19 February 2010 Ebbw Vale Parkway

For the moment, the last piece of the jigsaw. A rest day Friday and the hefty discount my new job gives me made this the ideal day to go to Ebbw Vale Parkway and thus finish my quest to travel on the UK's railways.

As ever, completion is an anti climax. The trip from London Paddington to Cardiff Central on my favourite, the 125, was much as it always is. Annoyingly I'd just missed the train to Ebbw Vale and had to wait an hour. I just wasn't in the mood to wander around so got some food and sat and watched the world go by. Or rather the trains. I was amazed how many trains come through Cardiff, it feeding all the Valley Lines and the local city lines also, not to mention trains to London, Swansea, Manchester, Holyhead, Milford Haven, the Marches, and once again places like Nottingham as it is back on the Cross Country network.

The 4 car class 156 leaves from the newish Platform 0, numbered because there was only room for it before platform 1! It's clearly been added as it appears very much an afterthought construction. I find now that I look at these travels with a driver's eye so I spend a few minutes nosing at the cab interior that can be seen where the two units are attached, note points of signalling such as a permanent distant, and the low speeds on part of the branch. It's a classical British project. Closed to passengers in 1964 it has been open for freight but when the steel works closed the line was redundant. Because it's not in England it was reopened by the Welsh Assembly but freight characteristics - low speeds, single track etc - are still there. It's been opened with the minimal fuss to keep costs low I suspect. The end of the branch from the main South Wales line is nearer Newport than Cardiff but the infrastructure does not allow journeys from the former - and this will only change when the money is spent I suppose.

The line is very much like the other Valleys Lines - winding, climbing and crossing lots of water. There's little at the destination, it being on the outskirts of the place (the line continues and will be extended to a Town station eventually).I don't dwell, coming straight back. I decide to go back via Salisbury as my ticket allows any route. Big mistake! I have to change at Bristol (though the trip there is on a loco hauled class 37 and mark 3 coach train which is of interest I suppose) and Salisbury and there is a longish wait at both due to timetabling and delays. I am so grateful to get home as I could have got there about 3 hours earlier had I gone the direct way. So the quest ends on a smallish down in some ways, I'm in mood to commemerate it!

But soon the quest begins again. In May the reopened East London Line starts operating from Highbury to West Croydon and Crystal Palace, something new on my doorstep. Watch this space!