AwardedAwarded 7 August 2026
Rail Replacement Service - Bus and Coach Operators
Transport for Wales Rail Limited (Utility Buyer) · Local or regional public body
In brief
Transport for Wales Rail Limited (Utility Buyer) awarded transport work to First Call Travel Ltd, Edwards Coaches Ltd and Sline Travel Limited and 50 others on 7 August 2026.
It is a framework worth up to £81,008,616 excluding VAT: the most the buyer expects to spend across all suppliers, not one contract.
The contract runs for 8 years, up to 8 years with extensions, starting 24 July 2026.
It is split into 3 lots, so a supplier can bid for part of the work.
The buyer says it is suitable for small and medium-sized businesses.
Built from the notice's own fields. Always check the official notice before you bid.
What the notice says
Transport for Wales Rail (TfWRL) are in-housing the co-ordination and management of Rail Replacement Service (RRS) across Wales and Border routes operated by TfWRL within Wales and between Wales and England. Or any such route operated by TfW as may arise in future.
This means that all pre-planned and emergency rail replacement services currently provided by coach and bus operators through an aggregator agreement, will be contracted for as services, directly by TfWRL.
This procurement also includes the requirement for adhoc travel services to be commissioned via this framework as they arise.
Based upon 24/25 Financial year data, approximately 6,000 emergency duties and 21,000 planned duties were delivered by circa 135 different operators.
It is currently intended the Open Framework will run for the maximum 8 year term.
Lots
| Lot | Trade | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 Lot 1: Emergency (up to 48 hours) 24 July 2026 to 23 July 2034 What this lot coversDuties to be offered with up to 48 Hours Notice. | Transport | £28,353,016 |
| Parts 2 & 3 Lot 2: Pre-Planned 24 July 2026 to 23 July 2034 What this lot coversPart 2 Lot 2: Pre-Planned (48 hours to 14 days) Part 3 Lot 2: Pre-Planned (over 14 days) | Transport | £40,504,308 |
| Part 4 Lot 3: Mini-Competition (over 14 days) 24 July 2026 to 23 July 2034 What this lot coversLarger groups of duties/blockades over a longer period of time. Each variable, dependant upon the specific need for rail replacement services at the time. | Transport | £12,151,292 |
Who won
| Winner | Lot | Value | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Call Travel Ltd (SME) Edwards Coaches Ltd (SME) Sline Travel Limited (SME) Stagecoach Rail Replacement (East) Limited (SME) Cymru Coaches Limited Forge Travel Limited (SME) G & S Travel Limited (SME) Wilkins Brothers (Cymmer) Limited (SME) Ridgways Coaches Limited (SME) AA minibus travels T/A Brit Coaches (SME) BAM Travel LTD (SME) Buchanans Coaches (SME) Bysiau Cwm Taf Valley Coaches (SME) Caelloi Motors (SME) Carmel Driving School and Travel Ltd (SME) Coastal Liner Ltd (SME) Cresta Coaches (SME) Davies Coaches LTD (SME) Easy Bus (SME) Eifions Coaches (SME) Francis Mini Travel Ltd (SME) GMbuses S&D (SME) Go Goodwins Clwyd Ltd (SME) Gower Mini Travel (SME) Hidden Anglesey (SME) J Davies Travel Ltd (SME) Jenson Travel (SME) Keane's Coaches (SME) Keepings International Ltd (SME) Lakeside Coaches Ltd (SME) Llew Jones Ltd (SME) Lloyds Coaches Longmynd Travel (SME) M Hayward & Daughter (South Wales) Ltd (SME) Mid Wales Motorways (1963) Ltd New Adventure Travel Limited (SME) N N Cresswell Coach Hire (SME) Newport Transport (SME) P&O Lloyd (SME) Pats Coaches (SME) Peyton Travel Limited (SME) Ramel Hamilton ta Replacement Bus Hire (SME) Regional Transport Ltd (SME) Rhiew Valley Motors Ltd (SME) South Wales Transport Ltd (SME) Star Coach Travel Ltd (SME) Teulu Travel Limited (SME) Thomas of Rhondda (SME) Varteg Motors Ltd T/A Phil Anslow Coaches (SME) Voel Coaches Ltd (SME) Watts Coaches Ltd (SME) Williams Coaches (SME) A C Jenkins LTD (SME) 63 bids received | Part 1 Lot 1: Emergency (up to 48 hours) | £28,353,016 | Awarded 7 August 2026 |
| First Call Travel Ltd (SME) Edwards Coaches Ltd (SME) Sline Travel Limited (SME) Stagecoach Rail Replacement (East) Limited (SME) Cymru Coaches Limited Forge Travel Limited (SME) G & S Travel Limited (SME) Wilkins Brothers (Cymmer) Limited (SME) Ridgways Coaches Limited (SME) AA minibus travels T/A Brit Coaches (SME) BAM Travel LTD (SME) Buchanans Coaches (SME) Bysiau Cwm Taf Valley Coaches (SME) Caelloi Motors (SME) Carmel Driving School and Travel Ltd (SME) Coastal Liner Ltd (SME) Cresta Coaches (SME) Davies Coaches LTD (SME) Easy Bus (SME) Eifions Coaches (SME) Francis Mini Travel Ltd (SME) GMbuses S&D (SME) Go Goodwins Clwyd Ltd (SME) Gower Mini Travel (SME) Hidden Anglesey (SME) J Davies Travel Ltd (SME) Jenson Travel (SME) Keane's Coaches (SME) Keepings International Ltd (SME) Lakeside Coaches Ltd (SME) Llew Jones Ltd (SME) Lloyds Coaches Longmynd Travel (SME) M Hayward & Daughter (South Wales) Ltd (SME) Mid Wales Motorways (1963) Ltd New Adventure Travel Limited (SME) N N Cresswell Coach Hire (SME) Newport Transport (SME) P&O Lloyd (SME) Pats Coaches (SME) Peyton Travel Limited (SME) Ramel Hamilton ta Replacement Bus Hire (SME) Regional Transport Ltd (SME) Rhiew Valley Motors Ltd (SME) South Wales Transport Ltd (SME) Star Coach Travel Ltd (SME) Teulu Travel Limited (SME) Thomas of Rhondda (SME) Varteg Motors Ltd T/A Phil Anslow Coaches (SME) Voel Coaches Ltd (SME) Watts Coaches Ltd (SME) Williams Coaches (SME) A C Jenkins LTD (SME) 62 bids received | Parts 2 & 3 Lot 2: Pre-Planned | £40,504,308 | Awarded 7 August 2026 |
| First Call Travel Ltd (SME) Edwards Coaches Ltd (SME) Sline Travel Limited (SME) Stagecoach Rail Replacement (East) Limited (SME) Cymru Coaches Limited Forge Travel Limited (SME) G & S Travel Limited (SME) Wilkins Brothers (Cymmer) Limited (SME) Ridgways Coaches Limited (SME) AA minibus travels T/A Brit Coaches (SME) BAM Travel LTD (SME) Buchanans Coaches (SME) Bysiau Cwm Taf Valley Coaches (SME) Caelloi Motors (SME) Carmel Driving School and Travel Ltd (SME) Coastal Liner Ltd (SME) Cresta Coaches (SME) Davies Coaches LTD (SME) Easy Bus (SME) Eifions Coaches (SME) Francis Mini Travel Ltd (SME) GMbuses S&D (SME) Go Goodwins Clwyd Ltd (SME) Gower Mini Travel (SME) Hidden Anglesey (SME) J Davies Travel Ltd (SME) Jenson Travel (SME) Keane's Coaches (SME) Keepings International Ltd (SME) Lakeside Coaches Ltd (SME) Llew Jones Ltd (SME) Lloyds Coaches Longmynd Travel (SME) M Hayward & Daughter (South Wales) Ltd (SME) Mid Wales Motorways (1963) Ltd New Adventure Travel Limited (SME) N N Cresswell Coach Hire (SME) Newport Transport (SME) P&O Lloyd (SME) Pats Coaches (SME) Peyton Travel Limited (SME) Ramel Hamilton ta Replacement Bus Hire (SME) Regional Transport Ltd (SME) Rhiew Valley Motors Ltd (SME) South Wales Transport Ltd (SME) Star Coach Travel Ltd (SME) Teulu Travel Limited (SME) Thomas of Rhondda (SME) Varteg Motors Ltd T/A Phil Anslow Coaches (SME) Voel Coaches Ltd (SME) Watts Coaches Ltd (SME) Williams Coaches (SME) A C Jenkins LTD (SME) 62 bids received | Part 4 Lot 3: Mini-Competition (over 14 days) | £12,151,292 | Awarded 7 August 2026 |
Values as the award notice gives them, excluding VAT where stated.
Timeline
- Preliminary market engagement notice · UK2, notice 002064-2026
- Tender notice · UK4, notice 038244-2026
- Tender notice · UK4, notice 048289-2026
- Contract award notice · UK6, notice 075598-2026
About the buyer
Transport for Wales Rail Limited (Utility Buyer)Last 12 months
Procurements
85Awards
43Suppliers it has used most for transport
- A C Jenkins LTD1 contract
- AA minibus travels T/A Brit Coaches1 contract
- BAM Travel LTD1 contract
- Buchanans Coaches1 contract
- Bysiau Cwm Taf Valley Coaches1 contract
Similar open tenders
All open transport tenders- £838mframework ceiling
- £33.9mestimated
From notice 002064-2026 on Find a Tender, first published 9 January 2026, last updated 10 August 2026. We last checked for changes on 28 September 2026.