The First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones has opened a new rail link and a town centre railway station to provide better services for passengers in Ebbw Vale.
The new railway station and extension of the line are part of a £11.5m project funded by the Welsh Government, which also includes speed improvements to the railway track.
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The new Ebbw Vale Town station now features a new station building and a 150m-long platform that can fit up to six train carriages.
It also features CCTV, a ticket machine, customer information screens, a waiting shelter, a help point, ticket machines and a bicycle storage area.
Jones said: "Since we reopened the Ebbw Vale rail line to passengers in 2008, the route has become a vital link for the community to access jobs and services.
"It has proved very popular with some 300,000 journeys annually. Our investment in new stations here and at Pye Corner this year will ensure even more people can use this service."
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By GlobalDataNetwork Rail (NR) has carried out the project of extending the railway line with 1.5 miles of railway track and the new station.
The Ebbw Vale Town Station is located on the Ebbw Vale to Cardiff line and will be served by the existing hourly service, while additional services to be introduced in the future.
NR Wales acting route manager director Sarah Kendall said: "The extension of the railway line into Ebbw Vale and the brand new station helps to transform the town centre.
"We have worked closely with Welsh Government and Arriva Trains Wales and the project is an excellent example of partnership working to help deliver a better railway for passengers and build a station that people in Ebbw Vale can rely on and be proud of."
NR is working on a separate project, also funded by Welsh Government, to offer a more frequent service for passengers on the Ebbw Vale line.
The Ebbw Vale frequency improvement project will see improvements to Llanhilleth and Newbridge stations, as well as work to double the track between Crosskeys Junction and Aberbeeg Junction.
The line will also be re-signalled in order to allow for a more frequent service in the future.
Image: Ebbw Vale Town station. Photo: courtesy of Network Rail.
