The ‘Cymru Coastliner’ makes a return

On Thursday 19 June 2025 a launch event took place at the Events Arena Rhyl, heralding the return of the cherished ‘Cymru Coastliner’ name to the North Wales coast for summer 2025.

The Cymru Coastliner name has a strong and very proud connection with the North Wales coast spanning 60 years, introduced at the beginning of September, 1965.

Below is a very brief summary of the service spanning this period. A more detailed web page will be added to this website during this year out of respect to the Cymru Coastliner and Crosville Motor Services.

1965 - 1995

The original ‘Cymru Coastliner’ commenced operation on 5 September 1965 by Crosville Motor Services, numbered L1, and provided an hourly limited stop express service between Chester and Caernarfon. Over the years the service would be operated by Bristol MW (CMGs) and Bristol RELH coaches (CRGs) in their beautiful cream and black livery as well as the Bristol FLF Lodekka coach seated double deckers.

The service would be crewed by initially by a driver and conductor until it became a one person operated service in late 1972. In time such vehicles would be replaced by dual purpose Bristol RELL’s (ERGs) mainly and then dual purpose Leyland Nationals (ENLs) and then in March 1986 by the dual purpose Leyland Olympian, high speed axle double deckers (EOGs).

From time to time during the life of the Cymru Coastliner, other vehicles would also appear on bus workings such as the Leyland powered Series 2, Mark 2 Bristol RELH (CRLs). During the Crosville Wales period of operation, bus seated vehicles such as Bristol VRT double deckers (DVG) and Leyland Olympian (DOG) would become more common place on the service which included at times Bws Gwynedd branded vehicles. This would be as a result of the company selling off some of the Leyland Olympians and Leyland Nationals to generate funds. Some such vehicles would be liveried in the latter powder blue and green ‘Coastliner’ livery as spare vehicles to provide additional capacity as and when required.

Please click HERE for further details of Crosville Motor Services vehicle fleet classifications systems, i.e. CMGs, CRGs, ERGs etc.

CRG530 is seen here on the first inaugural journey of the Cymru Coastliner, introduced by Crosville on the 5th of September 1965 between Caernarfon and Chester under the L1. The vehicle still displays the AA badge on the front grille from its trip to Monaco whilst the side panels have now been changed to ‘Caernarvon - Chester - Limited Stop - Crosville’.

Llandudno Junction flyover - 22 May, 1969. CRG526 crosses the new flyover on the 0625 Cymru Coastliner from Bangor to Chester. Driver A. Edwards, with Conductor I. R. Roberts is seen with Inspector Ifor Williams.

ENL909 is seen emerging from the Penmaenbach Tunnel heading towards Caernarfon. At that time this section of road was two way.

ENL959 is seen here in the early 1980’s advertising the Welsh TV Channel S4C, approaching Conwy on the way to Chester.

EOG210 is seen here at Bangor Clock bus station on 14 April 1986 in the first iteration of the Cymru Coastliner livery.

The Leyland Olympian double deckers would be the last throw of the National Bus Company (NBC) funding dice on the Cymru Coastliner before deregulation and privatisation would take place as from 25 October 1986.

EOG208 is seen here in the second iteration of the Cymru Coastliner livery in the early 1990’s at Pensarn, returning home to Caernarfon on a sunny summer’s evening. A fresh faced 21 year old, Richard Lloyd Jones is at the wheel, driving the ‘Liner’ having only turned 21.

The Leyland Olympian double deckers, or EOG’s as classed in the Crosville fleet (E = dual purpose; O = Olympian; G = Gardner 6HLXB engine) would be liveried in an impressive white and green livery with a big and bespoke red dragon on both sides, respecting the Wales flag. In June 1987 the company renumbered the service to X1 and on 15 May 1989 it dropped the word ‘Cymru’ from the title in favour of just ‘Coastliner’. In 1989 the livery was also revised by Crosville Wales, the successor to Crosville Motor Services, incorporating a powder blue band and green livery with a more cartoon style version of the red dragon.

From deregulation the operation of the Cymru Coastliner was transferred to Crosville Wales with the exception initially of Leyland Olympian EOG203 (B203 DTU) which remained with the English company initially in order to operate the first journey westbound from Chester. This laterally transferred to the Crosville Wales depot at Mold, with the company accepting the light mileage involved in order to keep the English company away from the service and Rhyl.

The service would undertake a number of timetable revisions and route iterations, and would include being extended to Wrecsam; Holyhead (X4); Porthmadog and Nantlle and even Chester Zoo on Sundays. By the 1990’s patronage was at a decline caused by competition from rail services and other competing local bus services from competitor bus companies. The frequency of the service and running time end to end was constantly being revised leading toreduction, resulting in only one through bus working from Caernarfon to Chester, that being the 0820 from Caernarfon Y Maes (Castle Square) to Chester for 1140. As a Caernarfon sided working, this would work a 1245 from Chester to Rhyl for 1400; a 1430 return to Chester; and then a 1545 journey from Chester back to Caernarfon.

By 1995 the Cymru Coastliner would be operated by second hand Plaxton bodied and Duple bodied Leyland Tiger coaches in more or less standard fleet bus livery but adorned with celebratory vinyls celebrating 30 years of the Cymru Coastliner (1965 - 1995). Sadly on 8 July 1995 the Cymru Coastliner service was subsequently withdrawn in its entirety, sighting lower patronage and increasing operational costs, just short of its thirty year existence to the date.

2012

In 2012 the Cymru Coastliner name was resurrected briefly by Arriva Buses Wales (the successor to Crosville Wales) on some of their local bus services covering sections of the original Cymru Coastliner route between Caernarfon and Chester. These services would be branded in a new style Cymru Coastliner branding as shown below, including the introduction of new vehicles in the shape of 10 ADl Wrightbus Gemini DLs between Rhyl and Chester on the number 11 service. These vehicles had Esteban V3 E-Leather upholstered seats and wifi availability.

Arriva Buses Wales, Cymru Coastliner branding from 2012 and 2014.

2014

In 2014, 15 new 14 registration VDL SB200 Wrightbus Pulsar buses were introduced on the 5 and X5 services between Llandudno and Caernarfon, also branded Cymru Coastliner as above. In the same year 20 new Enviro 400 double deckers are introduced to Arriva’s North Wales bus network, predominantly for service 12 between Llandudno and Rhyl as well as

2025

Fast forward to 2025 and the ‘Cymru Coastliner’ cherished branding is resurrected once again. However on this occasion it will be used on a new CC12 numbered limited stop coach service between Rhyl and Llandudno, operating only between Sunday 22 June to 25 August 2025. The service will be operated by Mercedes-Benz Tourismo coaches (ex Luton-London) and will provide an hourly, daily service from both ends commencing on the hour from Rhyl at 0700 (0800 Sundays and public holidays) and Llandudno from 0800 (0900 Sundays and Public Holidays. Click HERE for further details.

Thursday 19 June 2025 - CC12 Cymru Coastliner launch

On this day Arriva Buses Wales undertakes a launch event at the Events Arena Rhyl, encompassing the three Mercedes-Benz Tourismo coaches for the new service as well as preserved EOG207.

The new Cymru Coastliner branding by Arriva Buses Wales for summer 2025.

A rear image of the three Mercedes-Benz Tourismo coaches that will be utilised on the new CC12 Cymru Coastliner for summer 2025.

The main lure of the CC12 launch event was finally seeing immaculately preserved EOG207, making a return to Rhyl.

The old and new. One of the Mercedes-Benz Tourismo coaches that will be utilised on the new CC12 Cymru Coastliner services, backed up by preserved EOG207 that operated the original Cymru Coastliner services, nearly forty years earlier.

The proud owner of preserved EOG207, Andy Hamer sitting in the driver’s seat with Glyn Plevin, retired Crosville Motor Services employee and owner of preserved DLG950 on the right.

Preserved EOG207 immaculately turned out and in the sun at the Events Arena at Rhyl for the CC12 Cymru Coastliner launch.

Andy Hamer, the proud owner of immaculately preserved EOG207.

Preserved EOG207 is seen here parked in between two of the three Mercedes-Benz Tourismo coaches at rhe Events Arena, Rhyl.

Preserved EOG207 is seen here parked next to one of the Mercedes-Benz Tourismo coaches that will be utilised on the CC12 Cymru Coastliner for summer 2025.

Another angle of the three vehicles side by side.

Preserved EOG207 having returned to the Arriva Buses Wales Rhyl depot following the CC12 Cymru Coastliner launch event.

Richard Lloyd Jones sitting in the driving seat of preserved EOG207, remembering his time as a driver on the Cymru Coastliner thirty two years earlier.

Richard Lloyd Jones can be seen sitting in the driving seat of preserved EOG207.

Richard Lloyd Jones, sitting in the driving seat of preserved EOG207, thirty two years from being a young 21 year old freshed faced driver on the Cymru Coastliner, which involved EOG208, and EOG211 at the time.

Richard Lloyd Jones on the left and his eldest son Ioan on the right. It was a very strange feeling having your own son standing next to you on the passenger entrance platform of an EOG having driven such vehicles thirty two years earlier as a young twenty one year old and one of the youngest ever to drive the Cymru Coastliner services having only turned twenty one at the time.

Preserved EOG207’s driver cab area which instantly brought back memories from thirty two years earlier as a driver on the original Cymru Coastliner services between Caernarfon and Chester.

Left to right: Glyn Plevin; Ron Hughes; Andy Hamer; Ioan Lloyd-Jones; Adam Marshall (Arriva Head of Commercial); Peter Daniels (TfW).

A more detailed web page will be added to this website during this year that will provide more detail about the Cymru Coastliner service in celebrating 60 years, 1965 - 2025.

Below is a video of the CC12 Cymru Coastliner launch event at Rhyl on 19, June 2025 via You Tube as filmed by ‘Public Transport Today | Catch One Today’. Click on the white triangle in the red box below to watch the video.