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Newport - Ebbw Vale passenger service

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anthony263

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Just had this emailed to me which may interest some of you.

Sunday 25 March 2012 evening Cardiff to Ebbw Vale services reverse at
Newport (and show as direct passenger services Newport to Ebbw Vale).

Cardiff 17d30

Newport Arr 1746
Dep 17d49

E/Vale (Arr 1834
Dep 1837)

Newport arr: 1919
dep:1922

Cardiff Arr:1940


Cardiff Dep:1948

Newport Arr:2004
Dep: 2007

E/Vale Arr: 2052
Dep:2055

Newport Arr:2137
Dep:21:40

Cardiff Arr: 2158


Rail replacement buses are being used to cover previous services. This does offer a chance to travel between Gaer Jn & Park Jn and is just after the clokcs go forward so does offer better daylight options.

As for fares I have heard that the Cardiff - Ebbw Vale tickets will be valid for travel via Newport on 25/3
 
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Lrd

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Great stuff, may have to finally go and clear Ebbw Vale then. Thanks.
 

Rhydgaled

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I thought there was some reason (a type of signaling only suitable for frieght trains was my guess) that prevented passenger services working from Newport to the Ebbw Vale line, hence there is not yet a regular Newport - Ebbw Vale service alongside the Cardiff - Ebbw Vale one. If that's true, how come this diversion can happen or have the works needed for the Newport - Ebbw Vale service now been carried out?
 

anthony263

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I thought there was some reason (a type of signaling only suitable for frieght trains was my guess) that prevented passenger services working from Newport to the Ebbw Vale line, hence there is not yet a regular Newport - Ebbw Vale service alongside the Cardiff - Ebbw Vale one. If that's true, how come this diversion can happen or have the works needed for the Newport - Ebbw Vale service now been carried out?

I think the signalling has been done at Gaer Jn however the double track section on the Ebbw Vale branch will have to be extended further northwards and the WG need to get more DMU's or EMU's for an Ebbw Vale - Newport service to start.

I would say unless the WG decide to perhaps hire in 1 or 2 loco hauled sets to replace dmu's on say the Rhymney line then the earliest such a service could start running is 2015 which is when Scotrail should be able to release some dmu's.

If DMU's do become available I think the Cambrian and other routes in wales should get higher priority
 

Rhydgaled

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Isn't there a surplus of about 2 or 3 class 150s at ATW (four that were subleased to First Great Western but I expect have now been returned, minus one for the Fishguard services and perhaps another covering for low 175 availablity)?

On that note, ATW must be really short on 175s now. This week I had to go to Manchester. The 175 I had from Shrewsbury to Manchester (001 I think) this week had a leaky roof (liquid was driping from the ceiling, my guess is it was something to do with the air-con). On the way back next morning (Thursday March 1st)/early afternoon on another 175 I heard an anouncment about an engine failure of some sort and had to get off the service (which was headed for Milford) at Crewe for a replacment train. The replacment was a 150 (which I expect then went all the way to Milford) and we had the local stops between Crewe and Shrewsbury added. Add that to 175002's level crossing mishap and the lack of 67s for WAG 2 and that could be 4 175s lost from franchise services. I then had to wait over an hour in Shrewsbury for the train to Aberystwyth (the one that should reach Aber-Y at 5:20pm). Even the 158s seemed to be in a spot of bother, when our train to Aber-Y was due a 4-car 158 came in from the Birmingham direction but instead of being our train it was terminated at Shrewsbury. Instead we had to wait for a single 158 to come from the south (I expect it came from the Cambrian) which formed the working to Aberystwyth (where we arrived at about 5:28, so not much delay but a short-formed train (no portion for the Cambrian coast, although there were several more 158s at Machynlleth so one was probably used to provide a connection up to Pwllheli).

Going back to the Ebbw Vale topic, how many units are needed for the Newport service? Once the 158 refurbishment is complete there might be slightly less need for the woefully inapropriate use of 150s covering for 175s, so that's one unit anyway. Also, when the 67s and DVTs finally appear they should get that 175 back from WAG 2, use that to get shot of any more 150s on long-distance runs and put that 150 on the Maesteg line to get a 158 to replace the 150 on the Fishguard boat train. That 150 could then (once it has finished the morning strengthening) be used on Ebbw Vale - Newport or to plug gaps in the Cardiff - Cheltenham service.
 

anthony263

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Ebbw Vale - Newport would require 2 units although they will have long turn around times at Newport so the units would be required to shunt out of the station to clear the platforms until it is time for them to return to Newport to work the next service to Ebbw Vale.

The Ebbw Vale - Newport service could be extended to perhaps Cwmbran/Abergavenny although this would require the bay platform at Abergavenny to be re-opened an ew signalling to be ready and finally a 3rd unit.

From WNXX WAG 1 is looking to go over to 67 haulage from April however no chance of DVT's being used til September so it could be that the current MK2 rakes will get a stay of execution til some MK3 rakes are formed and training staff with the DVT's.

It looks like ATW have got a 2nd DVT as someone spotted it outside canton
 

Greenback

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The Ebbw Vale - Newport service could be extended to perhaps Cwmbran/Abergavenny although this would require the bay platform at Abergavenny to be re-opened an ew signalling to be ready and finally a 3rd unit.

If the services are extended to Abergavenny, I would hope to see a new station at Caerleon as well!
 

fgwrich

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The Ebbw Vale - Newport service could be extended to perhaps Cwmbran/Abergavenny although this would require the bay platform at Abergavenny to be re-opened an ew signalling to be ready and finally a 3rd unit.

Good idea, and i agree with the aim of seeing a new station at Caerleon as well...

But one thing came into my mind - could you get away with creating such a service without having to replace the signaling at Abergavenny - Ie, running the service into and out of Abergavenny in a similar way to the turbos at Bedwyn? - Train arrives into platform one, terminates, reverses into the loop and stables, then runs back into platform 1, and restarts the service from there, crossing over using the points just south of the station?
 

PHILIPE

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The Newport service was botched up even before the Cardiff service was started. Network Rail allowed the project to be developed by a privatr local organisation (the name escapes me) so the passing loop was put too far south to enable 2 trains an hour to Ebbw Vale. The sigalling at Gaer Jn was completed some time ago now.
 

Eagle

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It's not a first; about a month ago when there was a total blockage on the line between Newport and Cardiff, and Ebbw services were diverted to Newport for some time.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
If the services are extended to Abergavenny, I would hope to see a new station at Caerleon as well!

I think Network Rail's Wales RUS recommended more services to Abergavenny, with some more stations for the Newport area; one was Caerleon, another was Sebastopol (no idea where that is).
 

Ivo

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I think Network Rail's Wales RUS recommended more services to Abergavenny, with some more stations for the Newport area; one was Caerleon, another was Sebastopol (no idea where that is).

There is an area in the south of Pontypool called Sebastopol, which from the looks of things may have had a station once (there is a Station Road and also a small railway museum). The museum is about one mile south of the current Pontypool & New Inn facility, and just shy of two miles north of Cwmbran.
 

anthony263

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Having a Ebbw Vale -Newport- Abergavenney/Hereford service would be good especially if it means the Manchester/Holyhead services could be sped up perhaps running non stop between Newport & Hereford.

I do agree that really the only problems stoping a Newport - Ebbw Vale service is the passing loop needing to be extended northwards by about 2 miles and lack of rolling stock.
 

HSTfan!!!

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It's not a first; about a month ago when there was a total blockage on the line between Newport and Cardiff, and Ebbw services were diverted to Newport for some time.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


I think Network Rail's Wales RUS recommended more services to Abergavenny, with some more stations for the Newport area; one was Caerleon, another was Sebastopol (no idea where that is).

Not heard of the plan for Sebastopol, given an improved service at Pontypool would be a bonus.
Other planned stations include Pye Corner and Undy, possibly something else to the east of Newport in the Llanwern area would be feasible considering the extent of development in the area.
 

12CSVT

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Ebbw Vale - Newport would require 2 units although they will have long turn around times at Newport so the units would be required to shunt out of the station to clear the platforms until it is time for them to return to Newport to work the next service to Ebbw Vale.

As the units working the Cardiff - Ebbw Vale service have an hour layover time at Cardiff, it would make sense to recast the diagrams so that a unit arriving at Ebbw Vale from Cardiff then works to Newport, and vice versa.
 

Rhydgaled

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As the units working the Cardiff - Ebbw Vale service have an hour layover time at Cardiff, it would make sense to recast the diagrams so that a unit arriving at Ebbw Vale from Cardiff then works to Newport, and vice versa.

Or you could run the Maestegs to Ebbw Vale instead of Cheltenham, Ebbw Vale - Maesteg would then have around 6 mins turnround at one end and 8 at the other I think. If you leave the 2hr gaps in what would then be Cardiff - Cheltenham I've estimated that the three routes would require the same number of units as now except that you wouldn't need the unit coming in from Fishguard to go to Cheltenham I think. That would be better since it would allow the three 158s to stick to Cardiff - Cheltenham with Cardiff - Maesteg/Ebbw Vale 150 operated. Only flaw in that is those 3 158s are needed elsewhere in my opinion (2 on Cambrian, for the hourly service (just about do-able with 2 extra units I think, if the Cambrian coast and Holyhead - Shrewsbury are always 2-car only), and one on Cardiff - Fishguard expresses).
 

Squaddie

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There is an area in the south of Pontypool called Sebastopol, which from the looks of things may have had a station once (there is a Station Road and also a small railway museum). The museum is about one mile south of the current Pontypool & New Inn facility, and just shy of two miles north of Cwmbran.
I believe the station was called Panteg and Griffithstown.

The museum was located in the old GWR goods shed, but closed last year.
 

Gareth Marston

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Making a cross Newport service to Abergavenny is a bit silly as the market there is to Cardiff or change at Newport for London/Bristol.

SEWTA (the SE Wales Local Authoritys transport consortia) want a station reopening at Llantarnam - have a guess where their office is! A line branched off the Marches line there and ran parallel about half a mile to the west and ran through the middle of whats now Cwmbran and Sebastapool etc into the center of Pontypool and then up the valley to Aberyschan - far better placed for population in Torfaen. It was open for freight until 82 but Gwent CC and the Welsh Office had the road construction bulldozers waiting the last train and the track beds all but obliterated.

Ebbw Vale is botched the Parkway station at Ebbw Vale is some way short of the town.
 

Greenback

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Making a cross Newport service to Abergavenny is a bit silly as the market there is to Cardiff or change at Newport for London/Bristol.

It's not about serving a huge suppressed market bewteen Ebbw Vale and Abergavenny! Otherwise why bother to run trains through from and to Penarth and Bargoed, or Bridgend and Aberdare?

Perhaps an increased service at Abergavenny and Cwmbran might help to develop other flows rather than to and from Cardiff? After all, it will be an extra service to Newport, to change for Bristol and London. There may also be some strange people who would find a through train to Cwmbran attractive!
 

RP

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As the units working the Cardiff - Ebbw Vale service have an hour layover time at Cardiff, it would make sense to recast the diagrams so that a unit arriving at Ebbw Vale from Cardiff then works to Newport, and vice versa.

I've wondered about this possibility as being a way of achieving an integrated service after a loop is installed between Crumlin and Aberbeeg. I've also wondered whether an half hourly service to Cardiff with alternating trains reversing at Newport might be less difficult than running to a turnaround siding (East Usk and Maindee are quoted in some of the reports) or beyond to Cwmbran and Abergavenny. The longer journey time is usually cited as a disadvantage but I note that the overall single journey from Cardiff to Ebbw Vale via Newport is just 10 minutes longer. Much better than a Newport service being further postponed.
 
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