Ebbw Vale town station

[4SRKT]

Does anyone think it's probable that the line to Ebbw Vale Parkway will ever be extended into a new station in the town? I've not been on the line yet and have an opportunity to do so next week when I'm in South Wales with work.

I won't bother though if there's a reasonable chance that it'll get extended and I'll only have to cover the whole section between Ebbw Vale Junction and Parkway again just to get the last mile or so. Would be a waste of £7 next week IMHO.

This policy of ignoring things paid off for me when I ignored the reopened sections between Airdrie and Drumgelloch, and Newbridge and Bathgate for many years. I picked them up last year when I used the new Edinburgh > Bathgate > Glasgow service, and would have wasted time and/or money in the past had I gone out of my way to get Drumgelloch and Bathgate ticked off

 

[Greenback]

If it does get extended it won't be for quite a while yet, in my humble opinion. The date to introduce services to Newport keeps getting put back time and time again, and I would have thought that would come first.

 

[DaveHarries]

The last time I was up at Ebbw Vale - which was a while back - I noticed they were putting up a new building on at least part of the site of the old steelworks there. IIRC the new building is to be a hospital.

As I was talking to one of the locals he told me - IIRC - that a new station is to go up at the same time and on the same bit of the site. Assuming that is still the case it sounds as if the extension may come first. Next time I get up there I will try and get a closer look if I remember to do so.

Dave

 

[PHILIPE]

WAG keep on dithering over things such as this without seemingly failing to realise that dithering costs money because all the time inflationary costs are rising.

 

[merlodlliw]

If it does get extended it won't be for quite a while yet, in my humble opinion. The date to introduce services to Newport keeps getting put back time and time again, and I would have thought that would come first.

A lot of the Euro funding has dried up(this is where the money for reopening the line came from), I don't see the local County Council or WG having any spare cash to build the station extension, also the Newport route appears years away,if ever.

 

[trainfanatic]

The last time I was up at Ebbw Vale - which was a while back - I noticed they were putting up a new building on at least part of the site of the old steelworks there. IIRC the new building is to be a hospital.

As I was talking to one of the locals he told me - IIRC - that a new station is to go up at the same time and on the same bit of the site. Assuming that is still the case it sounds as if the extension may come first. Next time I get up there I will try and get a closer look if I remember to do so.

Dave

Isn't that new building the newly opened Gwent archives? I'm planning on visiting this pretty soon to undertake family record searching.

 

[PHILIPE]

The Gwent archives or heritage building is the old Steel Works offices and is on a higher level on your right if you are facing north. The hospital is a brand new building at the lower level so there should not be much trouble in distinguishing the two buildings.

 

[Eagle]

...and would have wasted time and/or money in the past had I gone out of my way to get Drumgelloch and Bathgate ticked off

The 1980s Drumgelloch is a different station on a different alignment to the 2010s one, same with Bathgate :P

 

[4SRKT]

Tomorrow's the day. What a dilemma.......... Do I break at Cardiff en route to Bridgend for a quick dash up and down to Ebbw Vale, only to risk having to go back years from now just to get an extra mile or so? Aaarghhh!

 

[NSE]

Do it! Why not?

You might never have the chance to do it again, seize the day and all that!

 

[4SRKT]

You know, I think I just might!

 

[anthony263]

You know, I think I just might!

I reconmend doing it the scenery on parts of the line is lovely

 

[Techniquest]

Definitely worth a go, although you'd be rather lucky to get a Pacer on it. Seems the Ebbw Vale line demands certain standards! Quite nice in parts and, as someone else said, you never know if you won't get another chance!

 

[Ivo]

Definitely worth a go, my Pacer loving friend. But as Techniquest says, you are unlikely to get such a machine in Ebbw Vale; the line is almost invariably 150-run. And following on from what Anthony says, take a camera along!

Sorry I won't be able to join you as hoped

 

[Techniquest]

Good for those of us who prefer our second-generation DMUs to have bogies and not bounce along though

*Reminds self to get moving on an ATW 150 bash in the near future, and adds it to the extremely long list of bashes to do in 2012*

 

[anthony263]

There has been a few pacers working on the Ebbw Vale line recently particulary towards the evening peak.

 

[HSTfan!!!]

Never seen a pacer work it, I have seen a 175 do it before now though. There are indeed plans for a station Ebbw Town... when though? That's another question!

 

[ValleyLines142]

I've just left Cardiff and according to live departures I think a 158 worked the 1740 Ebbw Vale to Cardiff train as it was pulled in on platform 3.

There was also a 153 attached to a 150 on it a few weeks back.

 

[PHILIPE]

I've just left Cardiff and according to live departures I think a 158 worked the 1740 Ebbw Vale to Cardiff train as it was pulled in on platform 3.

There was also a 153 attached to a 150 on it a few weeks back.

158s, 175s and Pacers do work on occasions. There is s booled 153 +150 working on a Saturday.

 

[ValleyLines142]

158s, 175s and Pacers do work on occasions. There is s booled 153 +150 working on a Saturday.

I've never seen a 175 on the line, not sure why, think 150s are perfectly suitable .

 

[Greenback]

I've seen a 175 on the run. That doesn;t mean that they are all 175's, but neither does not having seen one mean they never appear either!

 

[sonic2009]

Isn't Ebbw Vale a Mix Match basically anything can turn up on it? Bar the 57+Coaches.

 

[HSTfan!!!]

9 times out of 10 it's a 150, it's rare to see much else up there but of course that depends on whether stock has been displaced.

 

[Gareth Marston]

Bulk of current Welsh Govt capital spend is going on roads I'm afraid so don't worry about the town getting a station for some time.

 

[4SRKT]

Did it, and it was very good. Dark most of the way back, but dozed for that bit. Now I'll have to hope that if they do open into the town, they will also be operating into Newport so I can kill two birds with one stone. As predicted it was a 150.