Ebbw Line News

Mar 21, 2007 09:03:54

The Ebbw Valley Line is a railway line in South Wales. The line closed to passenger traffic on 30 April 1962, remaining open for freight services only. The line is currently in the process of being restored to passenger service by Amey Rail, under contract from Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly County Borough Councils, Newport City Council, the Welsh Assembly Government and Network Rail. Services will be operated by Arriva Trains Wales, the existing train operating company in the region. Work was due to begin in the spring 2006 for completion by 2007, but local newspapers have reported delays in funding and construction work leading to the opening slipping back to 2009. Since this, the Welsh Assembly Government has announced work started on the line on 28 September 2006 - no completion date given. The initial reopening plan was for hourly services from Cardiff to a new station, Ebbw Vale Parkway. Monmouthshire Railway Society and other local transport groups have pushed for "Stage 2" that would allow trains to run to Newport High Street, push further north into Ebbw Vale town centre and connect to Abertillery via a junction at Aberbeeg, as well as extra stations at Cwm and Pye Corner. Some of these "Stage 2" proposals, such as the Newport connection, have been accepted in principle, but with a proposed start date of 2009; others are not mentioned in the plans at all. The original line terminated at Newport High Street station but the first phase of the current plan will see trains running to Park Junction and then taking the westbound fork to Cardiff Central station rather than the eastbound fork to Newport High Street. Until the second phase is completed, passengers wanting to alight in the centre of Newport, or wanting to make connections on the South Wales Main Line, Welsh Marches Line, or Gloucester to Newport Line will need to alight at Rogerstone in the outer suburbs of Newport for a connecting bus (or continue on to Cardiff and back again, adding 45+ minutes to the journey time). Work on Platform 4 at Newport Station has started, and will be completed in Summer 2007, in preparation for the Ebbw Vale connection. Places served Newport High Street Pye Corner, Newport Rogerstone, Newport Risca Crosskeys Newbridge (for Blackwood) Crumlin Llanhilleth Aberbeeg (for Abertillery) Cwm Ebbw Vale