Jobs hope over valleys rail link

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Jobs hope over valleys rail link

Work has begun on a railway linking a south Wales valleys unemployment
blackspot with Cardiff and Newport.

It is hoped the £30m Ebbw Vale - Newport line, due to open in summer
2007, will give better commuting opportunities to people in areas such
as Blaenau Gwent.

It is part of a drive to encourage local regeneration and there are
hopes it will lead to easier access for jobs for people living along
the route.

Engineers began testing on the tracks on Thursday, which is expected to
take about a month.

They hope to recover sleepers from the tracks of the former Ebbw Vale
passenger line to be used in the restoration of the track.

New stations along the route will include Abertillery, Llanhilleth and
Risca.

The plan to open the new rail line has been led by Blaenau Gwent
Council in partnership with Caerphilly and Newport councils, the Welsh
Assembly Government, Network Rail and Arriva Trains.

It will encourage travel - it will let the people who live in Blaenau
Gwent and spend their money in Blaenau Gwent who maybe don't want to
drive to Cardiff get on a train for 50 minutes and get there.

On top of that, the new line could open up a whole new tourism industry
because it is beautiful and it has heritage links with health with
(former Labour cabinet minister and National Health Service founder)
Aneurin Bevan and with industry."

"I think that will help to reinforce the reality of this project we are
all committed as partners to seeing the reopening of the Ebbw valley
rail link, and it really will deliver huge opportunities to the people
of Blaenau Gwent and the Ebbw valley region."