Another look at Abergavenny

Almost two years after my last visit I am tempted to pay a return to charming Abergavenny on 16 January 2024, where some great pictures I have seen posted online suggest that there is a promising vantage point south of the station from which to capture trains and semaphores.

So having spent time during my last visit (May 2022) on two bridges north of the station, my exploration this time takes me some way south to a major road junction where the rail line passes over a roundabout near the Marches Line’s southernmost semaphore signals. 

Taking a 10-minute walk south from the station down the main road you come to a large roundabout with roads passing under the railway. Having continued down the A40 for about 400 yards, I came to a foot crossing of the line from where there was a view looking north to up outer home signal AY42.

But the location I was really looking for is in an area of woodland east of the railway on the north side of the roundabout, which has thankfully had some tree clearance and offers a great view back towards the station, with six of the semaphores and the signal box in sight, and tree stumps to sit on between trains!

Abergavenny is one of those places that are always a pleasure to visit, with a fine sight looking south from the station footbridge towards its timber 1934 Great Western Railway signal box on the left, with most of its semaphore signals in view, along with a rare yellow shunting disc signal.

For those unfamiliar with the location, Abergavenny’s 11 semaphores comprise four on the up (northbound) main line, four on the down main, with two controlling entry to a loop on the up side of the line and one controlling exit from a refuge siding on the down side of the line, south of the signal box. 

Passenger services stopping at Abergavenny comprise hourly services between Manchester Piccadilly and Cardiff Central, Carmarthen or Milford Haven and two-hourly services between Holyhead and Cardiff Central. CAF Class 197 units have displaced the Alstom Class 175 units, though older Class 150/3/8 units are still in evidence.

Adding to the interest are loco-hauled Cardiff-Manchester workings, formed of DB Class 67 locos powering four MkIV coaches and a driving van trailer (DVT). There are six scheduled weekday services, along with one Holyhead-Cardiff service, but the Manchester services seem to see regular substitution by units

A first class trip from Manchester to Cardiff, with full restaurant service aboard one of the loco-worked trains, is on my 2024 wish list, but my dilemma is the lack of certainty about whether the booked set will actually run, with my preferred choice (12.30 ex-Manchester Piccadilly) worked by a substitute unit on very many occasions. 

With the vast difference in quality of journey between a first class Mark IV coach and an aged Class 150 unit, or even one of th new Class 197 trains, I am surprised that the isn’t more of an outcry at TfW’s shortcomings from passengers whose hopes of experiencing fine dining are dashed, and instead are left with a dismal trip in a standard class-only Class 150 or 197 unit. 

Operation of the Class 67/Mk IV sets was at rock bottom on the day of my visit to Abergavenny, with only three of the scheduled seven southbound services being loco hauled – these being 1V33 (06.26) from Manchester Piccadilly (67022) and two later departures from Manchester at 08.30 (1V37 powered by 67025) and 16.30 (1V50 powered by 67022).

Things were even more hopeless in the up (northbound) direction, where just two of the seven diagrammed Class 67 services actually ran as booked – these being 1W19 from Cardiff Central (12.49) to Manchester Piccadilly (67022) and 1W96 from Cardiff (17.14) to Holyhead. The remaining services were formed of Class 197 units.