Great Western Railway in West Wales facts for kids

The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a very important railway company in the West Wales area of the United Kingdom. It helped connect towns and industries across the region.

The main railway line from Swansea to Neyland, a port on the Milford Haven Waterway, first opened in 1852. It was built by the South Wales Railway using a wider track size called "broad gauge." In 1862, the South Wales Railway joined with the Great Western Railway. The tracks were later changed to the "standard gauge" (which is the size most railways use today) in 1872. Much of this original main line is still used today!

Many smaller, independent railway lines also opened in West Wales. By 1923, when many railway companies merged in a process called "grouping," most of these smaller lines became part of the Great Western Railway. Some of these lines were built mainly to carry minerals like coal, and many have since closed as those industries shrunk. Some country routes also closed. However, railway lines to Pembroke and Milford Haven, and a main line extension to Fishguard, are still running.

Early Railways and Canals

Even though most of south-west Wales was farmland, there were places where minerals were dug up. This was mainly coal found north of Llanelly and around Saundersfoot. Limestone was also quarried near Llanelly. In the 1700s, getting these minerals to market was hard. Only places near water could easily transport their goods. So, simple waggonways (tracks for wagons) were built to carry minerals short distances directly to the coast.

The first part of the Carmarthenshire Railway opened in 1803. It was a "plateway" tramroad that connected coal pits to a quay (a place for ships to load) in Llanelly. By 1805, the line reached Cross Hands, high up on Mynydd Mawr. This brought good quality coal called anthracite down to the sea. The line was busy for a while, but by 1832, it was used less and less.

Other mineral lines became more important in the area, and the Carmarthenshire Railway stopped being a major player.

In 1812, the Kidwelly and Llanelly Canal and Tramroad Company got permission to build a canal for Llanelly, with waggonways feeding into it. Two horse-powered waggonway branches were built to Burry Port harbour in 1832.

Llanelly Railway and Dock Company

In 1828, a small group of people got permission to build a dock at Llanelly. Their company, the Llanelly Railroad and Dock Company, built the dock and a two-mile railway. This railway connected coal pits at Dafen to the dock. Horses pulled the wagons on this line.

Because their first line was successful, the company decided to build a bigger line. This new line would go from Llanelly Dock to coal pits further north-east. The company changed its name to the Llanelly Railway and Dock Company in 1835. This second line, which was separate from the Dafen line, opened to Pontardulais in 1839. It reached Duffryn and Cwmamman in 1840. Over the next two years, it extended east into the Amman Valley and a branch went west to Great Mountain (Mynydd Mawr) in 1842.

The company started running its own trains using steam locomotives. From 1850, they also carried passengers.

South Wales Railway

Starting the South Wales Railway

The Great Western Railway finished its main line between London and Bristol in 1841. Even while building it, they thought about adding more lines. In 1844, the South Wales Railway was suggested. It would run from Standish (south of Gloucester) through Chepstow, Newport, Cardiff, and Neath, passing near Swansea and Carmarthen, all the way to Fishguard. There was also a plan for a branch line from Whitland to Pembroke.

The Great Western Railway and its friends used a wider track size called "broad gauge." Most other railways in Britain used a narrower size, which was later called "standard gauge." Even though the South Wales Railway was a separate company, the GWR strongly supported it. Many of the same people were directors or investors in both companies. The famous engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel was the engineer for the South Wales Railway.

When the South Wales Railway got permission to build in 1845, the GWR agreed to invest a lot of money in it. The plan included a swing bridge over the River Loughor and a drawbridge over the River Towy.

Track Size of the South Wales Railway

In 1846, a special group called the Gauge Commission looked into the future of railway track sizes in Britain. Having different track sizes (broad gauge and narrow gauge) caused problems where they met. Goods had to be manually moved from one train to another, which was slow and expensive.

The commission said that having different track sizes was "a serious evil." They recommended that no more broad gauge railways should be built. They also suggested finding a way for narrow gauge trains to run on broad gauge lines.

This report made people wonder about the South Wales Railway's track size. However, the government decided that the South Wales Railway should still be built using the broad gauge (seven feet wide). So, the line was built this way, which had big effects later on.

The Western End of the Line

The South Wales Railway was meant to connect with a ferry between Fishguard and Ireland. This would help carry mail and goods between southern Ireland and the GWR network. Fishguard Bay was seen as a good place for a ferry port. Brunel even thought about starting a shipping business from Fishguard across the Atlantic Ocean!

However, in 1845, there was a terrible potato famine in Ireland, which caused a lot of hardship. The economy in Ireland and the rest of the UK got much worse, making it very hard to raise money for new railways.

The Irish railway builders couldn't get enough money, so they couldn't build their part of the link. The South Wales Railway directors realized that building the line all the way to Fishguard might be pointless for now. They asked the GWR to start their financial agreement earlier, when the line reached Swansea, instead of waiting for Fishguard. The GWR refused. This caused some disagreements between the two companies.

First Opening of the South Wales Railway

The first part of the South Wales Railway, between Chepstow and Swansea, opened on June 18, 1850. The bridge over the River Wye at Chepstow wasn't ready yet, so this section was cut off from the rest of the railway system for two years. The bridge finally opened on July 19, 1852.

The GWR had extra trains at the time, so they were able to run the trains for the South Wales Railway from the very beginning.

By March 1851, the South Wales Railway decided to build its western end to a place called Neyland on the Milford Haven instead of Fishguard. They agreed to lease the line to the GWR for 999 years once it reached Swansea. Work on the Fishguard line was stopped.

Opening to Carmarthen 1852

The next part of the South Wales Railway, from Landore to Carmarthen, opened on October 11, 1852. The Carmarthen station was south of where the lines are today. The railway used a cheaper type of track called "Barlow rail," which was laid directly on the ground without wooden sleepers.

The South Wales Railway route crossed two lines of the Llanelly Railway and Dock company. The Llanelly Company wanted to sell its railway to the SWR and argued that the crossing would make their system unusable. The SWR wasn't interested in buying a narrow gauge mineral railway and refused. After a long argument, the SWR opened its line, crossing the Llanelly lines at ground level.

In 1852, Parliament gave permission to extend the line from Haverfordwest to Neyland and to abandon the Fishguard line.

There were more arguments about the lease agreement with the GWR. The SWR felt the GWR was charging too much and not providing enough wagons. After a lot of talking, they reached an agreement, but the SWR still wanted to end the agreement as soon as possible.

Opening West of Carmarthen 1853

On January 2, 1854, the line opened from Carmarthen to Haverfordwest. It was a single track. The line continued from Haverfordwest to Neyland, opening on April 15, 1856. The station was first called Milford Haven but changed to Neyland in 1859. Neyland was a new town built entirely for the railway. A ferry service to Waterford in Ireland started soon after the railway opened.

The Barlow rails used on the earlier parts of the line were not working well. So, the newer sections were built with stronger rails, and the older sections were gradually upgraded. This cost a lot of money.

The original plan for the South Wales Railway included a branch line to Pembroke. But since Neyland was so close to Pembroke Dock by ferry, the SWR didn't want to build it. They delayed, but a local person sued them, forcing them to consider it. Eventually, the SWR was allowed to drop the Pembroke branch. The branch was later built by a different company, the Pembroke and Tenby Railway.

The line between Carmarthen and Neyland became a double track on July 1, 1857. Now, there was a double-track broad gauge line all the way from London to Neyland.

The railway was busy, especially with cattle coming from Ireland. However, the hoped-for transatlantic shipping business from Neyland didn't happen.

The Llanelly Railway and Dock company had its own station near its dock. But connecting to the main railway network was important. So, the LR&D opened a short branch line to a station next to the SWR Llanelly station. Because of the different track sizes, trains couldn't run straight through. Goods had to be moved by hand between trains at a special shed, which opened in 1852.

Neyland and Milford Haven

The South Wales Railway's end point was on the water called Milford Haven. The railway station was first called "Milford Haven," then "Neyland," and later "New Milford" for many years. It went back to "Neyland" in 1906.

Neyland was chosen for its deep water, but there wasn't much of a town there. So, a separate company built a short branch line from Johnston to the existing town of Milford Haven, which had been founded in 1790. This Milford Railway line opened on September 7, 1863, and the GWR operated it. The GWR bought the Milford Railway in 1896.

The natural harbour at Milford Haven was good at first, but it was small. In 1860, the Milford Haven Docks and Railway Company got permission to build a pier (a long structure into the water) and a railway to connect it. This opened on January 18, 1882. The pier is now old and unused, and the railway connection is gone.

South Wales Railway Joins the GWR 1862

The GWR decided to merge with other railway companies, including the South Wales Railway. This meant the GWR would take over the SWR's operations completely. This agreement started on January 1, 1862. The SWR officially became part of the GWR system on August 1, 1863.

Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway

On August 7, 1854, the Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway got permission to build a line from Carmarthen to Cardigan. It was supposed to be a broad gauge line, and a new Carmarthen station closer to the town was planned. The company struggled to raise money. At first, it only opened a short section from the SWR line to its own Carmarthen station on March 1, 1860. The SWR Carmarthen station was then renamed Carmarthen Junction. The C&CR extended another 6 miles to Conwil on September 3, 1860.

The GWR operated the C&CR trains, but the line immediately lost money and closed on December 31, 1860. It reopened on August 12, 1861, and extended to Pencader in 1864 and Llandyssul in 1864. It never reached Cardigan and was never very busy.

Llanelly Railway and the Vale of Towy

The Llanelly Railway and Dock company had reached the Amman Valley and had a branch to Cross Hands. From May 1850, it ran passenger trains. The company wanted to extend its line north to connect with other railways coming south from industrial northern England.

By 1853, the company had enough money to get permission to extend its line from Duffryn to Llandilo. This extension opened as a narrow (standard) gauge line on January 24, 1857.

Meanwhile, another company, the Vale of Towy Railway, got permission in 1854 for a line from Llandovery to Llandilo. This line opened to passengers on April 1, 1858. The Llanelly company operated the trains for the Vale of Towy company.

Other railways were building lines to connect the north-west of England to Llandovery. This created a continuous standard gauge route from Llanelly to northern England. The Llanelly Railway had hoped the South Wales Railway or GWR would buy its line, but they refused. This allowed the rival London and North Western Railway (LNWR) to gain a foothold in the area.

Manchester and Milford Railway

Other groups also wanted to connect industrial northern England to West Wales. In 1860, the Manchester and Milford Railway (M&MR) was approved. It was originally meant to go all the way from Manchester to Milford Haven. But due to money problems, it was shortened to connect Llanidloes and Pencader. At Llanidloes, it would connect to other lines going to Manchester.

At the southern end in Pencader, it would connect with the Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway to reach Milford Haven. This was a 51-mile line through wild country with few towns. It was to be a standard gauge line. The M&MR Act forced the Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway to add a third rail to its broad gauge track. This would allow M&MR standard gauge trains to run from Pencader to Carmarthen.

During construction, they realized the original route to Llanidloes was too difficult. In 1865, the M&MR got permission to make the branch to Aberystwyth its main line, abandoning the Llanidloes route.

Still very short on money, the M&MR opened its first section from Pencader to Lampeter on January 1, 1866. The Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway hadn't laid the third rail, so trains couldn't run straight through for several months. The M&MR eventually laid the rail itself, and M&MR goods trains ran to Carmarthen from November 1, 1866. Passenger trains started on November 1, 1867.

Meanwhile, the M&MR built northwards, opening its line to Strata Florida (near Ystrad Meurig) for goods trains by August 1866. The entire 41-mile route to Aberystwyth opened on August 12, 1867.

Llanelly Railway Extensions to Swansea and Carmarthen

Throughout the 1850s, Swansea became more important as an industrial center, and its docks were improved. Llanelly Dock, however, became less busy. The Llanelly company decided it needed to connect to Swansea and Carmarthen to reach West Wales harbours.

The company struggled to find money for these new lines. In October 1860, they tried to get help from financiers, but the deal fell apart. Anxious to continue, the Llanelly Company then approached the London and North Western Railway (LNWR), which had reached Llandovery and wanted access to south and west Wales.

On August 1, 1860, the Llanelly Railway (New Lines) Act was approved. This allowed a branch line from Llandilo to join the Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway near Carmarthen. It also allowed another line from Pontardulais to Swansea. This Act also divided the company into "Original Line" and "New Lines," which later caused problems.

The Carmarthen line opened for passengers on June 1, 1865, followed by goods trains in November 1865.

The Swansea section opened for mineral traffic on November 9, 1865, though volumes were small. The financial problems forced the Llanelly company to borrow money at very high interest rates. The low income from the Carmarthen line made things worse. The "New Lines" part of the Llanelly Company, which had separate funding, went into financial trouble and was taken over in January 1867.

Passenger service on the Swansea line started on December 14, 1867. The first through train from Llandovery to Swansea ran on January 1, 1868.

The Llanelly company was in deep financial trouble. In July 1867, Richard Moon of the LNWR visited to discuss help. In return, the LNWR would get permission to run its trains over the Llanelly network. The LNWR helped pay off some of Llanelly's debts, gaining access to Swansea and Carmarthen.

The Llanelly's New Lines Company was unable to pay its debts. The LNWR took over operating the New Lines from July 1, 1871. The Great Western Railway was worried that the LNWR now had access to Swansea. So, the GWR quickly took over the Llanelly company's Original Lines from January 1, 1873. This meant the Llanelly company no longer controlled its own railway. The LNWR had the New Lines, and the GWR controlled the Original Lines. The Llanelly Company, which now only owned the Original Lines, was fully absorbed by the GWR on July 1, 1889.

Pembroke and Tenby Railway

In 1858, the South Wales Railway was no longer required to build a branch line to Pembroke. Local people were disappointed and decided to build their own line from Pembroke Dockyard to Tenby. They got permission on July 21, 1859, to create the South Wales, Pembroke and Tenby Junction Railway. It was to be a narrow (standard) gauge line, which meant it couldn't use the broad gauge tracks of the South Wales Railway. In 1861, the company changed its name to the Pembroke and Tenby Railway. The line opened on July 30, 1863.

An isolated line wasn't very useful. As a standard gauge line, the P&TR saw the South Wales Railway (now part of the GWR) as a rival. It wanted to connect with other standard gauge lines at Carmarthen. The Pembroke and Tenby Act of 1864 allowed an extension from Tenby to Whitland. It also allowed a curve at Carmarthen to connect with the Manchester and Milford Railway.

The Whitland extension opened to the public on September 4, 1866. There was a separate station at Whitland next to the GWR station. However, for the P&TR trains to run from Whitland to Carmarthen, the GWR needed to change its broad gauge track to "mixed gauge" (allowing both broad and narrow gauge trains). The GWR didn't want to do this quickly. The P&TR thought about building its own independent line from Whitland to Carmarthen.

This would have given the P&TR easy access to the standard gauge lines at Carmarthen. Since these lines were friendly with the rival London and North Western Railway, this could have let the LNWR into West Wales, which the GWR really didn't want. So, the GWR finally agreed to allow access over its own route. They converted one of their broad gauge tracks between Whitland and Carmarthen to narrow gauge, leaving the other track broad gauge. This was the first time any GWR broad gauge track was changed to narrow gauge.

The Pembroke and Tenby Railway ran its first goods trains to Carmarthen on June 1, 1868. Passenger services started in August 1869.

In May 1872, the GWR changed all its broad gauge tracks in South Wales to standard gauge. This made the P&TR's independent running between Whitland and Carmarthen less important. From August 1, 1872, P&TR coaches were attached to GWR trains at Whitland.

The Pembroke and Tenby Railway was leased by the GWR on July 1, 1896, and fully became part of it a year later.

GWR Gauge Conversion

Over time, the problems caused by having different track sizes (broad gauge and narrow gauge) became more noticeable. In 1871, the Great Western Railway decided to change all its broad gauge tracks in Wales to standard gauge. The work was done in April 1872. On the night of Tuesday, April 30, the "up" line (going east) from Neyland was closed. Trains then ran on a single "down" line (going west). A lot of planning went into this.

The "up" line was ready for narrow gauge trains by May 12. All broad gauge trains and wagons were moved out of Wales. The "down" line was finished by May 22.

After the gauge conversion, the GWR took the chance to make the Neyland site bigger. They had to remove a lot of rock to create space. The new layout was ready in 1876.

From Narberth Road to Goodwick

In 1871, two men got permission to build a standard gauge line from a slate quarry at Rosebush, about 8 miles north of Narberth Road station. The line was called the Narberth Road and Maenclochog Railway. It opened in January 1876, and passengers were carried from September 1876. The railway didn't make money and closed at the end of 1882. It reopened briefly in December 1884, but closed again in 1888.

In 1878, people thought connecting to Fishguard Bay would make the railway profitable. The Rosebush and Fishguard Railway was approved to build from Rosebush to Goodwick (which is at the north-western end of Fishguard Bay). It was impossible to raise money for this line, and attempts to revive the plan in 1884 and 1886 also failed. In 1891, a man named Colonel Joseph Okell tried to fund it himself, but he went bankrupt in 1894.

Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr Railway

The idea of building a standard gauge line from Llanelly to Mynydd Mawr came up again in 1872. More minerals were being dug up, and better transport from the coal mines to the quay at Llanelly was needed. The Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr Railway (L&MMR) was approved on July 19, 1875. The new line would be 13 miles long.

Raising money to build the line was very hard. The company almost gave up in October 1879. But at the last minute, they decided to continue. A contractor named John Waddell agreed to build the line and take a large part of his payment in company shares. He started work in April 1880.

The line opened on January 1, 1883. Regular public passenger services never ran on this line, though trains for coal miners were operated around 1900. For some years, the company didn't make much money. But Waddell opened a new mine in 1887, and traffic improved a lot.

The harbour at Llanelly used by the line often filled with mud. As mineral trade grew and ships got bigger, Llanelly Harbour became less attractive. Many companies moved their business to more modern facilities in Swansea.

In 1896, the harbour managers got permission to extend and improve the harbour by building a North Dock. This opened in December 1903. Special arrangements were made to carry the L&MMR line across the entrance with a swing bridge.

Whitland and Cardigan Railway

The Whitland and Taf Vale Railway saw that Cardigan was an important business center and close enough to build a connecting line. On August 2, 1877, the company got permission for its plan and changed its name to the Whitland and Cardigan Railway. Construction was slow because they couldn't get enough money or land. The line finally opened on September 1, 1886. The Great Western Railway operated the line from the start.

The line was later absorbed by the Great Western Railway on July 1, 1890. It then became simply the Cardigan branch of the GWR.

Fishguard Bay Railway and Pier Company

The idea of reaching Fishguard Bay remained attractive. Two businessmen bought most of the shares in the unfinished North Pembrokeshire and Fishguard Railway Company. They got new permission on June 29, 1893, to create the Fishguard Bay Railway and Pier Company. This company was allowed to extend the line to Goodwick. A pier (a structure for ships) and a hotel were to be built.

Negotiations took place to combine the railway and harbour activities on both sides of the ferry crossing (Wales and Ireland). This led to the creation of the Fishguard and Rosslare Railways and Harbours Company in 1894.

The businessmen bought the old Maenclochog Railway in 1894. The line was in very bad shape and needed many improvements. Goods traffic started on March 13, 1895, followed by passenger trains on April 11, 1895.

One of the businessmen, Rowlands, tried to sell his Welsh railway network to the GWR. The original Maenclochog line was not well-built for a large company like the GWR, and it had a very steep slope. So, Rowlands' offer was not successful.

He then proposed building a line from the Maenclochog line to Carmarthen, where it could connect with the rival London and North Western Railway. This plan was approved in 1895.

The Great Western Railway had long considered bringing back the original South Wales Railway's plan to reach Fishguard Bay. They wanted a share of the transatlantic shipping trade. The possibility of the LNWR getting access to West Wales made the GWR act. It took control of the North Pembrokeshire and Fishguard Railway in February 1898.

In May 1898, an agreement was made between the GWR, an Irish railway company, and the Fishguard and Rosslare Railways and Harbours Company. The Fishguard and Rosslare company would finish the harbours in both places and build a railway in Ireland. The GWR would build a new line from Clarbeston Road to Fishguard Harbour and operate the Welsh railways. The GWR also had to provide a good steamboat service.

This agreement was approved by Parliament in 1899. On July 1, 1899, the GWR opened the extension from Letterston to Goodwick (later called Fishguard and Goodwick) station. The Fishguard and Rosslare Railways and Harbours Company became a joint company of the GWR and the Irish railway.

Fishguard Harbour

Even though the railway reached Fishguard Bay, there wasn't a good harbour there yet. The railway approach was also over the very steep Rosebush line. The new railway terminal was built on the north-west side of Fishguard Bay, where it was sheltered by hills. They had to blast away cliffs and fill in the sea with excavated rock to create a large area for the quay (a loading dock) and the new railway station. A long breakwater (a wall to protect the harbour) was also built.

The GWR built many houses for its staff because the local communities didn't have enough housing for all the new workers.

On August 30, 1906, the promised new railway route opened. This line went from Clarbeston Road (on the Neyland line) to Letterston Junction (on the North Pembroke line), and an extension from the Goodwick station to Fishguard Harbour. The ferry service between Fishguard Harbour and Rosslare in Ireland started at the same time. The new line was 11 miles long.

Three new fast turbine steamers were provided for the new service. A fourth ship was added two years later. Day and night train services were set up. The "boat trains" from London to Fishguard Harbour took about 5 and a half hours.

The journey from London to Cork in Ireland took 13 hours. Sometimes, special trains ran from London to Fishguard without stopping, taking less than five hours.

At first, a section of the new line was single track because the digging for a double track wasn't finished. This was completed on December 17, 1906, and the whole new line became double track.

"New Milford" went back to its proper name of Neyland. The ferry activity there stopped, as the Waterford service moved to Fishguard from September 1906, mainly carrying cattle and goods.

Around 1909, competition in transatlantic shipping (ships crossing the Atlantic) increased. The Cunard Company decided to land its passengers at Fishguard, which was closer to New York and within five hours of London.

The first ship to call was the Mauretania, then the biggest and fastest liner. She arrived at Fishguard on August 30, 1909. Mails and passengers reached London quickly. Cunard liners continued to use Fishguard regularly until World War I started.

The frequent special mail and passenger trains usually made the journey from Fishguard to London in about 4 and a half hours, with a stop at Cardiff.

Relying on the difficult North Pembrokeshire route between Fishguard and Letterston Junction was seen as a problem. In 1903, a new, easier route was designed. This would have been very expensive, and the GWR waited to see how successful the Fishguard route would be. Its success as an ocean terminal made the GWR start construction. However, progress was slow, and World War I started, so the work was never finished.

When World War I began, transatlantic trade stopped. The last such call was made when the Lusitania left on September 14, 1914.

Grouping of the Railways

The Railways Act 1921 required that the main railway companies in Great Britain should be combined into four larger groups. The Great Western Railway was already very strong in its area. It absorbed many smaller companies, and the name Great Western Railway continued to be used. This "grouping" happened at the beginning of 1923.

So, in 1922, the railways in West Wales included:

• The original South Wales Railway main line (Gloucester to Neyland), which joined the GWR in 1863.
• The Milford Railway (Johnston to Milford Haven), bought by the GWR in 1896.
• The line from Letterston to Goodwick, opened by the GWR in 1899.
• The new main line from Clarbeston Road to Goodwick, opened by the GWR in 1906.
• The Llanelly Railway and Dock Company's original network, absorbed by the GWR in 1873.
• The Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway (Carmarthen to Llandyssil), absorbed by the GWR in 1892. The GWR extended it to Newcastle Emlyn in 1895.
• The Rosebush line, acquired by the GWR in 1898.
• The Whitland and Cardigan Railway, absorbed by the GWR in 1890.
• The Pembroke and Tenby Railway (Whitland to Pembroke Dock), joined the GWR in 1897.
• Burry Port and Gwendraeth Valley Railway, sold to the GWR in 1922.
• Manchester and Milford Railway (Pencader Junction to Aberystwyth), absorbed by the GWR in 1911.

Some lines were jointly owned, like the Fishguard and Rosslare Harbours company (by the GWR and an Irish railway).

A few lines were still independent until the grouping:

• The Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr Railway was absorbed by the Great Western Railway.
• The short Gwendraeth Valleys Railway, owned by a tinplate company.
• The extension lines of the Llanelly Railway and Dock Company were operated by the LNWR.
• The Vale of Towy Railway was jointly owned by the GWR and the LNWR. After grouping, it became jointly owned by the GWR and the new London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS).

After 1923

After World War I, the political situation in Ireland was very unstable. This caused traffic on the Fishguard to Rosslare route to drop a lot. By 1923, things started to become more stable.

The Irish Mail service via Fishguard and Rosslare restarted on September 17, 1923.

Around the time of grouping, the government asked railway companies to create jobs. The GWR suggested a new branch line from Mathry Road to St Davids, costing a lot of money. However, the line would only benefit a small number of people, so the plan was not continued.

The Rosebush line was repaired in 1923, but passenger services stopped in 1937. The line west of Puncheston closed completely in 1942, and east of that point in 1949.

The amount of coal produced on the Mynydd Mawr line decreased after 1923, which greatly reduced traffic on the former L&MMR line. Also, ships became much larger, and Llanelly docks couldn't handle them as well, further reducing activity there.

GWR diesel railcars (trains powered by diesel engines) started running from Swansea to Whitland in 1936.

Trecwn Depot

Passenger services over the Rosebush line had ended in 1937. The Army had a camp at Trecwn during the Boer War. During World War I, it became a hospital, and a railway siding was built to bring servicemen directly from Fishguard.

In 1938, the site was used again as a Royal Naval Armaments Depot (a place to store weapons). An extensive internal narrow gauge railway system was built there, eventually over 18 miles long. The branch line serving Trecwn and Letterston continued until March 1965.

A passenger service for workmen ran from Fishguard to Trecwn until August 3, 1962.

The depot was finally closed in 1996, and the rail connection stopped permanently.

Nationalisation

In 1948, the Great Western Railway, along with other public railways in Great Britain, was taken over by the government. It was now owned by British Railways.

The Fishguard and Rosslare Railway and Harbour company became jointly owned by British Railways and Córas Iompair Éireann, an Irish transport company. This company owned about 104 miles of railway, with only one mile in Wales.

By 1950, the L&MMR line crossing the GWR main line was no longer used, as sea trade at Llanelly had almost disappeared. Local minerals were now transported only by rail.

Modernisation

By the 1960s, British Railways started thinking more about the future. Local passenger and goods traffic in rural areas had greatly reduced. However, money was becoming available for new railway equipment. The first diesel multiple unit trains (modern diesel trains) arrived in Carmarthen in 1957 and were used much more from 1959.

Train Services After 1962

In 1962, the Neyland route was still considered the main line to Milford Haven. There were many passenger trains each day west of Carmarthen. Some trains carried through carriages from London Paddington. Only the Fishguard boat trains had dining cars.

Trains also carried through carriages from Paddington to Pembroke Dock, Neyland, Milford Haven, and Fishguard.

A special milk train ran daily from Whitland and Carmarthen to London. There was also a daily fish train from Milford Haven.

Line Closures and Openings

A branch line to a new Gulf Oil refinery at Waterston opened on August 21, 1960. Another branch opened to a new Amoco refinery at Robeston on February 20, 1974. The Herbrandston branch closed on November 10, 1984.

Passenger services stopped on The Whitland and Cardigan branch on September 10, 1962, followed by freight in 1963. The stopping service from Clarbeston Road to Fishguard also stopped on April 6, 1964.

The line from Johnston to Neyland closed on June 14, 1964. This line had survived because of the large train maintenance facilities there. But modern trains meant this work could be done elsewhere.

However, Pembrokeshire was not heavily affected by the 1963 Beeching Report (a plan to close many railway lines). None of the remaining three branches – to Fishguard, Milford Haven, and Pembroke Dock – were proposed for closure.

The Neyland line briefly reopened from May 19, 1966, to bring construction materials for an oil refinery. Once the work finished, the line closed permanently in May 1968.

The line from Clarbeston Road to Fishguard became a single track on May 17, 1971.

A Motorail service started on June 19, 1965. This service allowed people to take their cars on the train from Fishguard and Goodwick station to London, mainly for those using the Irish ferry. This service continued until September 16, 1982.

The Fishguard and Rosslare Railways and Harbours Company became jointly owned by CIÉ (Irish transport company) and British Railways. Later, Sealink UK, a subsidiary of British Railways, was sold. The company changed names and ownership several times, eventually becoming Stena Line. Today, Stena Line and Iarnród Éireann (another Irish railway company) jointly own the Fishguard and Rosslare Railways and Harbours Company.

Both curves at Carmarthen leading to the station became single track in 1985.

In 1986, the line through Gowerton became single track in one section. With more trains running in later years, this single-track section caused problems. So, a double track was put back in place on April 8, 2013.

Railway Locations

Here are some important railway locations and what happened to them:

South Wales Railway Main Line

• Milford Haven: Opened April 15, 1856. Renamed Neyland in 1859, then New Milford later in 1859, and back to Neyland in 1906. Closed June 15, 1964.
• Johnston: Opened April 15, 1856. Still open.
• Haverfordwest: Opened January 2, 1854. Still open.
• Clarbeston Road Junction: Where the Fishguard line branches off.
• Clarbeston Road: Opened January 2, 1854. Moved slightly west in 1914. Still open.
• Cardigan Junction: Where the Cardigan line joined.
• Narberth Road: Opened January 2, 1854. Renamed Clynderwen in 1875, then Clunderwen in 1980. Still open.
• Whitland: Opened January 2, 1854. Still open. Where the Pembroke and Tenby line joined.
• St Clears: Opened January 2, 1854. Closed June 15, 1964.
• Sarnau: Opened July 1888. Closed June 15, 1964.
• Carmarthen Bridge Junction: Where the Carmarthen Loop branched off.
• Carmarthen: Opened October 11, 1852. Renamed Carmarthen Junction in 1860. Closed September 27, 1926. Where the Carmarthen and Cardigan line joined.
• Ferryside: Opened October 11, 1852. Still open.
• Kidwelly: Opened October 11, 1852. Still open.
• Kidwelly Flats Halt: Opened August 6, 1941. Closed November 11, 1957. A stop for a military depot.
• Pembrey & Burry Port: Opened October 11, 1852. Still open.
• Llanelly: Opened October 11, 1852. Renamed Llanelli in 1976. Still open.
• Loughor: Opened October 11, 1852. Closed April 4, 1960.
• Gower Road: Opened August 1, 1854. Renamed Gowerton in 1886, then Gowerton North in 1950, and back to Gowerton in 1968. Still open.
• Cockett: Opened May 1871. Closed June 15, 1964.
• Swansea Loop Junction West: Where the Swansea line branched off.
• Landore Junction: Where the line from Swansea joined the main line.

Milford Haven Branch

• Milford Haven: Opened September 7, 1863. Still open.
• Johnston: (See above, on the main line).

Fishguard Extension

• Fishguard Harbour: Opened August 30, 1906. Still open.
• Goodwick: Opened August 1, 1899. Renamed Fishguard and Goodwick in 1904. Closed April 6, 1964. Reopened May 14, 2012. Still open.
• Jordanston: Opened October 1, 1923. Closed April 6, 1964.
• Letterston Jn: Where the North Pembrokeshire line branched off.
• Mathry Road: Opened August 1, 1923. Closed April 6, 1964.
• Welsh Hook Halt: Opened May 5, 1924. Closed April 6, 1964.
• Wolf's Castle Halt: Opened October 1, 1913. Closed April 6, 1964.
• Clarbeston Road Jn: (See above, on the main line).

Jordanston and Welsh Hook had very low platforms for use by special "auto trains."

Images for kids

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  The South Wales Railway in 1856

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  Railways in West Wales in 1876

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  Railway lines in West Wales in 1923