St Fagans bus route restored following backlash
A bus route for visitors to one of Wales’ most popular open–air museums has been restored following public backlash.
The number 32 service which ran from Cardiff’s city centre to St Fagans National Museum of History was axed last September.
It triggered calls for it to be reinstated and several petitions were launched in an effort to save the service run by Cardiff Bus.
The decision affected schemes in the area including volunteers of The Secret Garden project which provided gardening opportunities for adults with learning disabilities at the museum.
Restored
Following customer feedback, Cardiff Bus have now officially restored the route and began running services from Cardiff to St Fagans this week.
A full timetable can be found here.
Several other changes have been made to the provider’s services following the end of the Welsh Government’s Bus Transition Fund support scheme.
The scheme provided stability by funding the bus network across Wales to be a similar in size and shape to how it was before the pandemic.
Like all operators across Wales, the costs of services now need to be covered by the fares sold on board and in travel apps.
For most services in Cardiff this is already the case – so there will be minor changes or no need to change at all.
However, a boost in funding provided by the Welsh Government to local councils for supported bus routes means routes will be changed or new routes introduced to provide a service to an area where it would not be commercially viable.
Beer
The relaunch of the St Fagans bus service comes as the museum prepares to reopen one of Wales’ mist historic pubs after over a decade.
The Vulcan Hotel closed its doors in Cardiff in 2012 and was then dismantled brick by brick.
It has now been re-erected at the outdoor museum and will be displayed as it was in 1915.
When it opens to the public on May 11, The Vulcan will serve exclusive beer brewed by
Glamorgan Brewing Co.
Visitors can now pre-book a table in the pub ahead of the opening.
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Good that the service has been reinstated, but the last bus back to central Cardiff leaves the museum at 14:59, a full two hours before the museum closes which is a bit silly. Ideally the last bus back to Cardiff city centre should be a little after 17:00.
This may be a little obvious, but I find it striking that a rail line goes right past St Fagan’s, and there once even was a station, yet there is no way to get there on the train now. I’m aware this is the mainline, so owned by Network Rail, but in light of the Metro aspirations serving localities and attractions on the route of this line seems like an easy win to me. It sure beats a 30 or 60.minutes wait for a bus that may not be coming (or, my personal favourite, may not stop to pick you… Read more »
I live near the museum and over the past few months have met and directed several people trying to reach it on foot, either from Ely/Michaelston or along the river from Fairwater. In theory both routes are doable but in practice they are often muddy or flooded. Michaelston Road is a pedestrian nightmare as there is a narrow stretch of more than half a mile without any footway at all, including the level crossing itself. It can be really scary to try and walk this alone, let alone with a dog (as I do) or with children. Yes, a proper… Read more »