THE long-awaited railway line from Ebbw Vale to Cardiff and Newport has reached a major milestone.

The invitations to tender for the construction of stations, signalling, structures and tracks are going out to contractors.

The first contract - for the detailed design and construction of signalling, structures and track - went out on April 15.

Now the second contract, for the six stations, will go out on April 29. Both tenders must be returned by June 28.

The contracts are expected to be awarded to the successful bidders in the autumn and construction will start next spring.

The Argus ran a three-year Get Us Back on Track campaign which called for the Newport link to Ebbw Vale to open at the same time as the Cardiff line, in 2006. At present, the Newport line is planned to open in 2009. Blaenau Gwent council says the rail project is progressing.

The clearance contract for the entire route, which began in January, was completed on time and to budget, while ground investigation of the track bed is currently under way. The advance ordering of railway track for the line and the subsequent delivery is being finalised.

A Planning application for the station at Ebbw Vale has been submitted, with the plans for the Llanhilleth station due to be submitted by the end of April.

Planning consent is in place for the stations at Newbridge and Rogerstone.

Planning applications for Crosskeys and the Risca Pontymister station will follow.

Andrew Davies, the Assembly's minister for economic development and transport, said: "The provision of rail passenger services from Ebbw Vale to Cardiff and Newport is an important project, and will bring substantial economic and social benefits to the area."