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BEWARE
All Bus Stop displays in the Capel Curig area are STILL showing
the 'out of date' Winter Timetable times
*** As all the Sherpa services were completely revised in April 2022,
this means NONE of the times are correct |
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED !!!
No wonder so many people are having to use their
cars, then being forced to park illegally along the roads of the bus
routes through the area when the council fail to show the correct information !!!
Click
here to find "up-to-date" details of the "S1" Sherpa journeys from
Capel Curig to Snowdonia and
here for the "T10" Traws-Cymru journeys to Llyn
Ogwen (for Tryfan) |
website
SHERPA NETWORK
Their website NO LONGER provides any timetables and is now just
a list of "links" to other websites
In the case of the Sherpas, it simply goes to a page on the
Gwynedd CC website displaying an electronic version of the printed leaflet
(complete with the errors listed under the Gwynfor
entry) |
CONNECTIONS (or
rather LACK thereof) AT BETWS-Y-COED
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ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE.....!
Conwy CC - whose job is to co-ordinare bus services in the area -
have agreed to re-advancing of the 1106 weekday "S1" Sherpa SEVERING THE CONNECTION OFF THE
ONLY mid-MORNING TRAIN from Llandudno due to arrive at Betws-y-Coed station at 11.01 for the
second Summer in s row - DESPITE THE SHERPA BEING RETIMED LATER FOR THAT REASON last November
If you are quick, you might just catch the 1105 departure- the next
Sherpa is at 1205 (during the SUMMER only) and BEWARE on local School Days there
is no onward "S4" connection to Beddgelert, Porthmadog and Morfa Bychan
If this causes you any inconvenience contact the
CHAIRMAN of Conwy CC PERSONALLY and ask him to do something about it - IF
ENOUGH OF YOU KEEP PESTERING HIM - THEN SOMETHING MIGHT ACTUALLY BE DONE
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BEWARE
The last direct northbound weekday bus of the day back
to Llandudno departs VERY EARLY at 1520
There are later trains at 1802 and 2052 BUT bus
tickets are NOT valid
However there are later "T10" bus connections via the Ogwen Pass and
Bangor at 1701 and 1901 for anyone holding a
"1 bws Day Ticket"
- click here for details
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alternatively try
No printed copies
phone:
0800 464 00 00
(between 0700
and 2000 only)
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PLEASE NOTE
Their "Journey Planner" normally requires minimum of five minutes for a connection
at any location - this also applies when there is a 'through journey' - often the case on the alternative
'through' journeys at Bangor when the route number changes en-route
Unfotunately in these cases they automatically advise you to travel an earlier journey and
to hang around - sometimes for hours - for the next one !!! (althouigh "some" - but not all - options have
since been manually updated)
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"the" official public transport website
IMPORTANT
The following is included on their website
"Double check our ‘Short Notice Service Updates’ page for timetable
changes.
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Despite this, the former connecting "T19"
service between Llandudno and Betws-y-Coed
has simply "fallen off the world" and the old remaining "19"
journey times are still being used on their "journey planner" even though some have changed
.....eg - 1520 (not 1525) is now the LAST weekday
return northbound bus of the day
back to Llandudno
--- YOU have been warned, so MAKE SURE YOU ARE
NOT CAUGHT OUT !!!!!
Cconfirm the "real" latest service from the
Llew Jones own website |
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or the official
phone:
01248 722 694
Unlike some other
operators in the area,
they do not produce
their own printed copies
However as a one-off,
TfW has produced a
bi-lingual coloured leaflet for 2022
to identify the original planned changes
The are several printing errors - especially on the map
and since its production many
ADVERTISED through Sherpa journeys now require a change
of bus en-route, so
listen carefully to any announcements by the driver
on the day
or you may end up at the wrong location !
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Gwynfor have removed all timetables from their
website - instead it now gives a "link" to the
Gwynedd CC website for their latest 'official' information |
That link has been
updated to coincide with the new Sherpa network and timetables which commenced on
Saturday 2nd April 2023
There is now a
much increased summer
"S1" service between Betws-y-Coed and Caernarfon on both
weekdays and Sundays
In addition the basically hourly former local "85" service between
Bangor and Llanberis has been re-branded as the Sherpa "S2" service - with most journeys
extended to/from Pen-y-Pass (this replaces their former Summer Weekend
only "S6" Sherpa service to Pen-y-Pass via the Ogwen valley) which is
partially replaced by the daily "T10"
TrawsCymru service via the Ogwen pass.....
.....details of the alternative new connections at
Capel Curig can be found
here
The level of service on the new "S3" Sherpa service has increased between
Beddgelert and Caernarfon (with most journeys extended to either Llanrug
or Dinorwig) replacing part of the former local "S4" and "83" services
Also the service on both the former "S97" and part "S4"
services become the re-branded "S4 Sherpa from Pen-y-Pass to Porthmadog
and the number of journeys increased (with much improved "10 "minute"
connections off the "S1" from both Betws-y-Coed and
Caernarfon/Llanberis)
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website
BEWARE
The previous 1106 "S1" Sherpa journey from Betws-y-Coed to Caernarfon
has been advanced to 1105 meaning it is no longer recognised
by the TravelineCymru "Journey Planner" as a connection off the
mid-morning
TfW train due 1101
When the train is 'spot-on-time, is is sometimes possible to catch the
1105 "S1" Sherpa BUT ONLY IF YOU ARE QUICK - otherwise wait for the next 1205 "S1 journey
To be fair to Gwynfor
Coaches, this very "silly" situtation is because Transport for Wales have dictated
that the Sherpa buses are contracted to operate at the times specified by them
They (TfW) seem to have completely ignored the Conwy Valley train
connections even though they also specify AND operate those too !!!!!
If this causes you inconvenience or addition
expense, COMPLAIN to Transport for
Wales at Cardiff - not the poor operator who is only acting as
instructed by the transport department of the Welsh Government |
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PLEASE NOTE
Some 'day-to-day' information can be found
here
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or the official
The "twice-yearly" printed copies were understandably suspended
during the Covid pandemic
but TfW appear to have conveniently "forgotten" to print any since that was officially
over !
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The former Arriva Wales booklets for the North Wales and Cambrian Coasts have simply been reprinted
with a new cover
To find a "Transport for Wales" journey you must look for a train still showing AW (for Arriva Wales !)
- surprisingly this is still the case with the revised timetables !!!
Alternatively use their own 'journey planner' to confirm times providing you already know
when and where you want to go !!!
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train website
All local train services throughout Wales are currently operated
by "Transport for Wales"
- this includes the connecting
Conwy Valley line and
the Cambrian Coast line
In addition, a limited number of InterCity services between
North Wales and London continue to be operated by Avanti
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UPDATE
Initially There were are no major changes to the times previously
advertised to commence in December 2019
However to give the 'appearance' of "speeding up" the trains along the North Wales Coast,
several journeys have had important intermediate stops removed - much to the annoyance of the locals
who previously used them
.......... an "own goal" is probably the politest way to describe what they have
done !!!!!
In consequence most connections between the North Wales Resort
stations and the Conwy Valley Line (and v.v.) have increased CONSIDERABLY - clearly no-one at the
Cardiff HQ 'appears' to care about this totally unnecessary inconvenience |
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or the official
No printed copies
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This company - part of the transport department of the Welsh Government - operate a
network of long distance coach journeys across the whole of Wales including the "T19" route which
provides connections into the Sherpa from Llandudno and the "T2" route providing the same
function from Aberystwyth and Dolgellau, also Bangor and Caernarfon
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website
TRAWS-CYMRU OPERATORS
This company has sub-contracted.....
Lloyds Coaches to operate the "T2" Sherpa connections at
Porthmadog and Caernarfon
(NOTE several detailed changes from Monday 7th November 2022 including CANCELLATION
of the 'tea-time' journey back from Porthmadog to Dolgellau)
also Llew Jones to operate the "T19" Sherpa connections
at Betws-y-Coed on their behalf - ** CURRENTLY SUSPENDED **
BEWARE the last (very early) Northbound journey back to Llandudno STILL departs
at 17.15 - EXACTLY the same time as their "T10" is due to arrive from Llyn Ogwen (Tryfan) AND IS DOES
NOT WAIT when the "T10" is running late |
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or the official
phone:
01492 640 320
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STOP PRESS
Llew Jones has
WITHDRAWN all their former "T19" journeys
(after Saturday 11th February 2023)
Click
here for the details of the reduced Conway Valley connecting journeys
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please note - the formal "T10"announcemnet by the company was only on
their 'Facebook Page' and their website has now been updated to match -----BUT
this information has NOT been updated on the official
TravelineCymru website - meaning "incorrect" alternative journeys are STILL be offered
on their "Journey Planner" |
website
This company operates the weekday and Sunday "19" (and "T19" until Saturday
11th February) connecting journeys along the Conwy Valley from and back to
Llandudno
In addition they operate the
Sunday "link"
between Blaenau Ffestiniog and Porthmadog - an 'alternative' to the now VERY
LIMITED Sunday Sherpa "S4" journeys which also require an hour's wait at Beddgelert
Note specially the LAST direct return weekday journeys back to Llandudno
after from Monday 13th February become Betws-y-Coed depart at
1520 on Mondays to Saturdays (via the west side of the Conwy
valley)
--- there are NO LONGER any northbound journeys along the east side of the valley
IGNORE the incorrect electronic display which has NOT
yet been updated to include the changes from Monday 13th February
Some 'day-to-day' information can also be found
here
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or the official
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(new link - with extra information)
Click on map to enlarge
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website
A weekdays only Demand Response - "flexi service" operated by
Alpine Travel
has been introduced in the 'greater' Llanrwst-Betws-y-Coed area (see map on
the left for details of the area)
Remember you MUST prebook through "flecsi" stating when and where you want to travel -
if you plan to connect into or out of a Sherpa (or any other bus/train)
journey, make sure you clearly say so when you
"book"
This is particularly important if you want to use it to "link"
with the "S1" Sherpa where Llew Jones no longer provides a suitable
timetabled journey between Llanrwst and Betws-y-Coed
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or the official
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printed copies sometimes
available on the bus immediately
after any major change
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website
This company previously operated the Sunday "S97" Sherpas
but now only operate some connecting journeys to/from Snowdonia
via Llandudno/Llandudno Junction, Conwy, Bangor or Caernarfon
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or the official
No longer any printed copies
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The company has also taken over the the
"3B" connecting service between
Blaenau Ffestiniog and Porthmadog
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website
This company operates connecting journeys from
Caernarfon, Barmouth, Harlech, Dolgellau and Blaenau Ffestiniog also the
local "99" journeys from Morfa Bychan
Unfortunately they still INSIST on
their ONLY mid-morning "35" journey to Dolgellau from Blaenau Ffestiniog
departing at 1130
- JUST AS or slightly BEFORE the ONLY mid-morning Conwy
Valley Line train arrives !!!
On behalf of visitors to this website, your webmaster did ask them to consider
re-timing the bus slightly later, but a somewhat "unhelpful" reply from their
Bethan Jones completely avoided answering the point
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PLEASE NOTE
Some day-to-day information can now also be found
here
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or the official
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phone:
01248 600 098
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IGNORE their "timetables"
link which currently goes to a partially OUT OF DATE external website
which also erroneously "suggests" they operate many routes (currently
covered by different operators)
PLEASE NOTE
Some day-to-day information can now also be found
here
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or the official
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No printed copies
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website
although this company no longer operates Sunday connecting
timetabled services from Blaenau Ffestiniog and Caernarfon
- it still operates the weekday local service in Blaenau Ffestiniog
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their former website is no longer
active
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although this company no longer operates connecting
timetabled services from Caernarfon
- it still operates private hire coaches and school buses in the area
PLEASE NOTE
Some day-to-day information can now also be found
here
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yet another official
website giving
incorrect information ! |
the links on this website are all out of date
in addition the "S6"
Sherpa no longer serves Bangor or Betws-y-Coed
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A new "official" website including individual Sherpa timetables,
maps and suggested locations to visit
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Their Summer timetables for the Sherpas have now been
updates to match those on the Gwynedd CC bus pages - albeit presented in a different format
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.....but do check ANY of the above official websites
have been fully updated,
as some are considerably old and (at least partially) out-of-date !!!!
Known errors in official publications are included above
(these 'warning' are there to try to help avoid you being "caught out")
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on 21st August 2023