Newport railway station

For other uses, see Newport station (disambiguation).

Coordinates: 51°35′23″N 2°59′56″W / 51.5896°N 2.9990°W / 51.5896; -2.9990

Newport
Casnewydd
175011 at Newport in 2009 with an Arriva Trains Wales service to Carmarthen.
Location
Place	Newport
Local authority	Newport
Operations
Station code	NWP
Managed by	Arriva Trains Wales
Number of platforms	4
Live arrivals/departures and station information from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage
2004/05 *	1.828 million
2005/06 *	1.906 million
2006/07 *	2.012 million
2007/08 *	2.155 million
2008/09 *	2.161 million
2009/10 *	2.182 million
History
18 June 1850	Opened
1880	Enlarged
1928	Enlarged
2010	Enlarged
National Rail - UK railway stations
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
* Annual passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Newport from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Please note: methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

[v · d · e]Gloucester to Newport Line

Legend Cross Country Route Gloucester River Severn Ledbury and Gloucester Railway Oakle Street Grange Court Hereford, Ross & Gloucester Railway Westbury-on-Severn Halt Newnham Ruddle Road Halt Severn and Wye Railway Awre for Blakeney Forest of Dean Central Railway Severn Railway Bridge Severn Bridge Sharpness Branch Line Lydney Junction / Lydney Lydney Harbour Branch Dean Forest Railway Woolaston Wye Valley Railway Tutshill Halt Chepstow East River Wye (Chepstow Railway Bridge) Chepstow M48 Severn Bridge Portskewett South Wales Main Line Sudbrook Tunnel Pumps Caerwent training area Severn Tunnel Caldicot Severn Tunnel Junction M4 Second Severn Crossing Undy Halt Magor River Severn Steel works Llanwern Uskmouth Power Station Welsh Marches Line River Usk Monmouthshire Railway Newport South Wales Main Line

Newport railway station (Welsh: Casnewydd) is the 3rd busiest railway station in Wales (after Cardiff Central and Cardiff Queen Street), situated in Newport city centre. It is part of the British railway system owned by Network Rail and is operated by Arriva Trains Wales, although First Great Western and CrossCountry also provide services. The main station entrance is located on Queensway, and a small section of road known as Station Approach links this to the High Street. The station was originally opened in 1850 by the South Wales Railway Company and was greatly expanded in 1928.

British Transport Police maintain a presence at Newport.^[1]

Services

Newport is currently served by three train operating companies: Arriva Trains Wales, CrossCountry and First Great Western.

Arriva Trains Wales

175005 departs with an Arriva Trains Wales service along the Welsh Marches Line.

• 1 train per hour (tph) to Manchester Piccadilly via Hereford and Shrewsbury. These services are from Carmarthen, Milford Haven or Cardiff Central, operated by Class 175 Coradia units.

• 1tph to Carmarthen with a two-hourly extension to Milford Haven via Cardiff Central, Bridgend, Port Talbot Parkway, Neath, Swansea, Llanelli and Pembrey and Burry Port. There is also one daily service to Pembroke Dock, departing Newport at 18:43. These services are from Manchester Piccadilly, operated by Class 175 Coradia units.

• 1tp2h to Holyhead via Hereford, Shrewsbury, Wrexham General, Chester, Llandudno Junction and Bangor. These services are from Cardiff Central, operated by Class 175 Coradia units and refurbished Class 158 Express Sprinter units.

• 1tp2h to Cardiff Central. These services are from Holyhead, operated by Class 175 Coradia units.

• 1tph to Cheltenham Spa via Severn Tunnel Junction and Gloucester. These services are usually from Maesteg but come from destinations such as Swansea and Fishguard, operated by Class 150 'Sprinter units, Class 158 Express Sprinter units and Class 175 Coradia units.

• 1tph to Maesteg via Cardiff Central and Bridgend. These services are usually from Cheltenham Spa but come from destinations such as the 06:27 and 12:38 services from Holyhead, operated by Class 150 'Sprinter units, Class 158 Express Sprinter units and Class 175 Coradia units.

In October 2008 the Welsh Assembly Government announced the launch of a new faster services between Cardiff and North Wales. The service which departs Newport at 16:35 is operated by Arriva Trains Wales using Class 57 locomotives and Mark II passenger rolling stock. The service has premier business-class accommodation.^[2]

CrossCountry

170104 at Newport with an Arriva CrossCountry service to Cardiff Central from Nottingham.

• 1tph to Nottingham via Gloucester, Cheltenham Spa, Birmingham New Street and Derby. These services are from Cardiff Central, operated by Class 170 Turbostar units.

• 1tph to Cardiff Central. These services are usually from Nottingham or Birmingham New Street, operated by Class 170 Turbostar units, although there is one daily service at 20:49 from Manchester Piccadilly operated by a Class 221 SuperVoyager unit.

• 1tpd to Manchester Piccadilly via Bristol Temple Meads, Bristol Parkway, Cheltenham Spa, Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton, Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield and Stockport, operated by a Class 221 SuperVoyager unit.

• 1tpd to Aberdeen on Sundays via Gloucester, Cheltenham Spa, Birmingham New Street, Derby, Chesterfield, Sheffield, Wakefield Westgate, Leeds, York, Darlington, Durham, Newcastle, Alnmouth, Dunbar, Edinburgh Waverley, Haymarket, Inverkeithing, Kirkcaldy, Markinch, Ladybank, Cupar, Leuchars, Dundee, Arbroath, Montrose and Stonehaven. This service is from Bristol Temple Meads.

• 1tpd to Glasgow Central on Sundays via Gloucester, Cheltenham Spa, Birmingham New Street, Derby, Chesterfield, Sheffield, Wakefield Westgate, Leeds, York, Darlington, Durham, Newcastle, Alnmouth, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Edinburgh Waverley, Haymarket and Motherwell. This service is from Bristol Temple Meads.

• 1tpd to Plymouth on Sundays via Bristol Parkway, Bristol Temple Meads, Taunton, Tiverton Parkway, Exeter St David's, Newton Abbot and Totnes. This service is from Birmingham New Street.

First Great Western

43128 heads a First Great Western service along the South Wales Main Line to London Paddington.

158957 arrives at Newport with a First Great Western service to Portsmouth Harbour with the two different styles of GWR logo on the benches

• 2tph to London Paddington railway station via Bristol Parkway, Swindon, Didcot Parkway and Reading. These services are from Cardiff Central or Swansea as well as daily services from Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock, operated by Class 43 'High Speed Train InterCity 125 units.

• 1tph to Swansea via Cardiff Central, Bridgend, Port Talbot Parkway, Neath and Swansea, as well as daily extensions to Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock. These services are from London Paddington, operated by Class 43 'High Speed Train InterCity 125 units.

• 1tph to Portsmouth Harbour via Bristol Temple Meads, Bath Spa, Westbury, Salisbury, Southampton Central, Fareham, Cosham, Fratton and Portsmouth and Southsea. These services are from Cardiff Central, operated by Class 158 Express Sprinter units

• 1tph to Taunton via Bristol Temple Meads and Weston-super-Mare. These services are from Cardiff Central, operated by Class 150 'Sprinter units, Class 153 'Sprinter units and Class 158 Express Sprinter units as well as Class 67 loco-hauled trains.

• 2tpd on Sundays to Brighton via Bristol Temple Meads, Bath Spa, Westbury, Salisbury, Southampton Central, Fareham, Cosham, Fratton, Havant, Chichester, Barnham, Worthing, Shoreham-by-Sea and Hove. These services are from Cardiff Central, operated by Class 158 Express Sprinter units.

Ebbw Vale services

Phase Two of the Ebbw Valley Railway project would see the restoration of direct trains between Newport and Ebbw Vale and resurrect the suburban rail link with Rogerstone. In March 2008 following the success of phase one - direct services between Cardiff Central and Ebbw Vale - the Welsh Assembly Government's Minister for Economy and Transport launched a feasibility study into the restoration of direct trains from Newport. Significant works need to be carried out including the re-instatement of a set of points, refurbished track, new signals at the Gaer and Park junctions as well as track extensions between Crosskeys and Llanhilleth. The Welsh Assembly Government announced in July 2009 that the relevant works to enable direct trains between Ebbw Vale and Newport would be complete by 2011.^[3] However, no decision will be made until at least 2011.^[4]

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Cardiff Central		Arriva Trains Wales Maesteg / Cardiff Central - Cheltenham Spa		Severn Tunnel Junction
		Arriva Trains Wales Milford Haven/Carmarthen - Manchester Piccadilly		Cwmbran
		Arriva Trains Wales Cardiff - Holyhead
Cardiff Central		CrossCountry Cardiff Central - Nottingham		Severn Tunnel Junction or Gloucester
		CrossCountry Cardiff Central to Manchester Piccadilly via Bristol Temple Meads (Mondays to Saturdays only, limited service)		Severn Tunnel Junction
Cardiff Central		First Great Western Cardiff Central / Swansea - London Paddington		Bristol Parkway
		First Great Western Cardiff Central - Taunton		Severn Tunnel Junction
		First Great Western Cardiff Central - Brighton / Portsmouth Harbour		Severn Tunnel Junction or Filton Abbey Wood
	Future services
Pye Corner		Arriva Trains Wales Ebbw Valley Railway Due to re-open in 2011		Terminus

History

British Railways Western Region "totem" sign for Newport High Street.

Up freight in 1963

Down iron ore train entering the station in 1963

Looking west from Platform 2

The current station layout consists of four through-platforms numbered 1 to 4 from the south side. The original broad gauge station had only two 200-foot-long (61 m) through platforms and a bay platform at the east end of the down platform. The Hillfield railway tunnels to the west of the station were dug under Stow Hill in the 1840s.^[5]On the closure of Dock Street and Mill Street stations to passengers in 1880, High Street station was greatly expanded: The up platform was made into an island - the north face 825 feet (251 m) in length, and the south side 814 feet (248 m). The down platform was extended to 897 feet (273 m), with the west end bay extended to 428 feet (130 m). Two scissors crossovers were provided on these new platforms, effectively dividing them into two. The original down platform became Nos. 1 and 2. The bay became No. 3, the south face of the up platform Nos. 4 and 5 and the north face Nos. 6 and 7. The bay platform was mostly used for Monmouthshire western valleys services, but with the quadrupling of the line in 1912 trains from the bay platform (on the south side) now had to cross the entire station to get to the Gaer Tunnel on the north side. To address this the former loading dock on the north side of the station was made into a passenger platform (No. 8).

April 1961 saw the introduction of colour Multiple-Aspect Signalling and associated modifications to the station layout. The north face of the island platform became the new up platform, with the south face becoming the new down. The platforms were also renumbered in the opposite direction to match the new line designations — No. 8 became No. 1, Nos. 6/7 became 2, Nos. 4/5 became No. 5 and Nos. 1/2 became No. 6. Lines 3 and 4 became the designations for the through non-platform lines. Subsequent removal of the scissors crossovers saw a further combination and renumbering of platforms to the current layout.

Naming

Originally named Newport High Street, the suffix High Street became unnecessary on the closure of Mill Street and Dock Street stations to goods traffic in the 1960s.^[6] Printed tickets and National Rail enquiries use the suffix "South Wales" to differentiate this station from its namesake in Essex. Newport Unlimited have suggested the station is officially renamed Newport City railway station.^[7]

Facilities

The "Archform" sculpture in the station forecourt on the site of the old west-facing bay platform

Platform 1 is only mainly used for westbound services to Cardiff Central during peak times. Platform 2 is usually the stopping point for all westbound services to Cardiff Central. Platform 3 is usually the stopping point for eastbound services to London Paddington and Nottingham. Platform 4 is usually the stopping point for eastbound services to Manchester Piccadilly, Holyhead, Portsmouth Harbour, Taunton and Cheltenham Spa and will also be used by trains to Ebbw Vale following the full re-opening of the Ebbw Valley Railway.

A British Transport Police station and a branch of WH Smith are situated on platform 1. The waiting room and customer toilets are situated between platforms 2 and 3, as is the Upper Crust café. Also between platforms 2 and 3 is a customer help desk. The booking hall is situated between the main entrance and platform 1. There are three main windows for tickets for immediate travel and a travel centre which handles enquiries, complaints and issues tickets for future travel. In the booking hall there is also a small buffet, telephones, automatic ticket machines and a photo booth. Wheelchair access between platforms is provided by a subway, accessed by a lift from the platforms. Also, a ramp from platforms 2 and 3 leads into a subway that links Mill Street to the city centre. There is a short-stay car park and taxi rank situated to the front and a long-stay car park to the rear which is accessible via a footbridge from all platforms. Since October 2005, automatic ticket barriers have been installed. At the same time, the ticket barriers are being used more often, before used during peak periods and match days, now manned throughout the day until late in the evening.

2007 development

Midland Mainline-liveried 170101 arrives opposite the redeveloped platform 4 with a CrossCountry service to Nottingham.

The Welsh Assembly Government and Network Rail agreed a £20 million makeover for the station that provided two new concourses, a second pedestrian bridge over the tracks and a user-friendly bus-rail interchange at the station. The plans also included an extended platform 4 capable of accommodating up to twelve-carriage intercity trains and a new multi-storey car park for long-stay travellers. The initial redevelopment of Platform 4 did not allow for disabled access, resulting in station staff using a locally-contracted taxi firm at £3 a passenger to move disabled and elderly passengers the half-mile from one side of the station to the other, in a complimentary service provision.^[8] The first phase, platform 4 extension, was completed on 2 July 2007, with design works completed by Atkins.^[9]

2009 development

Planned to enable the station to cope with passenger traffic associated with the 2010 Ryder Cup, a second passenger bridge was built linking the whole station with a lift for all platforms. Network Rail claimed accessibility and safety are at the heart of the new design. The new bridge is clad in Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE),^[10] the material which protects the Eden Project in Cornwall. The station enhancements were engineered by Atkins Engineers, based in Exeter and Swindon, with design support from Grimshaw Architects and Vector Foiltec working as sub-consultants.^[11] The new north and south concourses opened on 13 September 2010.^[12]

The development was criticised by RAIL magazine columnist Barry Doe for being at the wrong end of the station, a lack of seating and generally poor design.^[13] Arriva Trains Wales also expressed concern about a leaking roof, an inadequate customer service area and insufficient ticket gates.^[10] Network Rail said the roof was fixed in mid-May 2011, but leaks were reported by a journalist later that month.^[10]

Future developments

The whole Newport area will be re-signalled in 2009-2012 which will include speed upgrades on the relief lines. The Welsh Assembly Government working with Sewta is also looking to provide an additional service (1 in every 2 hours) to Abergavenny with a re-opened station in Caerleon. This would mean that there would be two trains per hour between Cwmbran and Abergavenny and an hourly service to Pontypool and New Inn. Provision of this project would be subject to line enhancements in Abergavenny. The line from London to Cardiff is due to be electrified as part of the Great Western Main Line electrification scheme.^[14]

See also

• Railway stations in Newport
• Pontypool, Caerleon and Newport Railway
• Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway
• List of railway stations in Wales

References

1. ^ British Transport Police, Wales & Western Area - Newport High Street
2. ^ SEWTA
3. ^ "National Transport Plan". Welsh Assembly Government. http://wales.gov.uk/docs/det/consultation/090715nationaltransportplanen.pdf. Retrieved 2009-07-27. 
4. ^ "Ebbw Vale to Newport rail decision 'in 2011'". BBC News. 2010-07-20. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-10690944. Retrieved 2010-07-20. 
5. ^ "A Summary of the Early History of Newport". Bob Trett, newportpast.com. http://www.newportpast.com/early/summary/. Retrieved 1 October 2007. 
6. ^ Railway Magazine, July 1960
7. ^ "Newport Unlimited Minutes of the Meeting of the Board held on 22 November 2007". Newport Unlimited. 2007-11-22. http://www.newportunlimited.co.uk/10778.file.dld. Retrieved 2008-02-05. 
8. ^ Taxis used between rail platforms BBC News - 17 August 2007
9. ^ Newport Unlimited Annual Review 2005-06
10. ^ ^{a b c} Clark, Rhodri (2011-07). "Newport station roof leaks". Modern Railways (Ian Allan Publishing): 12. 
11. ^ "Station revamp ahead of Ryder Cup". BBC News. 2009-07-27. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8170949.stm. Retrieved 2009-07-27. 
12. ^ "'Lasting benefits' from £22m Newport station upgrade". http://www.railnews.co.uk/news/general/2010/09/14-lasting-benefits-from-22m-newport.html. Retrieved 2010-09-16. 
13. ^ Doe, Barry (2011-05-04). "The Fare Dealer". RAIL (Bauer Media) (668): 51. 
14. ^ RailNews.co.uk - Great Western electrification and IEP to go ahead

• South Wales Main Line - Newport ISBN 1-874103-76-3

External links

• Monmouthshire Railway Society