The Anonymous Widower

Ebbw Vale Town Station – 3rd February 2024

I took these pictures as Ebbw Vale Town station.

Note.

1. There is a cableway to the main town.
2. But t wasn’t working as it was Saturday.
3. There is a large college.
4. There was no information, as to how to get to the town.
5. The Cardiff and Newport trains alternate every half hour.

The area certainly needed better information and perhaps a cafe, so that commuters can buy a coffee for their journey!

These are my thoughts.

The Capacity Of Ebbw Vale Town Station

According to this page on the Network Rail web site, the single platform at Ebbw Vale Town station is approximately 150 metres in length to fit up to six train carriages.

As at the current time, services are run by two- or three-car, it would appear that if a train failed in the station, the platform is long enough to accommodate another train to continue the services.

In the Wikipedia entry for Ebbw Vale Town station, it is indicated that a second platform could be built. There is certainly enough space.

Operation Of Ebbw Vale Town Station

I was at Ebbw Vale Town station for nearly two hours and I watched three Newport and two Cardiff trains arrive and leave every half-hour.

• I had arrived on the first train from Newport.
• The Cardiff trains were busy with passengers for the rugby.
• I took the third Newport train, so I could catch my train back to Reading.
• The system seemed to be working well.

Is there another single-platform station on a branch line, that serves two main line stations alternatively every half hour?

Increasing Capacity To Ebbw Vale Town Station

In Designing A Battery-Powered Mountain Goat, I stated that I believe that a small fleet of CAF’S Class 331 trains fitted with batteries could handle the Cardiff and Newport services to Ebbw Vale Town.

The sight and the curiosity of battery-electric trains climbing up the hills will certainly create more traffic on the route.

The simple solution is to lengthen the trains and that is easy at the moment, as the services are run using Class 150 trains with a Class 153 to add extra capacity, where needed.

But could a half-hourly service be run to both Cardiff and Newport?

This would double the capacity and make it more user friendly.

Nothing is said on the Internet about whether this is possible on not, but I believe that with modern digital signalling and battery-electric trains, with better performance than the elderly British Rail-era diesels, that it would be possible to run a half-hourly service to both Cardiff and Newport.

Conclusion

I believe that Network Rail have done a good job in designing this scheme.

February 5, 2024 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | A Day Trip To Ebbw Vale Town Station, Battery-Electric Class 331 Train, CAF, Ebbw Vale Town Station, Newport (South Wales) Station