For the first time in over 60 years, regular rail train services will now operate between Ebbw Vale and Newport in South Wales.
The new service launched today, Thursday, February 1, by Deputy Climate Change Minister Lee Waters while on a visit to Llanhilleth railway station.
The new service with 30 trains a day running between Newport and Ebbw Vale was made possible by a £70m loan from the Welsh Government to Blaenau Gwent council to upgrade the line's infrastructure.
To enable the introduction of the new services, a passing loop between Crosskeys and Aberbeeg was extended, and a new platform and lifts were installed at Newbridge and Llanhilleth stations.
There will be further improvements in the next few months when new trains are introduced, thanks to a Welsh Government £800m investment.
Lee Waters, Deputy Climate Change Minister, with responsibility for transport, said: “I'm so pleased the service between Ebbw Vale and Newport is finally in place. It has taken a long time and required a lot of investment but the doubling of the frequency of trains will make a difference to all the communities along the route. This would not have happened without the Welsh Government stepping in with investment.
“At a time when we are used to big infrastructure projects going over time and over budget, we should applaud the fact this complicated project has been on time and within budget. My huge thanks to Blaenau Gwent Council, Network Rail and Transport for Wales for working together to pull this off.
“People will now be able to travel direct to Newport or Cardiff every hour, on new track and in new trains.”
Alexia Course, Chief Commercial Officer at Transport for Wales, said the new services were a result of “excellent collaboration” between all partners.
She said: “We're delighted to have launched our brand-new services between Ebbw Vale and Newport this week.
“These will be a game changer for people on the line, doubling the number of trains per hour and opening up shorter journey times for anyone heading towards Manchester, Bristol, or London.
“What has been evident throughout has been the excellent collaboration by all parties on this project and a real desire to deliver this for the people of southeast Wales.”
Network Rail's route director for Wales and Borders Nick Millington said: “It is brilliant news for passengers and communities that new services are running on the upgraded Ebbw Vale line.
“This transformation will open up jobs, training and leisure opportunities for people living in the area and will encourage more people to use public transport, supporting our decarbonisation aims in Wales.
“I'd also like to thank passengers and communities for their patience while we completed this upgrade and remind people that with new services being introduced they should take extra care at level crossings.”
Councillor John Morgan, Cabinet Member, Place and Regeneration and Economic Development at Blaenau Gwent Council commented: “I am pleased that this much-improved rail service is now up and running thanks to the Council working in collaboration with our partners in Welsh Government, Network Rail and Transport for Wales. Improving and delivering accessible public transport is a key priority for the Council.
“A more frequent rail service will no doubt improve opportunities for inward investment, access to employment both within and outside of the local area and improves public transport for everyone in Blaenau Gwent. The new direct rail service to Newport will also make it easier for those people looking to make connections as they travel to other destinations for leisure and business.”
What happened to the re-opening of the St. CLEARS station.
It seems that Cardiff is the start and finish of Wales, as all the money is spent there. What about electrifying all the railway lines in Wales.
Anybody remember Swansea’s still waiting for its wires?
Be nice if TfW did! Far better value than the proposed Swansea
Metro
Carmarthen to Aberystwyth next? …
All we need now is for Tesco to sell a bit of land and build a spur to Abertillery.
For God’s sake be happy
If the track bed had been made into a good quality road, it would be used by many more people, encouraged inward investment to the valleys and not been at risk from strikes by railway workers. Now it will be easier for people to get jobs and spend their money in Newport and beyond further impoverishing the valleys.
Nonsense .there is already good road links to ebbw vale and less pollution as well
So if it was a new improved road people wouldn’t spend their money in Newport, very strange that.
Are you for real?? What do you mean by saying the railway should have been made into a road??
In case you haven’t noticed – there are already far too many motor vehicles on the roads.
Railways are the only way forward – less traffic and much, much better for commuters and for the environment.
What a bizarre assessment.
David, the ‘railways into roads’ argument was put to bed a long time ago. If you look closely at a railway line, it is much narrower than your average road. By the time you’ve carried out your widening works and then linked it into the existing road network, you are looking at an enormous bill. Which is just one reason why it’s hardly ever been done in built-up areas, such as the Valleys. And not everyone has a car. And people prefer trains to buses etc etc
Sorry mate but anyone who seriously encourages the sort of the thing British railways did in 1963 by removing railways and building roads, is a complete total idiot. Railway expansion is the most vital thing the UK needs. We should never have closed everything and sold it off so fast all those years ago. Reversing the damage done by Marples and Beeching and also Castle is vital for investment and town growth.
Well said Samuel, you echo my sentiments to the letter.
Please get out of your cars and onto the trains , it’s nonsense to say that, people who work on the trains deserve to be paid more they have a lot of responsibility to on their shoulders… people’s lives.
What a surprise everything done in South Wales and North Wales nothing forthcoming for mid and west Wales why