Pye Corner railway station

Pye Corner
National Rail
General information
LocationBassaleg, Newport
Wales
Coordinates51°34′53″N 3°02′29″W / 51.5813°N 3.04125°W / 51.5813; -3.04125
Grid referenceST281872
Owned byNetwork Rail
Managed byTransport for Wales
Platforms1
Other information
Station codePYE
Key dates
14 December 2014Opened
Passengers
2019/20Increase 111,858
2020/21Decrease 16,454
2021/22Increase 73,110
2022/23Increase 100,236
2023/24Decrease 91,730
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Pye Corner railway station is a station serving a residential area in the west of Newport, Wales, between the suburbs of Bassaleg and High Cross. It opened on 14 December 2014.[1][2]

History

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Proposal

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A report published by the South East Wales Transport Alliance (Sewta) in 2006 envisaged the extension of services on the Ebbw Valley Railway to Newport and the addition of new stations at Cwm and Pye Corner.[3] It was forecast that 135,000 journeys would be made to and from Pye Corner which had a catchment population of 19,040 within 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) and 4,312 within 800 metres (870 yd).[4] Provision of the station was set as a priority in Sewta's Regional Transport Plan published in 2008[5] and the aspiration was reflected in Network Rail's Wales Route Utilisation Strategy published in November 2008.[6] Land for the station was safeguarded in Newport City Council's Unitary Development Plan.[7]

In March 2012, proposals for a single-platform station, situated to the east of the line and accessed from a new road junction on Western Valley Road opposite High Cross Lane, were put out to consultation.[8] The plans included provision for a second platform to be provided at a later date.[8] In March 2013, the Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin, announced that Pye Corner was a "front-runner" in terms of funding for new stations, along with Ilkeston and Lea Bridge.[9][10] The grant of £2.5m was confirmed in May 2013, to which the Welsh Government would add a further £1m.[11]

The station's location is close to the former Bassaleg Junction station.

Construction

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In February 2014, a planning application for the station was passed by Newport City Council, with planners recommending the construction of a screen or fence to protect the privacy of properties adjacent to the station which back on to the line.[12][13] The first train to arrive at the station on the opening day of 14 December 2014 was the 09:15 from Ebbw Vale.[14]

Services

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On Mondays to Saturdays, there are two trains per hour between Cardiff Central or Newport and Ebbw Vale Town. On Sundays, the Cardiff to Ebbw Vale service runs via Newport every two hours.

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Rogerstone   Transport for Wales
Ebbw Vale Town - Cardiff Central
  Cardiff Central
Rogerstone   Transport for Wales
Ebbw Vale Town - Newport
  Newport

See also

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^ "Pye Corner railway station to open on December 14, minister announces". South Wales Argus. 31 October 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  2. ^ Caio, Iwan (14 December 2014). "Newport's £3.5m Pye Corner rail station opened in record time". South Wales Argus website. Newsquest Media Group. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  3. ^ SEWTA (2006), para. 8.3.1.
  4. ^ SEWTA (2006), para. 8.4.
  5. ^ SEWTA (27 June 2008). "Sewta Board meeting" (PDF). para. 9.2. Archived from the original (DOC) on 13 March 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  6. ^ "Wales Route Utilisation Strategy" (PDF). Network Rail. para. 7.3.7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  7. ^ Newport City Council (May 2006). "Adopted Unitary Development Plan 1996-2011" (PDF). page 71. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 July 2006. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  8. ^ a b Newport City Council (15 March 2012). "Views sought on proposed railway stations". Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  9. ^ Department for Transport (26 March 2013). "Fresh start for franchising". Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  10. ^ Herd, George (27 March 2013). "Fifty years since Beeching's rail cuts in Wales". BBC News Online. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  11. ^ "Fifty years since Beeching's rail cuts in Wales". BBC News Online. 16 May 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  12. ^ "Newport's Pye Corner railway station approved". South Wales Argus. 6 February 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  13. ^ Nigel Harris, ed. (19 February – 4 March 2014). "Newport Council approves Pye Corner station". RAIL (742): 20.
  14. ^ "First train pulls into Pye Corner £3.5m railway station". BBC News Online. 14 December 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.

Sources

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