CAERPHILLY council has axed funding for a heavily subsidised bus service which connects communities to a railway station.

Run by Adventure Travel, the Rail Linc 901 bus service, running between Blackwood and Ystrad Mynach station, will be shut down after Saturday, July 22, in a council cost-cutting plan.

The service was described as “the contract with the highest subsidy per passenger” for Caerphilly County Borough Council, last year costing the local authority £13.43 per passenger.

An estimated 900 people used the service each month, and in light of “financial pressures facing the council” it was decided earlier this year to pull the plug on the Rail Linc.

The council noted the removal of the subsidy for the service “was met with a mixed response”.

“Residents felt that the level of subsidy was too high to be maintained, but suggested alternative routes may be more viable”, council documents show.

Service users had suggested switching the route to Pengam, or opening up the service to non-rail users.

However, councillors heard that Transport for Wales, the nation’s main rail operator, “intends to introduce additional rail services through every station across the county borough at 15-minute intervals”.

This means “there will no longer be a need for a designated bus-rail service as commuters will be able to easily connect to one of the existing service buses that run between Blackwood and Ystrad Mynach, resulting in no impact to rail and bus users”, councillors were told.

Confirming the date the Rail Linc will be closed down, Caerphilly council said funding was being withdrawn due to “falling numbers” and “in light of the significant level of budget savings required for the council budget”.

“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,” the council said.

“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 [a year].”