in the seaside excursions gallery.
Numbers X2 to X6 were allocated in 1957 to services run to Ninian Park football ground in Cardiff from Tonypandy (X2), Maerdy (X3), Clydach Vale (X4), Gilfach Goch (X5) and Ynysybwl (X6). These were run not just for Cardiff City home matches but also for international matches. These services were first shown in timetables in 1953 but had ceased to be shown by 1964. It's not clear whether they continued to run - the variable dates and timings of matches meant that no timetables could be published anyway.
In 1961 a new service (X7) was introduced from Pontypridd to Tenby which ran on summer Saturdays. This ran up the Rhondda Fawr to Treherbert and then over the mountain to Glynneath, Carmarthen (refreshment break), Saundersfoot and Tenby. This was joined by new X6 from Caerphilly in 1964 but that service surprisingly ran from Pontypridd via Aberdare and didn't go through any of Rhondda's normal operating territory. As the X6 served Pontypridd the X7 was then cut back slightly to start from Trehafod. In 1965 the new X6 was extended to start from Bedwas and the following year from Trethomas. This arrangement continued until 1969 when the X6 ceased operation and the X7 once again started from Pontypridd. It was transferred about 1975 to National Travel (South West) where it became the 638 from Pontypridd to Neath connecting with the 632 Newport to Tenby service.
A service to Aberavon started by 1963. Numbered X8 it started initially from Porth and ran through Penygraig, Tonypandy, Gelli and Treorchy whence it travelled over Bwlch-y-Clawdd to Aberavon Beach. It normally ran on Sundays but ran daily at the end of July and early August and also some additional days. By 1964 it started from Maerdy and there were morning and early afternoon trips, both returning at the same time. In 1965 an additional X9 service to Aberavon started from Ynysybwl (Estate Junction) with the same rather complex days of operation. This ran via Pontypridd, Church Village, Beddau, Talbot Green and Llanharan. The afternoon service from Maerdy didn't run after 1966. The X9 from Ynysybwl stopped runn ing after the 1970 season and the X8 the following year.
These express services are surprisingly little recorded as can be seen in the gallery, although often at Barry Island and Aberavon buses working these services could be hiding in plain sight amongst the private hire trips!
© David Beilby
