Future rail services from Ebbw Vale to Newport, South East Wales and beyond

[RP]

I'm also pleased to see the Network Rail Media Centre release today (24.2.22) which provides an answer to the questions posed in my posting of 11.2.22. I will be following progress with interest!

It's surely time that we in the Western Valley had an eastward connection from the Ebbw Vale line to Newport, and importantly, the rest of the UK network. It's just a pity that the lower part of the line between Rogerstone and Pye Corner will be restricted by a single track overbridge, a legacy of decisions made by Gwent County Council in the 1980s.

 

[Signal_Box]

GCC who resisted rail investment with a passion back in the 80s & 90s.

When the garden festival was held in Ebbw Vale the cost to reinstate the line to passenger service was the £180,000.

 

[RP]

GCC who resisted rail investment with a passion back in the 80s & 90s.

When the garden festival was held in Ebbw Vale the cost to reinstate the line to passenger service was the £180,000.

Yes. Unfortunately, a lot of trackbed was lost to road schemes in their area at that time as it seemed an easier option. As well as that bridge, the line beyond Abertillery to Blaina and Brynmawr, the Eastern Valley line and links from Machen to Caerphilly - which could have been useful. I would acknowledge that schemes around Blackwood and Tredegar on the Sirhowy Valley Line, the Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny line and the Usk to Monmouth line would be unlikely to be able to justify further development. That left us with just six open stations in the former GCC area until Cwmbran and the Ebbw Vale Line stations more than doubled that number!

 

[Signal_Box]

Yes. Unfortunately, a lot of trackbed was lost to road schemes in their area at that time as it seemed an easier option. As well as that bridge, the line beyond Abertillery to Blaina and Brynmawr, the Eastern Valley line and links from Machen to Caerphilly - which could have been useful. I would acknowledge that schemes around Blackwood and Tredegar on the Sirhowy Valley Line, the Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny line and the Usk to Monmouth line would be unlikely to be able to justify further development. That left us with just six open stations in the former GCC area until Cwmbran and the Ebbw Vale Line stations more than doubled that number!

I’m not one to day dream about opening long closed lines again, but Usk to Monmouth would surely provide much needed connectivity to Cardiff and beyond these days. Maybe the population look more to Gloucester for employment these days though ?

 

[snowball]

The April Modern Railways has an item on p. 22 saying that documents released under FoI show the funding arrangement involves sleight of hand. The Welsh Government is "lending" £70M to Blaenau Gwent Council to pay for the work, but will also be giving the council money each year to fund the loan repayments back to WG.

 

[Doctor Fegg]

Usk to Monmouth would surely provide much needed connectivity to Cardiff and beyond these days.

Usk to Little Mill looks likely to become a cycleway.