Caerphilly County Borough Council is set to withdraw £120,000 funding for the Rail Linc 901 bus service between Blackwood and Ystrad Mynach Train Station due to falling numbers and budget constraints.

A decision was taken as a full Council meeting to withdraw the funding that subsidises this service in light of the significant level of budget savings required for the Council Budget in 2023/24.

The service has been adversely affected by the Covid 19 pandemic with a reduction in passenger numbers and the numbers have remained low in recent years. In 2022/23 the council paid a subsidy of £13.43 per passenger using the Rail Linc 901 service, and this cost has continued to rise in the face of other economic pressures.

There is an alternative service bus route operating between Ystrad Mynach and Blackwood that includes additional stops on route. The withdrawal of this subsidy to Adventure Travel will result in £120,000 savings per annum.

The service will cease to operate after Saturday 22nd July 2023.