Transport for Wales has published its 2025/26 Annual Report, revealing another year of strong growth across its rail and bus operations, with rising passenger numbers, higher customer satisfaction scores and a significant increase in revenue.
The report highlights the continued recovery and expansion of public transport use across Wales, with rail passenger growth exceeding the UK industry average and bus services also attracting more customers.
Among the standout achievements, rail revenue increased by 8.9% year-on-year to reach £190.3 million, continuing a steady upward trend since 2022/23. Customer satisfaction also improved, rising by 3.3 percentage points to 87.7%.
Rail journeys increased to 34.9 million during the year, while passenger numbers on the TrawsCymru bus network, managed by Transport for Wales, grew by 5.2%.
The organisation also delivered several major infrastructure milestones during the year. These included the completion of 170km of electrification on the Core Valley Lines as part of the South Wales Metro programme and the official opening of the Walnut Tree Depot at Taff’s Well.
Pay-as-you-go ticketing continued to gain momentum, recording 3.94 million rail journeys in 2025/26. The system is now being expanded further across the network, including services in North East Wales.
Operational performance also improved significantly. On the Core Valley Lines, which are owned by Transport for Wales, 92.6% of trains arrived within three minutes of schedule, up from 85.7% in 2024/25.
Deputy Minister for Transport, Mark Hooper said:
“Transport for Wales is doing an exceptionally good job in improving passenger experiences across Wales, which is a great base for us to build upon to keep moving in the right direction.
“Together, we will continue to build a more integrated and better-connected transport network—delivering reliable, accessible, and value-for-money services that improve people’s daily lives across Wales."
Vernon Everitt, Chair of Transport for Wales, said:
“Transport is about delivering for the people, communities and businesses we serve.
“For Transport for Wales, this has been a year of steady and sustained improvement in transport and of laying the ground for further progress. We realise there is much more to be done. This will benefit people in every part of Wales for generations to come.
“More and more people are using our services and customer satisfaction is rising. We look forward to continuing on this upward trajectory and delivering for the people of Wales.”
Chief Executive James Price added:
“Ten years ago, Transport for Wales was an idea on a whiteboard in a Welsh Government office.
“We are now a fully-fledged transport company employing over 4,500 people and running the Wales and Borders rail franchise. We’ve transformed the Core Valley Lines through delivery of the South Wales Metro and we’re operating TrawsCymru and fflecsi buses.
“Most importantly, our passenger numbers are continuing to grow, with our rail passenger numbers up 9.9% on last year while bus passenger numbers on services we manage have grown by over 5%.
“Over the coming years, we’ll keep building and providing for the people of Wales.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers, colleagues and partners who are on this journey with us.”
The latest results demonstrate the growing role that Transport for Wales is playing in delivering an integrated transport network, while investments in infrastructure, technology and operational performance continue to attract more passengers to rail and bus services across Wales.
Image and video credits: Transport for Wales
