Commuters travelling on major Gwent routes into Newport are facing significant delays this morning. We are monitoring the situation closely and will provide updates as they come in. Disruption is expected to persist for several hours.
Transport for Wales has attributed the issue to an unprecedented number of trains requiring simultaneous maintenance between Newport and Chepstow, resulting in bidirectional service cancellations on that line. A similar situation exists between Newport and Ebbw Vale Town, with both routes experiencing complete service suspension. The operator anticipates these problems will continue until 20:00.
Passengers holding valid tickets may travel on Stagecoach South Wales buses operating along the following corridors at no additional charge: Route 21 linking Newbridge and Llanhilleth; Route 26 between Newbridge and Ebbw Vale; Route 56 from Newport to Crosskeys via Rogerstone and Pontymister; Route 151 connecting Newport and Newbridge via Pye Corner, Rogerstone, Pontymister, Risca and Crosskeys; and Route X15 running between Newport and Llanhilleth via Rogerstone, Crosskeys and Newbridge.
Those whose train services have been cancelled may use the subsequent available train without paying anything extra.
Travellers departing from Newport should board Transport for Wales services bound for Cardiff Central, where they can transfer to connecting Ebbw Vale Town trains. Passengers located at stations between Ebbw Vale Town and Pye Corner who need to reach Newport should travel towards Cardiff Central and change there for onward Transport for Wales services heading to Newport.
The root cause remains an above-average number of trains simultaneously undergoing maintenance between Newport and Ebbw Vale Town, leaving fewer operational units available for the route. Consequently, a diminished timetable is currently in place.
Services between Maesteg or Cardiff Central and Ebbw Vale Town remain unaffected and continue operating to their normal schedule.
The situation is anticipated to last until the end of the day.