Bridgend County Borough Council is seeking an operator for a new road train attraction in Porthcawl.

Plans to establish the service, which will run between Sandy Bay and Rest Bay to connect the town centre with the seafront, were approved by the council in November.

The seasonal service will normally be expected to operate from the end of March or the beginning of Easter until the end of September. Services outside this period will be at the discretion of the operator and subject to any necessary approvals.

The operator will be responsible for providing the land train, all maintenance, repair, operating and ticketing costs and insurance. Applicants should have experience of running similar operations and be able to demonstrate they have sufficient resources to be able to run a successful service.

Cabinet member for education and regeneration Councillor Charles Smith said: “This is a brilliant opportunity for an experienced operator to run an exciting new visitor attraction for Porthcawl.

“A provisional route has been proposed, with stops helping to connect the seafront and town centre. The council expects the land train to be in operation this year as soon as coronavirus restrictions allow.

“Funding of £11,453 to facilitate the operation of the land train has been secured thanks to £1.5m of EU funding via the Welsh Government’s new Tourism Attractor Destination programme, which was launched by Visit Wales to create 13 must-see tourist destinations.

“The council has previously used the scheme to successfully deliver the £1.5m Watersports Centre at Rest Bay, refurbish the kiosk building at Porthcawl Marina, and launch a Visit Bridgend website to showcase the county borough to residents and visitors.”

Porthcawl was previously served by the Promenade Princess, a popular road train attraction which ran for a number of years until 2008.

Organisations that are interested in applying to run the land train can email [email protected] for a copy of the operator brief and further information. Applications must be submitted by midnight on Sunday 31 January 2021.