Future Expansion
With extensions southwards to Varteg, it was found that the deck of Varteg Road bridge was beyond economical repair, and could not simply be refurbished as was the case with the other bridges on the line. The local authority replaced the deck with two new bridges, one for the railway, and the other for the cycleway in April 2011. Presently it is not possible to advance more than about 400 yards before coming into conflict with the cycleway. Fortunately, Torfaen County Borough Council has recognised the railway's potential to expand toward Talywain and beyond and have included this within their local development plan. This will also allow for route sharing to accommodate both Cycle Route and future line proposals whilst ensuring measures are taken to minimise any conflict occurring in dual operation.
Southward expansions to Wainfelin may be jeopardised by recent land reclamation schemes presented by Spring UR Ltd. These plans require the swift destruction of the prominent Big Arch, a brick-lined tunnel structure built in 1879 and already a Grade II listed structure. The plans opt for its demolition in order to breach the disused railway embankment, this would create a wider access route for heavy road traffic for open-casting west of Talywain village to commence. Not only would this prevent future line extensions but impede the Celtic Trail cycle path altogether as well. Whether a more beneficial plan for the surrounding area, or alternative put forward by the Torfaen Council, is currently unknown as these proposals are still in the early stages of public meetings.
After Pontypool Wainfelin, any further restoration of the original route down the valley is now virtually impossible as the line through Pontypool to Newport via Clarence Street was lost in the 1980s to the A4043 bypass. Retail development such as Tesco now occupies the site of Pontypool Crane Street station, but thankfully the preservation society managed to rescue this up-platform station building by painstakingly deconstructing brick-by-brick and stored onsite for eventual re-construction. As of 2012, the stonework is being used to decorate the new station building at Furnace Sidings.
Read more about this topic: Pontypool And Blaenavon Railway
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