A REPORT recommended more work is done to look into additional services and a new station for the railway line from Newport to Abergavenny.

A study commissioned by Sewta, the South East Wales Transport Alliance, has recommended that additional trains should run every two hours on the line from Newport to Abergavenny.

It suggests that Pontypool and New Inn is developed as a park and ride with new access from the A4042, together with a new station at Caerleon and improved car parks and bus interchanges at Abergavenny and Cwmbran.

Separate work has also established initial proposals for Crumlin and Pye Corner stations – including bus stops and bike parking.

On Friday a meeting of the board meeting of Sewta, which co-ordinates the regional transport plans of ten councils including all those in Gwent, agreed to commission further work to develop the detail of the proposals.

When and if they are built would be subject to funding fromthe Welsh Government – although previous work commissioned for Sewta suggested that Pye Corner and Crumlin stations could be built before 2015 if funding was available.

According to the study on the Abergavenny line the proposed improvements could result in an additional 168,000 new rail trips, with half of the trips transferring from the road.

Under proposals for Crumlin 78 parking spaces would be provided, as well as secure bike lockers and space for a bus stop.

A compulsory purchase order is required for the land at the station site, while the Pye Corner site is already owned by Newport Council and Network Rail.

The Sewta study estimates the cost of the Pye Corner station at £5.7 million – with almost half of the cost attributable to the car park.