Extension to Ebbw Vale Town station

[davetheguard]

I've read in a few places that the extension of the Ebbw Vale line from the present terminus at Ebbw Vale Parkway, to a new town centre station, is due to take place in May 2015 - just five months away.

But I've not come across anything in the railway press announcing a start of construction of the new station, or of tracklaying for the short extension of the railway to reach it.

Does anyone know: has work started; is it expected to open by the target date; or is it another one of those projects that has crept "to the right"?

 

[Tumbleweed]

Haven't heard anything - perhaps it's another scheme thats been axed for the foreseeable future. We have had plenty of experience of it lately!

 

[davetheguard]

The silence is absolutely deafening; I can't find anything recent about it on the web at all. It may be proceeding as planned; or it may be tied up by some planning or funding issue.

In either case, it seems like the Welsh Government is absolutely awful at telling people what is going on!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The silence is absolutely deafening; I can't find anything recent about it on the web at all. It may be proceeding as planned; or it may be tied up by some planning or funding issue.
In either case, it seems like the Welsh Government is absolutely awful at telling people what is going on!

Is it a case of Ebbw Vale extension or Valleys electrification - but not both?
Or at least not at the same time?
The Ebbw Vale scheme doesn't seem to figure in any of the NR CP5 plans.

 

[RP]

Is it a case of Ebbw Vale extension or Valleys electrification - but not both?
Or at least not at the same time?
The Ebbw Vale scheme doesn't seem to figure in any of the NR CP5 plans.

Network Rail held a residents drop in session at the Works adjacent to the new terminus station in late November 2014. Contractors Buckingham Group were to be starting in December. There is evidence of preparation for trackbed and site offices just north of Ebbw Vale Parkway station.Track doubling due to start next year north of Crosskeys.

 

[Requeststop]

I covered the Ebbw Vale branch for the first and only time in 2013, as part of my South Wales bash. My main memory of the journey was how slow the train went after Park Junction. I knew then of the plans to extend to Ebbw Vale Town, and I thought about a faster journey when I returned to cover the extension. Shame it may not happen. Any news of an Ebbw Vale-Newport service?

 

[Class 170101]

Didn't some extra double track need to be installed along the route otherwise an hourly service could not be provided?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I covered the Ebbw Vale branch for the first and only time in 2013, as part of my South Wales bash. My main memory of the journey was how slow the train went after Park Junction. I knew then of the plans to extend to Ebbw Vale Town, and I thought about a faster journey when I returned to cover the extension. Shame it may not happen. Any news of an Ebbw Vale-Newport service?

I think that's on hold until we have spare trainsets to run the service.

Didn't some extra double track need to be installed along the route otherwise an hourly service could not be provided?

Less of an issue in the case of Ebbw Vale, as it was initially retained just for the steel traffic, but the rampant ripping-up of supposedly under-used double-track during the 1970s and 1980s was a bl**dy stupid idea. There's places everywhere where lack of capacity is stifling growth such as Salisbury to Exeter and Barnsley to Huddersfield. I know that linespeeds have been increased in places as a result, but was it really worth it?

 

[Class 170101]

I
Less of an issue in the case of Ebbw Vale, as it was initially retained just for the steel traffic,

Why does the current service terminate at Ebbw Vale Parkway then? Surely when the line re-opned it should have been straight to the Town station?:-?

 

[PHILIPE]

Didn't some extra double track need to be installed along the route otherwise an hourly service could not be provided?

See Post #5

 

[bluenoxid]

Just for confirmation, will Parkway be retained?

 

[PHILIPE]

I have just checked and Open Train Times shows trains going to the Town and calling at Parkway from May Timetable. It has a STANOX Code.

 

[Class 170101]

See Post #5

 

[pdeaves]

I have just checked and Open Train Times shows trains going to the Town and calling at Parkway from May Timetable. It has a STANOX Code.

I've just looked up OTT and can't find any reference to STANOX (numbers) at all. Did you mean TIPLOC (letters)? If not, please could you advise how to find STANOX on that site?

Thanks!

 

[PHILIPE]

I've just looked up OTT and can't find any reference to STANOX (numbers) at all. Did you mean TIPLOC (letters)? If not, please could you advise how to find STANOX on that site?

Thanks!

Sorry. TIPLOC. Many years have gone by when I had to be acquainted with these terms !!!

 

[DaveHarries]

I have just checked and Open Train Times shows trains going to the Town and calling at Parkway from May Timetable. It has a STANOX Code.

Indeed! Just by way of example:
http://www.opentraintimes.com/location/EBV/2015-05-18/19:13

Dave

 

[merlodlliw]

Is it a case of Ebbw Vale extension or Valleys electrification - but not both?
Or at least not at the same time?
The Ebbw Vale scheme doesn't seem to figure in any of the NR CP5 plans.

I have heard of the asperation to open a station in the town,but new station Pye Corner which ran over budget took first place on the line for a new station.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Sorry. TIPLOC. Many years have gone by when I had to be acquainted with these terms !!!

As it happens, according to the ATOC timetable files (the ones you can download at data.atoc.org if you register) Ebbw Vale Town appears to now have both a TIPLOC (EBWVTN) and a Stanox (76647). It has a Nalco number too (362800) - though I have to admit I'm not entirely certain how the latter numbers are used, or why stations have these three different location codes.

Data has also been assigned to two other locations - Ebbw Vale Sth Ground Frame and Ebbw Vale Town Centre, though I don't see any indication in the timetable data of trains passing them (unlike EBWVTN, which has a regular schedule showing from 17 May onwards), so I suspect they are non-railway locations.

 

[anthony263]

Well work does seem to be doing on behind the scenes with this extension. I have heard the lift to provide access between the station & town centre has been installed.

 

[anthony263]

Network Rail have started laying the track on the Ebbw Vale town extension

 

[davetheguard]

Really good news; thanks for the update anthony263.

But why are the Welsh Government & NR being so low key about this "good news" story? Where's the hordes of invited media, the local bigwigs waiving green flags or unveiling plaques.....

Perhaps they wouldn't know an opportunity to generate positive publicity if it bit them on the bottom!

 

[krus_aragon]

But why are the Welsh Government & NR being so low key about this "good news" story? Where's the hordes of invited media, the local bigwigs waiving green flags or unveiling plaques.....

Might they (WG) want to save it for their election run-up later in the year?

 

[Domeyhead]

Any news on the Abertillery branch?

 

[Gareth Marston]

Any news on the Abertillery branch?

Apart from appearing in the plans for the South Wales metro nada

 

[anthony263]

Network rail are supposed to be carrying out preparations to double track the Ebbw Vale branch as well as well as the section between Aberbeeg & Abertilery.

 

[NX]

They can out double track in with two minute head ways and automatic train operation, but if ATW don't have enough units then it's pretty pointless really.

I drove pass the worksites this morning, there's plenty of sleepers down and quite a bit of rail clipped in to.

NX

 

[cadoxton]

Is there any provision for stabling a unit overnight, as is done at one or two heads of the valley stations?

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Here's what the contractors say about the lift between the station and the town centre:

http://www.dawnus.co.uk/en/content/cms/civil-projects/outdoor-mechanical-l/

"Outdoor Mechanical Link/Inclined Lift, Ebbw Vale

Value: £2.3m

Completion Date: March 2015

Contract Period: 44 weeks

Client: Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council

This Design and Build contract involves the implementation of an outdoor inclined mechanical link, which will provide a unique and exciting state-of-the-art facility. The proposed mechanical link will provide a modern urban pedestrian transport system, which will provide pedestrians with an easy and efficient form of transport between the existing town centre and ‘The Works’ development; a site of considerable regeneration activity, with land uses including commercial, residential, education and community facilities.

The mechanical link will be located between the Main Square of The Works and land adjoining David Taylor’s Garage, Ebbw Vale. The scheme will include provision of a single track, together with a suitable modern design of carriage. A landing platform/terminal will be positioned at the top and bottom of the slope and designed in a way that’s complimentary to the local environment.

It is anticipated that the link will be free to use and will be in daily operation; with a journey cycle time (up and down) taking approximately 3 minutes. The carriage has been designed to hold between 18 and 25 passengers per trip."

The pictures in the original article don't seem to have been copied here, but if you use the link above, you'll see them.

It might be worth a visit just to go on the lift!

 

[Altnabreac]

Here's what the contractors say about the lift between the station and the town centre:

http://www.dawnus.co.uk/en/content/cms/civil-projects/outdoor-mechanical-l/

"Outdoor Mechanical Link/Inclined Lift, Ebbw Vale

Value: £2.3m

Completion Date: March 2015

Contract Period: 44 weeks

Client: Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council

This Design and Build contract involves the implementation of an outdoor inclined mechanical link, which will provide a unique and exciting state-of-the-art facility. The proposed mechanical link will provide a modern urban pedestrian transport system, which will provide pedestrians with an easy and efficient form of transport between the existing town centre and ‘The Works’ development; a site of considerable regeneration activity, with land uses including commercial, residential, education and community facilities.

The mechanical link will be located between the Main Square of The Works and land adjoining David Taylor’s Garage, Ebbw Vale. The scheme will include provision of a single track, together with a suitable modern design of carriage. A landing platform/terminal will be positioned at the top and bottom of the slope and designed in a way that’s complimentary to the local environment.

It is anticipated that the link will be free to use and will be in daily operation; with a journey cycle time (up and down) taking approximately 3 minutes. The carriage has been designed to hold between 18 and 25 passengers per trip."

The pictures in the original article don't seem to have been copied here, but if you use the link above, you'll see them.

It might be worth a visit just to go on the lift!

Looks very interesting.

Reminds me of the Lugano Station funicular in Switzerland.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lugano_Città–Stazione_funicular

Integrated transport investment complementing the urban realm there. GReat to see.

 

[pne]

This Design and Build contract involves the implementation of an outdoor inclined mechanical link, which will provide a unique and exciting state-of-the-art facility.

I don't know about you, but I would rather have no excitement in a lift journey.