Valley Lines
Region North Wales Mid Wales South Wales National Network Route Sections Gazetteer of Stations About Wales	Arriva Trains Wales services on the Ebbw Vale (Western Valleys) Branch This  is an extract from the page on Valley Lines. To access the main site select either the Taff Valleys and Cardiff section, the Ebbw Vale, Rhymney Valley, Cardiff and coast section, or the full version which combines the two. Select one of these links to return to the Gazetteer of Stations or Route Sections page. Trevithick 1804-2004 February 21 2004 marked the 200th anniversary of the first steam train to run on rails. The historic journey began in Merthyr Tydfil, and throughout 2004, a series of commemorative events took place, which can be reviewed here. Search WalesRails .......... Message Board	Preserved: Standard gauge Narrow gauge WalesRails: The Grand Tour Official Websites What's New Back to Welcome page

Passenger trains last ran on the branch in 1966, but on February 6 2008 the line reopened with trains running to Cardiff. In the second phase of the opening, alternate trains will travel to Newport or Cardiff. Meanwhile, new intermediate stations will come on line over the coming months.
Since the closure the branch was not idle, seeing frequent steel and tinplate trains to the Works at Ebbw Vale. The tinplate works closed in July 2002 and the last freight train ran in 2003. The Works were dismantled leaving land ripe for redevelopment. It is at the southern end of this redevelopment that the terminus station on the branch has been built. Subsequently, the line will be extended further up the valley to a station closer to the centre of town. In the stations list below, station names enclosed in [square brackets] are those which have yet to be built.

Other opened stations to Cardiff (with approximate journey times from Ebbw Vale in minutes) are: Newbridge (14); Risca and Pontymister (25); Rogerstone (38).

Stations which are not included in the Phase One opening are enclosed in [square brackets].

[Ebbw Vale]
A dedicated  shuttle bus service runs between Ebbw Vale Parkway and the town centre, extending to the Rassau district of Ebbw Vale

Ebbw Vale Parkway
As may be gathered from the Parkway suffix, the terminus is distant from the town of Ebbw Vale itself.
Close to Ebbw Vale Parkway are industrial and housing estates, many built on land recovered when the extensive steel and tinplate works were dismantled. Ebbw Vale hosted the Garden Festival at Victoria in 1992, and a retail Park now occupies the site. Nearby there is also an Owl Sanctuary.

[Cwm]
Mostly residential, this was formerly the site of Marine Colliery which dominated the village.

[Abertillery]
This is a proposed new station in the second phase of development which will be on a short branch diverging from the main route at Aberbeeg

[Llanhilleth]
The Workingmen's Institute has been refurbished and is a vital part of the community. A regeneration scheme is set to provide new business and sporting facilities in the area.

Newbridge
Newbridge town centre and Newbridge Comprehensive School are close to the station, but perhaps the most famous building in the town is The 'Memo.' This is a former miners' hall - the Celynen Collieries Institute and Memorial Hall - which featured in the BBC TV Restoration programme in 2004, running in a close second but missing out on the £4m prize which would have paid for a full and speedy revamp. Now it's slow but sure progress, but the Hall is already  firmly placed at the cultural heart of the entire Ebbw valley.

[Crosskeys]
Nearby is the Crosskeys campus of Gwent College. About two miles distant is the start of the scenic Cwmcarn Forest Drive, a scenic route through seven miles of forest. There are picnic and camping sites, and facilities for cycling and fishing.

Risca and Pontymister
The Monmouth and Brecon Canal is close by, allowing extensive walks along the tranquil towpaths

Rogerston
This is the station for the bus link to Newport, which will remain in operation until the Phase Two opening of the rail link to Newport station comes online.
Nearby is the Fourteen Locks Canal and Conference Centre Centre, part of the former Monmouth and Brecon Canal. The new visitor centre building is due for completion on February 29.

[Pye Corner]
This long-term Phase Two station will serve mainly residential areas on the outskirts of Newport.

This page is an extract from the Valley Lines pages. To access the main site select either the Taff Valleys and Cardiff section, the  Ebbw Vale (Western Valleys), Rhymney Valley, Cardiff and coast section, or the full version which combines the two.
Select this link to return to the Gazetteer of Stations or Route Sections page.

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Copyright © 2008 by Deryck Lewis. All rights reserved.
Page created January 26 2008; Updated February 6 2008
If you have any suggestions, comments, or glitches to report, please contact the author at WalesRails