A new, direct rail service between Ebbw Vale and Newport is to start in December, but there will be service disruptions before then as the work is completed.
Ebbw Vale is a town of around 33,000 people which stands at the head of the valley formed by the Ebbw Fawr tributary of the Ebbw River in Wales. It is the largest town and the administrative centre of Blaenau Gwent county borough.
Transport for Wales (TfW) and Network Rail will deliver the new service on a key South Wales line.
It will run two trains per hour – one to Cardiff and one to Newport – which will add up to more than sixty services each day, almost double the number currently available.
Trains will be retimed, so TfW is advising passengers to check their journey details from 11 December onwards.
The new service is the result of a seventy-million-pound investment from the Welsh Government and Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council.
A return ticket from Ebbw Vale Town to Newport will cost £8.30 and a seven-day season ticket will cost £29.10 (correct up to March 2024).
To accommodate the new track that the service will run on, Network Rail has built a seven-mile passing loop between Crosskeys and Aberbeeg, with new earthworks and drainage. Signalling is being upgraded at the south end of the line, funded by seventeen million pounds from the Department for Transport and Network Rail.
As part of the project, a fully accessible footbridge has been built at Llanhilleth station, and new platforms built at Llanhilleth and Newbridge station. There is now step-free access to all platforms on the line.
Network Rail and its contractors AmcoGiffen and Siemens have been working on the infrastructure for the last eighteen months. The work that still remains to be carried out will mean that buses will replace trains on the following dates:
- Sunday 24 September
- Saturday 30 September and Sunday 1 October
- Sunday 15 November to Monday 4 December
The Ebbw Vale line is popular with passengers with direct services to and from Cardiff Central, and has been steadily enhanced over the last fifteen years:
- 2008: the line reopened after being closed for forty years
- 2014: Pye Corner station opened serving passengers at the southern end of the line
- 2015: around 1.5miles of new track laid to extend the railway from Ebbw Vale Parkway to a new station at Ebbw Vale Town.
TfW Project Sponsor Kevin Lewis described the project as a “true collaboration”, adding that, “These new services will be a huge boost for the local economy giving people more options for leisure, learning and business travel.
“If you want to travel towards Bristol, London or Manchester, you no longer have to double back on yourself to Cardiff, though those services are still there for those heading west.
“TfW, Network Rail and our partners in Blaenau Gwent Council, as well as Caerphilly Council have worked incredibly closely to ensure we've delivered genuine value for money from this Welsh Government investment. This really has been a truly collaborative effort.”
Nick Millington, Route Director at Network Rail Wales and Borders said: “I'm delighted that we are now entering the final phase of work which will transform how passengers travel on the Ebbw Vale line.
“We are proud to provide low carbon journeys and support Welsh Government ambitions including its modal shift away from private cars. It will also help connect communities and boost the local economy.
“I'd like to again thank passengers and our neighbours for continuing to bear with us as we complete these vital improvements.”
Councillor John Morgan, Cabinet Member, Place and Regeneration and Economic Development at Blaenau Gwent Council commented: “I am pleased that the work to improve the rail service is nearing completion. Working with our partners in Welsh Government, Network Rail and Transport for Wales to enhance the Ebbw Valley rail link to improve transport links remains a high priority for the Council.
“I have no doubt that a more frequent service will improve opportunities for inward investment, access to employment both within and outside of the local area and enhance a critical transport artery that is seen as a main driver within the context of the wider Cardiff Capital Region City Deal offer and the development of the Metro.”
And Cllr Nigel George, Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, Property and Highways at Caerphilly Council said: “The improvements at Newbridge station and the wider works on the route between Ebbw Vale and Newport are a fantastic step forward to improving access for all to public transport.
“Not only will they improve access for disabled travellers, they should also encourage more people to travel by rail and improve the customer experience for families with pushchairs and those with luggage.
“I'd like to thank all stakeholders for all the hard work and Welsh Government for their investment that has gone into making these works a reality and I look forward to seeing the difference they make for people locally.”
