I've been looking forward to a trip to Ebbw Vale for a long time. I've considered a number of tours over the years which took in the branch during its time as a freight-only line, but they never seemed worthwhile, since the destination was fairly local. In any event, the long-standing Welsh Assembly aim of reopening the line has been on the cards for years. Sure enough, at the end of 2007 publicity started, and the line's reopening - albeit to Cardiff only despite it's proximity to Newport - was scheduled for the end of the year. Then it wasn't. Then no-one knew quite when it would open.
So it was something of a surprise to hear it would open on Wednesday 6th January 2008, with little fanfare and a couple of the initial set of stations still incomplete. It may have been because of the major Wales rugby match at the Millenium Stadium today, or perhaps it genuinely was the earliest that the remaining concerns and temporary speed restrictions could be resolved in order to run the hourly timetable. The important thing was the branch was open, and that necessitated a rather unexpected trip today. Things started in a rather unlikely fashion too - much had been written about a pair of Class 20s lingering at Temple Meads for a while, but they'd been seen disappearing yesterday. Not having checked my mail much before this morning, we were pleased to see they'd returned - even more so when we saw what they'd extracted from Margam in the process of their jaunt to South Wales!
Onward to Cardiff on a busy diverted Swansea service, reversing at Bristol Parkway before arriving at a packed Cardiff complete with crowd control provided by a throng of attractive young women - presumably because they had more chance of actually convincing the rugby fans to head in the right direction! Noted the delayed 0935 service to Ebbw Vale Parkway still on the board and proceeded to the platform expectantly.
Here things started to go wrong. The 0935 was simply 'Delayed'. A couple of platform switches followed, including a move to Platform 0, inaccessible at the best of times but exceptionally so with barrier checks, crowd control and masses of people to negotiate. Eventually Arriva owned up and sent us to catch the 1035 instead, which was promptly platformed behind the 1100 Taunton! Much consternation followed among platform staff, and another change finally saw us onboard a pair of Class 150s and heading out along the mainline to Ebbw Junction. The guard indicated there had been a fatality earlier, but it was anyone's guess as to why the Ebbw line was so badly affected much later.
At Ebbw Junction we took the long curve to Park Junction, joining the single line to Newport trailing in from Gaer Junction. Looked longingly back, before concentrating on watching the Machen Quarry branch diverge to the west. Wonderful sunshine and warm weather made for a pleasant, rather drowsy trip up the branch enjoying the tight curves and challenging gradients. Couldn't help wishing I'd taken advantage of a loco up here on a tour now I'd seen the branch for myself. Soon ground to a halt at the site of Cross Keys station. In the unseasonable warmth three workers were apparently ineptly laying concrete. We waited. Finally heard that the 0935 had been sent up empty to ensure it collected the crowds of rugby fans which we'd seen waiting at Rogerstone and Risca on the way up. The unit finally passed us, and we pressed on up the valley. Rather unexpectedly after the long slow climb, we soon reached Ebbw Vale Parkway. A mile or two shy of the town (but with an extension tentatively planned) we arrived at a simple single platform roughly on the site of the town's former Victoria Station. Any plans for a wander around were scotched by the waiting crowds. We kept our seats and headed back to Cardiff, even sleepier than on the way out.
Arrived back at Cardiff having missed all the Rugby Special action due to the delay in getting up the branch. No sign of locos or coaches so we headed to Newport for a quick wander into town, before meeting a couple of other local reprobates and heading back to Bristol for more photos of 37704 which seemed to be attracting a fair bit of attention from staff and spotters alike. An interesting trip out - the first for ages, with some surprises and some new track. Looking forward to next week's exploits now...
Despite good intentions to plan ahead, I'd left much of the thinking-out of today's order of play until last night. In my slightly uncomfortable but perfectly adequate hotel room I'd pieced together a few bits of planning I'd done into an itinerary, and realised I needed a much earlier start than I'd reckoned on. So I found myself waiting for a platform for the 06:35 to Newton on an unusually almost deserted Central Station concourse. Finally a coffee stall opened and I was much happier. It was cold and frosty, but still no snow here. Still very pleased to see the train announced however, so I could settle into a warm 314 for the trip out via the Inner Rail of the Cathcart Circle and via Kings Park to Newton.
Not much to see in the dark, but I'd be doing much of this route several more times in order to get everything I hoped to cover. Noted the pleasant little wooden station buildings on most of the island platforms around the circle. No such luxury at Newton though, where we we deposited on a bleak platform with a trudge down some treacherously salt-covered stairs into a deep concrete chasm to access the exit, or in my case to head for the other platform to catch the same unit returning the same way once it had run into the turnback siding. Strange look from the guard on boarding the train which is always the risk when bashing branches! I had meant to get a service back which covered the diveunder at Cathcart North Junction, but this would have to wait.
Next up was the short branch to Paisley Canal. This branch was not electrified as part of the original schemes, and was actually closed for some time - I understand as a means to push through cost-cutting measures in the face of a union which called the PTE's bluff in the 1970s. Now reopened, the branch seemed busy - with brisk business from a range of new halts. Our pair of 156s was almost full on the return journey, and I was struck that in general the commuter services here were well planned in terms of both frequency and capacity - in very sharp contrast to the treatment we are receiving in the South West from the very same parent company.
As my next journey wouldn't commence until after 09:00, bought an SPT Daytripper ticket which presented a good value way of getting around all of the rest of the planned track. Struck again by the joined-up approach - if only Greater Bristol had a PTE to manage things! Found more coffee and some breakfast before heading onto the 09:20 to Neilston, which took in the Outer Rail of the Cathcart Circle before plunging into fairly open country after Muirend. With the sky finally light, I was able to see the way this part of Glasgow is a cluster of small towns and villages with often large expanses of quite wild space between them. Arrived at Neilston, which still showed evidence of not always having been the end of the line as our unit trundled into a headshunt to reverse.
On arrival back at Central Station, made my first exit of the weekend via the main Gordon Street frontage, and plunged into the busy city morning. A quick walk over to Queen Street Station and underground to the Low Level platforms to finish some track I half-heartedly started to use a few years back when staying in Elmbank Terrace and travelling to High Street to access The 13th Note each evening! Had to wait for a couple of eastbound trains to pass before the half-hourly Drumgelloch service arrived, again in good time. Once out in the open and beyond High Street, the line passes some very bleak and rather run-down territory including the infamous Easterhouse area - now seemingly not quite the forbidding place it once was. Steady business again, much of it heading for Airdrie. The short eastern extension of this line left us in the midst of a huge housing estate at Drumgelloch. There are many rumours of a new through route to Edinburgh to be created by linking Drumgelloch and Bathgate. Given thought, it could be a fairly successful project.
Waited for the turn around at Drumgelloch and made the short hop back to Airdrie in the hope of a toilet being available. No such luck. Boarded my next unit for Balloch on the shores of Loch Lomond, way out west from here. Oddly, reading a discarded copy of The Lennox I discovered that Balloch Station had recently benefited from construction of an expensive new toilet facility. Thanked my lucky stars that nature was not hopefully to further interrupt the plan, and waited to enjoy more new line west of Charing Cross. Much of this track is familiar from West Highland jaunts, and it was pleasant to scud along beside the Firth of Clyde, before turning north just before Helenburgh. Arrived at Balloch to find the much-trumpeted new toilet closed, but found a strange and cocoon-like modern portaloo over the street which served it's purpose wonderfully! No time to find refreshments however, which was disappointing.
Next part of the plan involved changing to the Argyle Line - which plunges deep under Central Station and heads east and south. Should really have changed at Partick, but it's escalator only access makes me deeply nervous should there be a problem. So hopped off at Hyndland for the short wait for a train via Hamilton to Larkhall, on the recently completed extension to this line. I confess some slight nerves on passing Central Low Level too, because I've wanted to catch a service here for many years, but have always been too concerned about the access! Some fairly swift running on this - partly due to the limited stops on the city outskirts, and partly because it needs to slot between West Coast Mainline services as far as Newton, where it follows the River Clyde to Hamilton.
Reversed once again at the apparently pleasant little town of Larkhall, where I understand the railway is on a slightly different alignment to it's original and long-closed predecessor. Certainly there seem to be deep earthworks around the simple station platfroms. Retraced my steps as far as Anniesland (the return trip being Milngavie bound, giving some idea of the complex movements necessary to provide a fifteen minute service on these busy lines!). At Anniesland, hoped to do the next bit of 'reopened' line in Scotland, being the short extension from here to the Northern Suburban Line to Queen Street which once terminated at Maryhill. Found the 15:56 cancelled as I arrived, which was perhaps the first real setback of the whole complex plan I'd devised! Not really a problem since I'd planned to make this the last leg, and there was another train 30 minutes later. Wandered briefly around Anniesland, before returning for the 16:26 to Queen Street. Arrived just before the throngs of city workers descended on Queen Street for their trains home.
Overall, I'm astounded how smoothly things run given the density and complexity of the timetable. The trains are well patronised and fairly easy to understand, which seems to attract particularly the younger and older elements of the population. Still amazed at how well it had all gone, went again in search of food and beer to celebrate.
I'd tell you where I went today but I can't pronounce 'Llanwyrtd' 22 years ago
Posted in Railways on Monday 9th February 2004 at 10:51pm
Finally, after years of trying to find the time, the right route and the right ticket, the stars aligned. Since I had one more day of my long weekend, I decided to have another try at the Heart of Wales line which thwarted me at the beginning of the year.
Grabbed another Heart of Wales Circular Day Ranger, and set out on the soon-to-be-legendary 0934 from Weston. This sits for about 15 minutes at Temple Meads. During this time, we were moved from the back unit to the front, then vice versa. The front unit became a Portsmouth Harbour service and we left pretty late. This meant a long wait at Newport, which was also in some disarray as one member of staff seemed to think a platform was closed for emergency engineering work, but the rest didn't.
Finally got to Swansea in good time for the 1323 to Shrewsbury. The stock was an utterly filthy and pretty dilapidated 153. I could barely see out of the window, and the interior was also quite grim. The scenery however was just as impressive as I'd heard. The tiny stations en route provided a small but regular turnover of passengers, and it was a pleasant cold and bright afternoon for a slow trundle through the countryside.
Got stuck at Llanwrtyd Wells waiting for the late down train to pass. Took advantage of the delay to get out, wander around the remote station and enjoy the views and the fresh air. The delay ate into my wait at Craven Arms, and I stepped off the footbridge just in time to see the 1709 to Newport coming into view. A nice, uneventful and thankfully warm ride home!
Pleased to have finally done this troublesome bit of track. Calculated roughly 889 miles done this long weekend!
Daylog Entry for Saturday 09/02/2002 24 years ago
Posted in Updates on Saturday 9th February 2002 at 12:00am
Woke up the household way too early today, and wandered around Bristol a bit - purchased a map of Brussels in preparation for next weekend and picked up a second-hand Philip Larkin novel for the journey. Lots of decent coffee for a change too, and a longer than planned wait at Temple Meads which I didn't mind since it's been a while since I frequented railway stations regularly. Missed Lord of the Rings on the radio though, which was regrettable.
Lost::MikeGTN
I've had a home on the web for more years than I care to remember, and a few kind souls persuade me it's worth persisting with keeping it updated. This current incarnation of the site is centred around the blog posts which began back in 1999 as 'the daylog' and continued through my travels and tribulations during the following years.
I don't get out and about nearly as much these days, but I do try to record significant events and trips for posterity. You may also have arrived here by following the trail to my former music blog Songs Heard On Fast Trains. That content is preserved here too.
