Ebbw Vale half hourly by 2016

[Gareth Marston]

http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/gwentnews/11274163.Ebbw_Valley_line_upgrade_done_by_2016___Carwyn_Jones/?ref=rss

Ebbw Valley line upgrade done by 2016 - Carwyn Jones

WORK to upgrade the Ebbw Valley railway line that could see an additional service to Newport or Cardiff will be done by 2016, the first minister told the Assembly.

Carwyn Jones said the Welsh Government is funding track works that will provide the capability to operate additional services that could operate to either Newport or Cardiff.

The Argus has campaigned for more than a decade for a passenger train service from Newport to Ebbw Vale.

Mohammad Asghar, Tory AM for South East Wales, asked in first minister’s questions in the Senedd whether plans for further improvements to the Ebbw Valley railway line include linking Newport with a passenger train link.

Mr Jones said the Pye Corner station in the west of Newport, that is due to open in December of this year, “will improve access to Newport.”

He added: “We are also funding track works which will provide the capability to operate additional services that could operate to either Newport or Cardiff, and those works will be completed in 2016.”

Where that train will go is likely to be controversial – with Blaenau Gwent's Alun Davies AM and Nick Smith MP calling for an extra service to the capital while voices in Newport, including this newspaper, want their city to be linked up.

Newport council has its itself recently commissioned consultants to work up a new business case for a Ebbw Vale to Newport railway service.

Mr Jones’ comments confirm an Argus report in January that it understood that Welsh Government business minister Edwina Hart had earmarked funding for improvements to the Ebbw Valley line that would allow for an extra hourly passenger rail service.

This would include a passing loop at Llanhilleth.

The Welsh Government were tight-lipped on the move at the time, not revealing when the work would be completed by or how much it would cost.

Last year Transport Minister Edwina Hart had agreed an allocation of £62 million in funding for 2013 to 2016 to be allocated for phase 1 of the South East Wales Metro plan to upgrade the public transport network and it was understood that the Ebbw Valley line improvements would be part of this project.

 

[Class 170101]

I think they need to worry about getting the wires up in the Valleys first before worrying about Ebbw Vale. There aren't any DMUs available for Wales until this is done.

 

[Gareth Marston]

Project seems to have been bumped up the batting order, and will crowd out some other capital budget schemes I.e The A483 Newtown Bypass is due to start work in 2016 "subject to funding".
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I think they need to worry about getting the wires up in the Valleys first before worrying about Ebbw Vale. There aren't any DMUs available for Wales until this is done.

Will be easier to and cheaper to wire with additional passing loop in situ than adding it at later date.

 

[anthony263]

Certainly the infrastructrure for a 30 minutely service will be in place but as class 170101 has stated ATW dont really have any more dmu's spare to improve teh service.

Dont forget there are other services in wales which could do with further improvements to the service levels eg, Swanline, Fishguard, Milford Haven, Cardiff - Cheltenham etc.

That said perhaps if the Thames Valley electrification to Oxford is done in time for 2016 perhaps some additional 150's could be freed up by displaced turbo's or perhaps even FGW's class 143's

 

[HowardGWR]

I think they need to worry about getting the wires up in the Valleys first before worrying about Ebbw Vale. There aren't any DMUs available for Wales until this is done.

Forgive my ignorance but why is the Ebbw Vale not a Valley? I had just assumed that would be electric too, especially if these new services are introduced..

 

[Mintona]

Rumours abound that the Cardiff-Cheltenham service won't be run by ATW for much longer, so that could free up some stock.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Forgive my ignorance but why is the Ebbw Vale not a Valley? I had just assumed that would be electric too, especially if these new services are introduced..

It was originally the Ebbw Vale branch of the Monmouthshire Railway's Western Valleys Line (from Aberbeeg Jn).
The name now applies to the whole branch from the SWML at Newport.
The Vale of Neath was another "Vale", as is the Vale of Glamorgan.

Mostly the so-called "Valleys" network was that of the Taff Vale (another Vale), Rhymney and Barry Railways, which stayed independent of the GWR until 1923.
The outlying Monmouthshire and Maesteg lines were bought by the GWR in 1875/1873 respectively.
You could always call it the "Glyn Ebwy" line in Welsh.

On the line upgrade, this was on the agenda long before electrification came along, linked to doubling frequency and running to Newport as well as Cardiff.
According to the Newport Argus, it's all their idea.
I expect it will all get folded into the new W&B franchise spec for 2018.
There are no dates or even any idea of sequencing for Valleys electrification yet (assuming they've found the money for it).

 

[anthony263]

It was originally the Ebbw Vale branch of the Monmouthshire Railway's Western Valleys Line (from Aberbeeg Jn).
The name now applies to the whole branch from the SWML at Newport.
The Vale of Neath was another "Vale", as is the Vale of Glamorgan.

Mostly the so-called "Valleys" network was that of the Taff Vale (another Vale), Rhymney and Barry Railways, which stayed independent of the GWR until 1923.
The outlying Monmouthshire and Maesteg lines were bought by the GWR in 1875/1873 respectively.
You could always call it the "Glyn Ebwy" line in Welsh.

On the line upgrade, this was on the agenda long before electrification came along, linked to doubling frequency and running to Newport as well as Cardiff.
According to the Newport Argus, it's all their idea.
I expect it will all get folded into the new W&B franchise spec for 2018.
There are no dates or even any idea of sequencing for Valleys electrification yet (assuming they've found the money for it).

Hopefully something will be sorted about the valley lines electrification before 2020. I do suspect the WG will try and raise the money by borrowing but I do think the Maesteg and Ebbw Vale lines will be the 1st to be wired seeing as they connect directly onto the SWML otherwise the only emu's in south wales could be just the IEP's and whatever is used on the swanline services

 

[Class 170101]

Forgive my ignorance but why is the Ebbw Vale not a Valley? I had just assumed that would be electric too, especially if these new services are introduced..

I thought the wiring only applied to branches originating close to Cardiff. If Ebbw Vale is also included then sorry for the confusion.
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Rumours abound that the Cardiff-Cheltenham service won't be run by ATW for much longer, so that could free up some stock.

I haven't heard about this one but if the route i. s removed from ATW hopefully it can be added to XC and extended to New Street. Merge with either Notts to New Street or Leicester to New Street services.

 

[tbtc]

Good news, if they have the funding for it (I thought that Cardiff Bay were still wangling with Westminster over funding the "Valley" lines, so not sure where they have the spare money for this redoubling if they are having to fork out more for the core Valley lines than they'd expected).

However, I'm sure I can remember another project in Wales where lines were doubled to allow the frequency to be doubled, but it turned out that there weren't any DMUs spare... maybe Gareth knows which one I am on about? (i.e. in which case it seems odd to be doing more infrastructure enhancements without having the stock to go with it)

 

[MarkyT]

What strikes me as odd about the Ebbw Vale service is why the existing trains don't run via Newport station now, with a reversal of course. The trains pass within about 2km of the large town centre and rail interchange, but when the service started, this possibility was discounted mainly due to lack of capacity at Newport - fair enough. However the station has since been rebuilt with an additional platform and new signalling. Existing passengers will now be used to the shorter journey times direct to Cardiff now though, so it could be difficult now to withdraw them in favour of all trains of a 30 minute interval service running via Newport and reverse, perhaps adding up to 10 minutes to the schedule, but linking people in the Westerns Valleys much better to jobs, commerce and entertainment not only in Cardiff, but also Newport, as well as the Bristol area via a single change without having to go the wrong way into Cardiff first. The new station at Pye Corner is a good idea and could help development in that area, but requiring a long local bus connection over busy single carriageway roads into central Newport is poor compared to a direct service, and doesn't help much for interchange to other rail services.

 

[trainfanatic]

Ahhh....remembering the oh so happy days turning in 12 hour shifts at Rogerstone North box back in the mid 60's.

Very busy those days of course with coal for the adjacent power station plus sidings and bits and bobs.

 

[Gareth Marston]

Essentially a couple of miles in off the coastal plain the geography turns into a number of upland narrow sided valleys only abou a mile in width where they fpund coal deposits in the late 18th century the valleys strect 25 miles inland. And are north to south in direction ending in the Brecon Beocons. Each one had at least one line up them and many 2 or even three plus cross valley lines to carry out the black gold. Some survived as the coal out survived or a socialist plan to build a stel works inland Ebbw vale in the 50's. The Sirwohy Valley has no line left but has a large population in Pontllanfraith, Blackwood and Tredegar but was an LMWR line in GWR territitory.

 

[Starmill]

So is it just a new passing loop and platform at Llanhilleth? Or another longer loop? Sorry it isn't that clear. I wonder how much more it would have cost to build that station with 2 platforms originally and how much it will cost now to add it later. I then look at this in the context of the mostly single track Borders Railway that is under construction...

 

[swcovas]

What strikes me as odd about the Ebbw Vale service is why the existing trains don't run via Newport station now, with a reversal of course.

The original plan envisaged an Ebbw Vale - Newport service but (I think) because of signalling constraints at Park Junction it was decided to introduce the service as Ebbw Vale - Cardiff.

As an aside where does the Abertillery extension fit into things? Again IIRC the plan was to run half hourly Abertillery -Newport and Half hourly EV - Cardiff (or vice versa) once the signalling at Park Junction was renewed. Is Abertillery now a dead duck?

 

[PointsWest]

Rumours abound that the Cardiff-Cheltenham service won't be run by ATW for much longer, so that could free up some stock.

But isn't Cardiff - Gloucester a franchise requirement?
Can't see that changing until the next rewrite.

 

[PHILIPE]

The signalling has been in place now for a couple of years to enable trains to run into and out of Newport. Trains have done it on several occasions (including a two week spell in May) because of Engineering Work.

 

[NX]

As posted above ATW often run direct Newport to Ebbw Vale services during engineering blocks on huge mainline. They also operate the first down trip via Newport as ecs to retain crew knowledge.

The constraint is Park Junction Im lead to believe, I don't know what or why though.

You have to lol at where passengers are going from Ebbw Vale, do many if any want to go to Newport? Going via Newport would add approx 15-20 minutes to trip, Newport has approx a 10 minute service to Cardiff.

As for Cardiff to Cheltenham services leaving ATW I can see it happening, as if we recall this is the rump of the former Wales and West Cardiff to Birmingham New Street service. XC already operate the hourly Cardiff to Nottingham so I doubt XC would want it! the favourite would be FGW, who could crew it from Gloucester, Bristol or Cardiff depots as all bar Bristol sign the route.

NX

 

[Class 170101]

Why wouldn't XC want the route if it was extended to New Street? They would get a greater share of ORCATS revenue if they ran the route and paths between Cardiff and Cheltenham if they took over.

 

[NX]

Bernt Green to New St is heavily congested as it is, plus the extra Redditch and Bromsgrove services in a year or so so wouldn't allow another train from South
Wales.

NX

 

[cle]

Does this include the Ebbw Vale Town station too?

 

[Tumbleweed]

I thought there was issues with Ebbw Vale trains terminating at Newport? Conflicts with other trains, run through with other services not being viable etc?

 

[bussnapperwm]

Why wouldn't XC want the route if it was extended to New Street? They would get a greater share of ORCATS revenue if they ran the route and paths between Cardiff and Cheltenham if they took over.

Unless they divert the additional service via Stourbridge and Smethwick west?

 

[Class 170101]

Bernt Green to New St is heavily congested as it is, plus the extra Redditch and Bromsgrove services in a year or so so wouldn't allow another train from South
Wales.

NX

Isn't Barnt Green to Kings Norton four tracks? Secondly I thought it only be existing Longbridge terminators being extended to Redditch and Bromsgrove.

 

[PHILIPE]

I thought there was issues with Ebbw Vale trains terminating at Newport? Conflicts with other trains, run through with other services not being viable etc?

Should be OK to find slots and using Platform 4. They shouldn't be there long before returning. Remember a similar amount of trains to now used to be accommodated in 3 Platforms before Platform 4 was brought into use. This would have been thought through years ago when plans for a service were drawn up..

 

[anthony263]

Perhaps a stabling siding could be used where the unit can shunt to before returning to Newport station to head back to Ebbw Vale.

Also isnt there a spare path out of Cardiff on some hours at 05 minutes past on the mainlines?

 

[NX]

The mainline from Birmingham New Street to Kings norton is twin track and a bloody nightmare with the Cross ****ty ecs trains every 15 minutes.

Kings Norton to Brent Green is Four tracks, however only the slow lines used by the XC services to Longbridge wired.

I don't know which services are being extended to Bromsgrove though.

Regards to Newport, of push came to shove, the terminating Ebbw Vale services into Newport platform 4 could do a ecs shunt onto Maindee West junction, towards Cwmbran out of the way.

There is no connection from P1 to the Gear Tunnel/Park junction anymore, it was removed during the NARS and transfer to SWCC.

NX

 

[Greenback]

I seem to recall that the removal of a crossover caused a lot of argument and was said to be the reason Ebbw Vale trains could not run to Newport when the line was reopened. But I assume that is not so problematic now?

 

[merlodlliw]

I seem to recall that the removal of a crossover caused a lot of argument and was said to be the reason Ebbw Vale trains could not run to Newport when the line was reopened. But I assume that is not so problematic now?

I dont think it was a great problem when the line reopened,the funding for the line if I recall was from Europe under the Old objective one scheme,I recall there was a better chance of funding,IE everything goes to Cardiff City when Newport was just a town at the time, my opinion only.Plus Politics in Ebbw had given WG a bloody nose at the time.

 

[Squaddie]

I recall there was a better chance of funding,IE everything goes to Cardiff City when Newport was just a town at the time, my opinion only.Plus Politics in Ebbw had given WG a bloody nose at the time.

Or perhaps it was just due to track and/or signal constraints, and not petty political intrigue.