Loco Haulage at Pontypool & New Inn - Includes Class 47s stopping - Wednesday 26th June, 2024

A hot summer's evening at Pontypool & New Inn, from both on the road bridge and on the station platform, provided me with some unexpected surprises in the loco-haulage category.
To start off, two Transport for Wales DVT express sets ran through under the road bridge on the opposite side of the station appeared.
The first set featured 67022 running an express service bound from Cardiff Central to Crewe, but the service only got as far as Abergavenny before it broke down and became terminated from there, resulting in severe delays on the Welsh Marches mainline. Once the set was cleared from Abergavenny, the second DVT express set appeared, with 67013 pushing the express service from Cardiff Central to Holyhead.
The biggest surprise though, was the appearance of Class 47s making an unexpected stop at Pontypool & New Inn station itself. LSL 47593, 47810 and 47828 were taking railtour stock from Goodrington C.H.S to Crewe H.S, where due to the delays caused by the broken down One Wales Express service at Abergavenny, the Class 47s were stopped in the station for over 20 or so minutes until their path was clear up a little. It certainly made my day to see Class 47s stopping at Pontypool station on such a fine summer's evening.
Finally, Colas Rail 56094 was seen running very late indeed on the weekly Baglan Bay to Chirk Kronospan logs freight train service, having been looped in Panteg due to the express passenger trains and railtour stock move running ahead of it.
All in all, tonight was a surprisingly busy summer's evening at Pontypool & New Inn, and wherever you live in the area along the Welsh Marches mainline, absolutely anything can happen.
Filmed by Thomas Coombes on Wednesday 26th June, 2024

[@TheMichaelWilcock2016Railways]

One of my favorite locations on that line. However such a pity the footbridge, lift and new car park are still not available in July 2024