The unnecessary delay to the rail link between Ebbw Vale and Newport was underlined by Welsh Assembly figures revealing the replacemnt bus service is little used. The bus takes a circuitous route between Rogerstone and the city centre. Passengers for Newport tend to travel on the train to Cardiff and get another train east to Newport rather than use the bus. The bus journey takes 50 minutes to complete the 4 mile route operating via the Celtic Springs Business Park. An average of six passengers a day are using the service. The Welsh Assembly Government is providing £224,500 a year in subsidy, via Newport Council, for the service. According to the Western Mail, allowing for Sundays and bank holidays, when the bus does not operate, that equates to a subsidy of £122.68 per passenger. It is understood the service has been revised to a more direct journey time of 20 minutes. Work on the necessary signalling to allow a direct Ebbw Vale to Newport service will not start until next year.
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