Ebbw Vale Extension Thread

Gareth Marston · 8 May 2013

Following yesterdays announcement and comments on other threads I thought it best to start a new thread. Detail is a bit scarce but here is the announcement and some news article links.

http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/10403726.__11_5m_for_train_station_in_Ebbw_Vale_town_centre/

£11.5m for train station in Ebbw Vale town centre

THE Welsh Government has announced £11.5 million for a new station and railway into Ebbw Vale town centre.

Finance minister Jane Hutt announced the project as part of a £76.5 million funding package for housing, schools, flood protection and transport.

The Welsh Government said the scheme, part of the Ebbw Valley railway line, is an initial element of a wider programme to create a more integrated transport network in South East Wales.

Blaenau Gwent AM Alun Davies said he had been making the case "for years" to extend the rail link to Ebbw Vale town centre and called todays announcement "fantastic news".

He added: The rail link from Ebbw Vale to Cardiff has been very successful, with thousands of people using the service every week. This new station will further capitalise on this success."

He said the news strengthened the case to increase the frequency of the service between Ebbw Vale and Cardiff.

http://wales.gov.uk/newsroom/improvingpublicservices/2013/130507cap/?lang=en

£11.5 million for a railway and station in Ebbw Vale town centre, as an initial element of a wider programme to create a more integrated transport network in South East Wales and support the City Region strategy. This investment will be a further boost to the regeneration of the local area

RailUK Forums

anthony263 · 8 May 2013

Hopefully we will get some more information about this extension including whether or not the passing loop is to be extended northwards towards Llanhilleth and when they expect the work to be fully completed

charlee · 8 May 2013

Good news. I was unaware of the announcement until now. Is nice to see funding going to projects like this one. The extension will go along way for the people of ebbw vale. The success of this line is phenomenal and long may it continue.

mister-sparky · 8 May 2013

They should've done it properly and re-instated it to the town in the first place.

anthony263 · 8 May 2013

mister-sparky said:
They should've done it properly and re-instated it to the town in the first place.

True and you are not the only one who has said that.

Eire Sprinter · 8 May 2013

Good news, I hope that there will be a bus interchange at the station.

Roughly where in relation to the X4 bus stop (Inner Bypass) is the proposed station site and is it along a dismantled rail line or "greenfield"?

anthony263 · 9 May 2013

Eire Sprinter said:
Good news, I hope that there will be a bus interchange at the station.

Roughly where in relation to the X4 bus stop (Inner Bypass) is the proposed station site and is it along a dismantled rail line or "greenfield"?

The station site is along the track north of the current parkway station in the former steelworks complece, the track is still intact north of Ebbw Vale Parkway i believe

krus_aragon · 9 May 2013

anthony263 said:
The station site is along the track north of the current parkway station in the former steelworks complece, the track is still intact north of Ebbw Vale Parkway i believe

The track extends a short distance north of Parkway, but only as far as the A4046 overbridge. The entire steelworks area was cleared and flattened, including lifting the track.

cle · 9 May 2013

How about the services to Newport, which I assume would be doubling of the service?

Any extension of passing loops, or doubling of track/stations should be done during this, so that it's ready and waiting for the wires when that comes around.

Not worth mentioning Abertillery at this stage I guess. But if that ever came off, it'd probably need to be a third tph.

Xenophon PCDGS · 9 May 2013

Can anyone shed any light on the former Iron Works Halt at the head of this line and give any opening or closure date for it.

Rhydgaled · 9 May 2013

cle said:
How about the services to Newport, which I assume would be doubling of the service?

I second this question. Geographically, services to Newport look like they'd make even more sense than the current service to Cardiff, yet the line only has Cardiff services at the moment.

hilly · 9 May 2013

Rhydgaled said:
I second this question. Geographically, services to Newport look like they'd make even more sense than the current service to Cardiff, yet the line only has Cardiff services at the moment.

They would make sense, but I don't think there's space available in Newport station to stable the unit used, or paths to get it from the junction to the station in the first place

oglord · 9 May 2013

hilly said:
They would make sense, but I don't think there's space available in Newport station to stable the unit used, or paths to get it from the junction to the station in the first place

It doesn't need to be stabled at Newport, it could continue on to Abergavenny where a bay platform is being developed. Frankly if there is a path along the GWML for the 10 miles 23 chains between Ebbw Junction and Cardiff Central then finding a path for a mere 63 chains between Gaer Junction and Newport High Street should be no problem!

anthony263 · 9 May 2013

I am sure I have seen eastbound services depart from platform 2 at Newport so perhaps a train from Cardiff could crossover onto the relief lines and allow the Ebbw Vale service to come off the branch onto the mainline before entering platform 4 at Newport.

PhilipW · 9 May 2013

With the line now being extended a mile or so into Ebbw Vale town, would it be fair to say that extra double tracking on parts of the route will now be a necessity, rather than a nice-to-have, in order to run services efficiently ?

cle · 9 May 2013

Seems ridiculous really, Newport is hardly the most complex station - 4 platforms suffice at many other more places.

And additional service to Cwmbran and Abergavenny would be a nice bonus. When is the bay there operational by?

hilly · 9 May 2013

cle said:
Seems ridiculous really, Newport is hardly the most complex station - 4 platforms suffice at many other more places.

And additional service to Cwmbran and Abergavenny would be a nice bonus. When is the bay there operational by?

It should be easy enough but I think gaer junction is a single line onto the main eastbound line so would need to rearrange the lines into Newport from the west ( adj tunnels etc ) to make it work

swcovas · 9 May 2013

oglord said:
It doesn't need to be stabled at Newport, it could continue on to Abergavenny where a bay platform is being developed. Frankly if there is a path along the GWML for the 10 miles 23 chains between Ebbw Junction and Cardiff Central then finding a path for a mere 63 chains between Gaer Junction and Newport High Street should be no problem!

Isn't it a signalling as opposed to pathing problem?

anthony263 · 9 May 2013

I think Network rail have finished the signalling issue at Gaer Junction.

I think the reasons why we havent got a Ebbw Vale - Newport service is that it currently cannot be pathed on the branch until the double track loop is extended towards Newbridge and Llanhilleth.

The lack of stock is another issue especially when there are other service on the ATW network who want extra carriages/services the Rhymeny service is set to be increased to half hourly soon once the loop at Tir-Phill has been completed.

On 26th May the line between Cardiff and Newport is set to be closed until the afternoon so the 1st few trains of the day on the Ebbw Vale branch will shuttle between Ebbw Vale and Newport so there will be an opportunity for those of you who want to do the line between Park & Gaer Junction.

As I have stated before there are for tracks between Cardiff and Newport so there is nothing really stopping some services being diverted onto the relief lines freeing up a path to allow the Ebbw Vale services to run.

I am sure I read somewhere about Network Rail stating that there was enough paths for a hourly Ebbw Vale - Newport service along with a possible Caerphilly - Machen - Newport service

Gareth Marston · 9 May 2013

All four platforms at Newport are bi directional. The Heart of Wales services that did terminate at Cardiff are being extended to Newport.

PHILIPE · 9 May 2013

anthony263 said:
I am sure I have seen eastbound services depart from platform 2 at Newport so perhaps a train from Cardiff could crossover onto the relief lines and allow the Ebbw Vale service to come off the branch onto the mainline before entering platform 4 at Newport.

All platforms bi-directional

anthony263 · 9 May 2013

PHILIPE said:
All platforms bi-directional

Well that would make it easier to reverse trains, I knew platform 4 was bi directional having been on a service from Hereford to Cardiff which used it which did come as a surprise.

Quakers Yard · 9 May 2013

I agree that the line should have reached Ebbw Vale from the outset but nice to see that it is now going to happen. There is very little chance of a branch to Abertillery for many years to come until the line probably goes to Newport and not Cardiff and frequency improves. As for Caerphilly to Machen please tell me how that would be routed - did that mean Bedwas where the Machen line seems to extend nearby to?

anthony263 · 9 May 2013

Quakers Yard said:
I agree that the line should have reached Ebbw Vale from the outset but nice to see that it is now going to happen. There is very little chance of a branch to Abertillery for many years to come until the line probably goes to Newport and not Cardiff and frequency improves. As for Caerphilly to Machen please tell me how that would be routed - did that mean Bedwas where the Machen line seems to extend nearby to?

Yes I think that is correct

Gareth Marston · 17 May 2013

A bit more has appeared on detail along with announcement of station at Pye Corner.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-22550481

"The Ebbw Vale Town station will be a single platform at the Works, on the redeveloped steelworks site".

Ebbw Vale Extension Thread

Established Member

RailUK Forums

Established Member

Member

Member

Established Member

Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Member

Member

Established Member

Member

Established Member

Member

Member

Established Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Member

Established Member

Established Member