Information required to be published under The Public Service Obligations in Transport Regulations 2023 (the “Regulations”)
The details below are published in accordance with Regulation 23 of The Regulations, in respect of the Rail Services Agreement (the “Agreement”) directly-awarded to Transport for Wales Rail Limited on 30 January 2026.
(a) the name and address of the competent authority,
THE WELSH MINISTERS, whose principal place of business is at Crown Buildings, Cathays Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom CF10 3NQ
(b) the type of award,
direct award of a public service contract to a public sector company as a direct award under the Public Service Obligations in Transport Regulations 2023
(c) the services, described in such detail that a reader of the notice can compare the services to those described in the notice published in respect of the public service contract under regulation 22, and the geographical areas covered by the award,
Details of the services are available at Train Service Requirement TSR3. The routes served are as follows:
Wales and Cross-Border Lines Services
(i) Crewe to Chester;
(ii) Chester to Llandudno Junction;
(iii) Llandudno Junction to Bangor;
(iv) Bangor to Holyhead;
(v) Llandudno Junction to Llandudno;
(vi) Llandudno and Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog;
(vii) Crewe and Chester to Bangor and Holyhead;
(viii) Wrexham to Bidston;
(ix) Wilmslow / Manchester Airport / Manchester to Chester via Warrington Bank Quay;
(x) Shrewsbury to Chester;
(xi) Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth;
(xii) Machynlleth to Pwllheli;
(xiii) Birmingham International and Birmingham New Street to Shrewsbury;
(xiv) Barry Island to Cardiff Central;
(xv) Bridgend to Barry via Llantwit Major;
(xvi) Ebbw Vale Town to Cardiff Central;
(xvii) Ebbw Vale Town to Newport;
(xviii) Swansea to Pembroke Dock;
(xix) Gowerton Local Service (Swansea to Llanelli);
(xx) Kidwelly and Ferryside Local Service (Swansea to Carmarthen);
(xxi) Cardiff Central to Carmarthen via Swansea and via the “Swansea District Line”;
(xxii) Cardiff Central and Carmarthen to Milford Haven;
(xxiii) Carmarthen to Fishguard Harbour;
(xxiv) Bridgend to Swansea;
(xxv) Cardiff Central to Maesteg;
(xxvi) Shrewsbury to Llanelli and Swansea;
(xxvii) Cardiff Central to Crewe and Manchester Piccadilly;
(xxviii) Cardiff Central to Hereford;
(xxix) Hereford to Shrewsbury;
(xxx) Shrewsbury to Crewe;
(xxxi) Cardiff Central to Holyhead
(xxxii) Cardiff to Gloucester;
(xxxiii) Cardiff to Cheltenham Spa;
(xxxiv) Cardiff to Penarth;
(xxxv) Cardiff to Radyr via Fairwater;
(xxxvi) Liverpool Lime Street to Chester via Halton Curve;
(xxxvii) Park Junction to Gaer Junction (for the Newport to Ebbw Vale Town Service);
and
(xxxviii) Carmarthen to Cardiff to Bristol Temple Meads
Core Valley Lines (‘CVL’) Rail Services
(i) Rhymney to Cardiff Queen Street;
(ii) Coryton spur;
(iii) Ystrad Mynach to Cwmbargoed;
(iv) Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff Queen Street;
(v) Aberdare to Cardiff Queen Street;
(vi) Aberdare to Hirwaun;
(vii) Treherbert to Cardiff Queen Street;
(viii) Cardiff Queen Street to Cardiff Central;
(ix) Cardiff Queen Street to Cardiff Bay;
and
(x) Cardiff Bay to the Flourish
(d) the start date and duration of the public service contract or general rule,
02:00 on 1 February 2026 - 01:59 on 1 February 2036 or such earlier date as the Authority may notify to TfWRL;
(e) the date on which the public service contract was entered into,
30 January 2026
(f) a description of the parameters of the financial compensation,
To cover costs net of revenues earned, subject to budgets agreed with Welsh Ministers in advance of each Service Year
(g) where the award is made on the basis of a competitive tendering procedure-
(i) the award criteria,
(ii) the number of tenders received, including the number received from small or medium-sized enterprises,
N/A
(h) where the award is made under regulation 18 or 19, the reasons for the decision to make the award, including the reasons for making the award under that regulation,
(i) the name and address of the public service operator and whether or not-
(i) the public service operator is a small or medium-sized enterprise,
(ii) the public service contract was awarded to a group of economic operators (whether acting as a joint venture, consortium or other form of joint enterprise),
N/A
(j) where appropriate, a statement as to whether the public service contract has been, or may be, subcontracted,
TfWRL shall not subcontract or delegate the provision of any of the Rail Services which are to be provided under the Agreement without the prior written consent of the Authority.
(k) a statement of the right to take enforcement action under Part 5 of these Regulations,
An interested party has certain rights of action under Part 5 of the Regulations in the event of failure to comply with the Regulations.
(l) the date and reference of any previous publication on the competent authority’s website relevant to the public service contract or general rule,
None
(m) where the public service contract or general rule involves the grant of a subsidy-
(i) the legal basis and policy objective or purpose of the subsidy,
The subsidy is provided as part of a directly awarded public service contract under Regulation 17 of the Public Service Obligations in Transport Regulations 2023, enabling Welsh Ministers to discharge their statutory duty under the Railways Act 1993 to secure rail passenger services.
The policy objective is to ensure the continuity, affordability and long term delivery of rail services in Wales and the Borders where farebox revenue alone is insufficient.
(ii) the name of the recipient of the subsidy,
The recipient of the subsidy is Transport for Wales Rail Limited (TfWRL), the publicly owned train operating company to which the Rail Services Agreement is directly awarded.
(iii) the date of the grant of the subsidy, the duration of the subsidy and any other time limits attached to the subsidy,
The subsidy takes effect from 1 February 2026, the commencement date of the Rail Services Agreement, and applies for the duration of the contract (10 years).
No separate subsidy specific time limits are specified beyond the contract term.
(iv) the amount of the subsidy or the amount budgeted for the subsidy,
The Rail Services Agreement does not specify a single fixed subsidy amount. Financial support is provided through agreed financial compensation mechanisms, with funding determined through Welsh Government budgets and annual business planning, rather than a standalone grant value.
Transport for Wales Rail Services are funded by the Welsh Government via the Rail Service Support budget within the Transport Major Expenditure Group (MEG). Details of the Welsh Government budgets can be found here - https://www.gov.wales/welsh-government-budgets
(n) the date of publication of the information on the website in accordance with regulation 23 (2),
30 March 2026
