THE launch of new National Rail timetables has seen a station added to the network in South Wales as well as more routes and services in other areas, including the restoration of through London services for Shrewsbury and Blackpool, but progress on another new station at Ilkeston in Derbyshire has been delayed.

At the same time, Network Rail has been rebuked by the Office of Rail Regulation over its performance since the start of Control Period 5 in April.

The new station is at Pye Corner in Newport, on the route between Ebbw Vale and Cardiff. It was completed in just over eight months at a cost of £3.5 million after being authorised earlier this year. Hourly trains now provide a journey time to Cardiff of just under 25min. 

Welsh Government transport minister Edwina Hart said: "I want to ensure people have access to the efficient and comfortable public transport services they need. Ebbw Vale railway line is already very popular, with some 300,000 journeys annually. Together with the new Ebbw Vale Town station, which is opening soon, Pye Corner will improve access to jobs and services for many people along this busy route.”

Most operators in England, Scotland and Wales have reported timetable adjustments. London Midland has made many changes which include more services to and from London Euston, with more trains now running non-stop south of Milton Keynes Central.

Chiltern has adjusted various services to Aylesbury, Banbury and High Wycombe, and Abellio Greater Anglia has changed the calling patterns of many trains on the Sheringham line. There are numerous changes to local Arriva Trains Wales services in north Wales, particularly in the Llandudno area and on the Holyhead-Manchester route, and Shrewsbury has gained direct Virgin services to and from London Euston. Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin travelled on the first Shrewsbury departure from London Euston this morning. Virgin is also now providing a daily return service between London Euston and Blackpool North.

First Great Western has adjusted the timings of a number of main line services to Devon and Cornwall, and some connections to Paignton and Looe have been revised as a result. There are also some FGW changes on the Barnstaple, Gunnislake, Henley and Newquay branches, and in the north Cotswolds.

Govia Thameslink has added some services on its Great Northern inner and outer suburban routes, and from 20 December there will be no Thameslink trains between Blackfriars and London Bridge. Through Bedford-Brighton services will be diverted via Elephant & Castle to allow work to continue on the major Thameslink Programme in the London Bridge area.

Further north there is a boost for Northern's Sunday services, with additional trains running between Leeds and Horsforth, while trains between Bradford Forster Square and Skipton are being retimed.

There are a number of improvements on ScotRail in the Glasgow area, including services to Cumbernauld, Dalmuir and Lanark.

However, Eurostar has been affected by a strike in Belgium, which means that its Brussels services must terminate at Lille today, while the Derbyshire town of Ilkeston must wait a little longer for trains to return after environmental problems threatened to increase the cost of the project by £3 million, which Derbyshire County Council said was 'not affordable'. Project managers are now examining possible alternatives with a lower price tag, but work is not now expected to start on the site before the spring.

Meanwhile, Network Rail has come under renewed fire from the Office of Rail Regulation, which is increasingly critical of NR's performance since April. A letter from ORR chief executive Richard Price to Network Rail chief executive Mark Carne is reported to have described the first seven months of CP5 as 'very disappointing'.

The ORR said it hoped to release the full text of the letter shortly.