Recent content by RP

According to Realtime trains were running this morning. However, the services from Newport to Crosskeys since 12.20 appear to have been cancelled until at least 17.20. No trains appear in the timetable from Monday next week. It's surely a pointless exercise until the enhancement work north of...

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...

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...

Has anyone heard of any progress with the track doubling project between Crosskeys and Aberbeeg recently? I seem to recall that it was hoped that the additional hourly service to Newport was to be extended from Crosskeys to Ebbw Vale in 2022. I travelled to Ebbw Vale Town earlier this week...

Rather odd to see Worcestershire Parkway scrolling with the other station stops on the Passenger Information Screen on the Cardiff to Nottingham Class 170 service earlier today. I looked on my phone to see if it had suddenly opened!

Class 170s seemed to be out in force today, observed on a journey from Risca & Pontymister to Gloucester. 170 201/2/4 and 273 were on Ebbw Vale line trains and two others on Maesteg to Cheltenham services, so perhaps some of the issues have been resolved?

Photographs from this morning. In the photograph of the Usk Bridge, the portal didn't appear to be at right angles to the track. The masts attached to the central section are not exactly opposite each other. The view from Mill Street shows some of the ongoing work required to build foundations...

I didn't see any wiring; maybe some additional SPS, but nothing significant.

Thanks for an excellent update, as usual. In answer to your question about wiring at Pilning, wiring was evident on 9.7.18 from just west of Pilning to the Severn Tunnel portal, The wiring may not have been complete but it did encompass the crossover and the loops at the Severn Tunnel end. On...

I recall a portal boom across the four tracks of the main line and a fairly adjacent Twin track cantilever across the very first part of the Ebbw Vale branch as I passed on 18.6.18.

At Newport station, the work on cutting back canopies has been going on for quite some time. Platform 1 is largely complete apart from the sections adjacent to the skeletal remains of the old footbridge, which must soon be due for removal! Platforms 2/3 are more complex because of the...

First signs of OLE masts and cantilevers, etc. at Newport station. Also, a revised signal gantry at the west end, where it appears that they have used the existing uprights with new vertical extensions and a new horizontals and signal heads. A similar structure has appeared at the east end of...

No, seats don't all line up. Some are obscured by the sliding door pockets too, as I recall from others' previous postings. Passengers were advised to move forward to coach C in the second 5-car set to alight at Bristol Parkway because the last two coaches were not 'platformed'. I'm not sure...

Likewise, I travelled from Newport to Bristol Parkway on a Class 800 today for the first time, and echo others' comments. The train seemed light and airy inside the saloons and I was surprised to see pull-down window blinds. The seats are firm - and took me by surprise when I sat down...

As well as additional masts and twin track cantilevers, I spotted a few masts now fitted with the arm for the auto-transformer lead and others with registration arms swivelled parallel with relief lines on main line beteween Newport and Cardiff near Wentlloog Freightliner Terminal today. Still...