Extension to Ebbw Vale Town station

[snowball]

Would have thought that award would go to North Transpennine once wired for the time being.

I don't think that line gets particularly high, given that it approaches the Pennines along river valleys and then goes through Standedge Tunnel. Wikipedia says the adjacent canal tunnel is 643 ft above sea level and up to 636 ft below ground. The summit of the M62 a few miles away is 1221 ft.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Would have thought that award would go to North Transpennine once wired for the time being.

Standedge is only 650 feet ASL (Shap 916, Beattock 1016).
Woodhead summit was 996 feet.
The highest south Pennine route is Cowburn (Chinley-Edale) at 860.
Peak Forest (freight) is 982, Bibbington (Dove Holes) is 1140.
So if the Buxton line was wired, it would beat all the existing/planned electric summits to date.

Ebbw Vale (town) is given at 1020 feet.
I imagine the station in the lowest part of the valley would be quite a bit lower than that.

 

[snowball]

Ebbw Vale Town station is now marked on Google Maps and satellite view.

 

[anthony263]

Extension is expected to be ready for timetable change

 

[D6975]

A couple of photos of the Growler Group's railtour that visited Ebbw Vale in 1990. I'm trying to work out exactly where we came to a halt. 37298 was on the front (the one with the red lines adornment) 37141 on the back.

 

[Starmill]

Standedge is only 650 feet ASL (Shap 916, Beattock 1016).
Woodhead summit was 996 feet.
The highest south Pennine route is Cowburn (Chinley-Edale) at 860.
Peak Forest (freight) is 982, Bibbington (Dove Holes) is 1140.
So if the Buxton line was wired, it would beat all the existing/planned electric summits to date.

Ebbw Vale (town) is given at 1020 feet.
I imagine the station in the lowest part of the valley would be quite a bit lower than that.

Makes you wonder how many years it will be before the wires reach Inverness. 1480 at Drumochter!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Extension is expected to be ready for timetable change

I knew funding had been agreed last year, but I didn't realise work had begun! This thread has been here doing its job and I hadn't noticed
I wonder if headshot119 can get on on the first day? Many thanks all for photographic contribution for those of us with a great interest in South Wales rail who live from afar

I have always thought it a little strange that this line wasn't initially completed up to the town in Ebbw Vale. There can be no doubt at all that it was a good idea to build a station at or near where Ebbw Vale Parkway lies, as the approx 400% of expected patronage a few years in demonstrated. But once the line serves the town, you will be able to use a train to visit Ebbw Vale, rather than just visit Cardiff as currently, if you drive to one of the stations on the line (of which all are well sited and mostly have good car parking. Cwm is the obvious 'gap' now that Pye Corner is open). But once this work is complete, along with the associated second train per hour (which I really hope goes to Newport - not sure if this has been confirmed?) this will be one of the biggest continued development success stories in railway line re-opening history.

Where next? Aberdare - Hirwaun? Welsh and Scottish devolved institutions are certainly more effective at this sort of thing than any of us here in England

 

[RP]

Cwm does seem to be an omission as trains rush through after leaving Ebbw Vale Parkway! However, there is apparently some work ongoing to develop business cases for Abertillery and Crumlin and possibly others, as part of Cardiff Capital Metro.

 

[PHILIPE]

If the line had gone through to Ebbw Vale Town originally, it would have had to run through the National Eisteddfod site in 2010

 

[headshot119]

Did starmill ask if I planned to be on the first train?

According to ATW's A1 May timetable change poster, serves are due to start at some point in September 2015.

 

[Class 170101]

If the line had gone through to Ebbw Vale Town originally, it would have had to run through the National Eisteddfod site in 2010

I understood the timetable would not have worked either as the double track section now also being built was unfunded at the time of Ebbw Vale Parkway re-opening.

 

[krus_aragon]

If the line had gone through to Ebbw Vale Town originally, it would have had to run through the National Eisteddfod site in 2010

Although, as a form of compensation, the Pontypool and Blaenafon Railway moved in for the week to run trains on the site instead.

 

[PHILIPE]

Although, as a form of compensation, the Pontypool and Blaenafon Railway moved in for the week to run trains on the site instead.

Yes, saw it while I was working there.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


STP Moves Sunday 10 May:-

10.12 5N50 Canton to Ebbw Vale Town 11.12

11.31 5F51 Ebbw Vale Town to Park Junction

12.40 5N52 Park Junction to Ebbw Vale Town

13.33 5F53 Ebbw Vale Town to Canton

"Proving" moves or route learning I would presume. Timed for DMU and in RTT

 

[anthony263]

Photos on facebook of the 1st class 150 to visit Ebbw Vale Town. Must say from the photo there is a very sharp gradient after leaving the station

 

[ianhr]

Did starmill ask if I planned to be on the first train?

According to ATW's A1 May timetable change poster, serves are due to start at some point in September 2015.

That means Galashiels/Tweedbank and Ebbw Vale town opening in the same month! It might be a challenge to do both in the same day!

 

[PHILIPE]

Photos on facebook of the 1st class 150 to visit Ebbw Vale Town. Must say from the photo there is a very sharp gradient after leaving the station

150217 worked and also worked 2 trips from Town to Parkway and back between 11 12 and 11 31.

 

[PaulHarding150]

Service starts this Sunday.

http://gov.wales/newsroom/transport/2015/10140073/?lang=en

The 07:38 Cardiff Central to Ebbw Vale Town will be the first train to arrive at 08.41 on Sunday and the 08.45 to Cardiff will be the first train to depart the new station.

 

[DaveHarries]

Photos on facebook of the 1st class 150 to visit Ebbw Vale Town. Must say from the photo there is a very sharp gradient after leaving the station

What is the link please? Checked ATW's page but couldn't find them.

Dave

 

[philbl2000]

Here is a link to some photos:

http://www.philt.org.uk/

 

[headshot119]

ATW site now showing the services if you try to book tickets.

Guess where I'll be Sunday morning

 

[davetheguard]

Here is a link to some photos:

http://www.philt.org.uk/

Thanks a lot for the photo & link.

I take it from the text that the new station is still half-a-mile short of the former Ebbw Vale low level station closed in 1962?

Knowing that stations were not always well sited, does that make the new station better, or less well sited, than the original steam-era station? And having now looked at a pre-Grouping railway atlas, I assume the GW station was the "low level" station to which you refer; and the L&NW one being the "high level"? Both stations appear to be termini; was there ever any means of through working here?

 

[PHILIPE]

Thanks a lot for the photo & link.

I take it from the text that the new station is still half-a-mile short of the former Ebbw Vale low level station closed in 1962?

Knowing that stations were not always well sited, does that make the new station better, or less well sited, than the original steam-era station?

The line can't go as far as it did in days of yore because of new buildings and roads. There is a lift, more like a cliff railway, about 100 yards away to go up to the Town Centre.

 

[headshot119]

And Ebbw Vale Town is open for business!

 

[mikestone1952]

The lift is not open and the cabin appears to have been taken away, unless it can be hidden in the lower station.

 

[paulfoel]

Good news but always very strange that you cant get to newport on this line. Great for cardiff of course but only way to get to newport is via cardiff which is not going to happen.

As someone who lives within 5 mins walk of rogerstone, its great for cardiff (or would be if there were more frequent trains. No good for me to travel to Gloucester every day - I have to drive past Rogerstone train station to newport.

If I caught train from rogerstone it would take me an hour to get back to newport I guess.

Used to be a bus link from rogerstone to newport train station but thats no longer running.

Any plans to link rogerstone and newport? Must admit due to train frequency I doubt it'd be any good for me.

Now ATW Ebbw Vale - Cheltenham would be good!

 

[Rhydgaled]

Good news but always very strange that you cant get to newport on this line. Great for cardiff of course but only way to get to newport is via cardiff which is not going to happen.

As someone who lives within 5 mins walk of rogerstone, its great for cardiff (or would be if there were more frequent trains. No good for me to travel to Gloucester every day - I have to drive past Rogerstone train station to newport.

If I caught train from rogerstone it would take me an hour to get back to newport I guess.

Used to be a bus link from rogerstone to newport train station but thats no longer running.

Any plans to link rogerstone and newport? Must admit due to train frequency I doubt it'd be any good for me.

I thought the Ebbw Vale line service was hourly, calling at all stations. I don't think that's particularly poor given there are many lines in Wales with less, for example Milford Haven with trains 2hrs apart at Fishguard with a 5hr gap. In future I believe it is planned to increase the service at Ebbw Vale to two trains an hour. I hope the extra hourly service will be Ebbw Vale - Newport (perhaps continuing to Hereford) rather than more Ebbw Vale - Cardiff trains.

 

[paulfoel]

I thought the Ebbw Vale line service was hourly, calling at all stations. I don't think that's particularly poor given there are many lines in Wales with less, for example Milford Haven with trains 2hrs apart at Fishguard with a 5hr gap. In future I believe it is planned to increase the service at Ebbw Vale to two trains an hour. I hope the extra hourly service will be Ebbw Vale - Newport (perhaps continuing to Hereford) rather than more Ebbw Vale - Cardiff trains.

OK maybe not poor but not great. Probably no good for a commute to work if you have to change at cardiff.

Compared to say approx every 10-15 mins cardiff-newport and even every 30 mins to glos/cheltenham.

Hoping for ebbw - cheltenham. Already a maesteg-cheltenham. Dont think anyone travels all the way on that one though - 2 hrs+ of hell

 

[PHILIPE]

Good news but always very strange that you cant get to newport on this line. Great for cardiff of course but only way to get to newport is via cardiff which is not going to happen.

As someone who lives within 5 mins walk of rogerstone, its great for cardiff (or would be if there were more frequent trains. No good for me to travel to Gloucester every day - I have to drive past Rogerstone train station to newport.

If I caught train from rogerstone it would take me an hour to get back to newport I guess.

Used to be a bus link from rogerstone to newport train station but thats no longer running.

Any plans to link rogerstone and newport? Must admit due to train frequency I doubt it'd be any good for me.

Now ATW Ebbw Vale - Cheltenham would be good!

There is plenty of reading on this thread re Ebbw Vale to Newport.

 

[Starmill]

There is plenty of reading on this thread re Ebbw Vale to Newport.

It's most likely that when the second train per hour from Ebbw Vale starts it will go to Newport. It may then continue on to Cardiff. The current direct Cardiff services will probably also stay. Would that work out well for you?

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Maybe I'm being idealistic, but wouldn't the obvious solution from the point of view of maximizing the usefulness to passengers be a half-hourly service with each train splitting at Pye Corner into Cardiff and Newport portions? (Obviously, once sufficient rolling stock becomes available, and assuming platforms can be made long enough)

 

[PHILIPE]

Platforms are all 4 Cars. The service would run to Newport, Platform 4, and back again. If extended to Cardiff another unit would be required and there is also the additional path between Newport and Cardiff to be considered.