South Wales Railway facts for kids

The South Wales Railway (Welsh: Rheilffordd De Cymru) was an important railway line that opened in stages starting in 1850. It connected the Great Western Railway from Gloucester to South Wales. This railway was built using a wider track called the broad gauge.

The original plan was for the railway to reach Fishguard. This was meant to help with ferry trips to Ireland and even trade across the Atlantic Ocean. However, the transatlantic trade didn't become a big part of the business for many years. Neyland was the end of the line in the west until 1906.

The South Wales Railway company joined with the Great Western Railway in 1863. The tracks were changed from broad gauge to the narrower, standard gauge in 1873. Later, in 1922–1923, most of the smaller Welsh railways became part of the much larger Great Western Railway. This helped to make the railway system more organized and efficient. Today (in 2020), nearly all of the original main line of the South Wales Railway is still in use.

Planning the South Wales Railway

Map of the South Wales Railway system when it joined the GWR in 1863

The idea for the South Wales Railway was first shared in the summer of 1844. The plan was to build a railway costing £2,500,000. It would start at Standish in Gloucestershire, where the Great Western Railway had a branch line.

The railway was planned to cross the River Severn and then follow the coast through towns like Chepstow, Newport, Cardiff, Swansea, and Carmarthen. The final destination was Fishguard, with a branch line to Pembroke Dock.

The railway's main goals were to connect the busy mining areas of South Wales and the farming regions with England. It also aimed to improve travel between Irish cities like Cork and Waterford and the big cities and factories in England.

West of Carmarthen, the railway was meant to split into two lines. One would go to the naval base at Pembroke and Milford Haven Waterway, and the other to Fishguard. From Fishguard, people hoped to reach the south of Ireland by ferry in less than six hours.

The famous engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel was in charge of designing the railway. The Great Western Railway (GWR) supported the project and promised £500,000 to help start the company. They saw it as a big national project to connect South Wales and Southern Ireland with London.

However, there were some challenges. People in Monmouth were upset because the line wouldn't go through their town. They wanted a longer route through Gloucester, Monmouth, and Usk. The Admiralty (the navy) also didn't like the idea of a bridge over the River Severn. Because of these issues, the railway was only allowed to be built west of Chepstow at first, with a branch to Monmouth. The line was planned to use the broad gauge, which meant wider tracks.

In 1846, new plans for crossing the Severn were suggested, including a tunnel. But Parliament rejected both ideas. The company had to agree to the longer route through Gloucester, crossing the Severn there instead.

This made a local railway, the Gloucester and Dean Forest Railway, very important. This railway had been approved in 1845 to connect with another line near Grange Court. If it extended south, the South Wales Railway could connect there. This plan was approved, and both companies got their Acts of Parliament in 1846. Soon after, the GWR agreed to build the Gloucester and Dean Forest line themselves.

The South Wales Railway Act of 1846 also approved a branch line from Landore to Swansea, as the original route didn't go into the town centre. Another branch was approved from near the future Clarbeston Road station to Haverfordwest.

The South Wales Railway later agreed with the Gloucester and Dean Forest Railway to build the southern extension themselves. This meant the South Wales Railway would start at Grange Court, about six miles from Gloucester.

An agreement was also made with the Great Western Railway. The GWR would lease the South Wales Railway once it was completed to Fishguard. They would pay 5% of the railway's capital plus half of any extra profits.

Why the Track Gauge Mattered

Parliament had set up a special group called the Gauge Commission. Their job was to decide if all railways in the United Kingdom should use the same track width, or "gauge." This was important because different track widths caused problems.

The Great Western Railway and its friends used the broad gauge. Most other railways used the narrower, standard gauge. When goods or passengers needed to travel from a broad gauge line to a narrow gauge line, everything had to be moved from one train to another. This was called a "break of gauge" and caused delays and extra work.

The Commissioners said that the break of gauge was a "serious evil." They recommended that no new railways should be built using the broad gauge. They hoped that a way could be found for narrow gauge trains to use broad gauge tracks without problems.

This recommendation seemed to mean that the South Wales Railway couldn't be built on the broad gauge. This would create a break of gauge with the GWR at Gloucester or Grange Court.

However, the Lords of the Board of Trade (a government department) changed this policy. They decided that the South Wales Railway should be built on the broad gauge. A special law, the Gauge Act, stated that the South Wales Railway must be built with a seven-foot gauge.

So, the line was built on the broad gauge, which had big effects later on.

Building the railway involved huge engineering challenges. These included crossing the River Wye at Chepstow, building a large wooden bridge (viaduct) at Newport, and a tunnel there. Another big wooden bridge was needed at Landore, and crossings over the River Loughor and River Towy further west.

Raising money for the project became difficult. The company also suffered a major loss when the wooden bridge at Newport, almost finished, burned down on May 31, 1848. It cost £20,000 to build.

A key goal for the railway's creators was to connect southern Ireland by ferry from Fishguard to a port near Wexford. They hoped to win the Post Office contract for carrying mail between London and Dublin. Brunel also hoped to start a transatlantic shipping business from Fishguard.

However, in 1845, there was a terrible failure of the potato crop in Ireland. This led to widespread hunger and a severe economic downturn, known as the Great Famine of Ireland. The Irish economy got much worse, and the economy across the United Kingdom also declined.

Because of the extreme depression in Ireland, the railway partners there couldn't build their part of the railway. Fishguard was only important as a possible ferry port. Building the South Wales Railway all the way there seemed like a waste of money. So, the directors decided to stop the line earlier.

The GWR's promise to pay 5% on the railway's capital was only supposed to start when the line reached Fishguard. The South Wales Railway directors asked the GWR if the guarantee could start when the line reached Swansea instead. The GWR refused, putting the South Wales Railway in a tough spot. Some people who were directors of both companies resigned from the South Wales Railway. The friendly relationship between the two companies became very unfriendly. People said the GWR, which owned about a quarter of the South Wales Railway shares, was being dishonest by not supporting the idea of stopping the line before Fishguard.

A group of shareholders looked into the situation and reported:

• "We believe that spending any more money on the line west of Swansea would be extremely wasteful and unwise."
• "Even if the Irish railways, which were supposed to bring traffic to the western end of the South Wales line, hadn't been abandoned, we don't think any company would consider building a line between Swansea and Fishguard."

The Great Western Railway was accused of being dishonest:

• "...if there was no guarantee, the directors of the Great Western Railway, who own more than a quarter of the shares, would be the first to tell the South Wales Company to give up on this part of the project. We believe they aren't openly taking this wise step because they wrongly think the South Wales Company will fail to reach Fishguard, and then the guarantee won't start..."

Some SWR directors who were also GWR directors were said to have had a bad influence on the SWR's business. The shareholders recommended that these directors should leave the SWR board.

First Parts of the Line Open

Chepstow to Swansea Section

The first part of the South Wales Railway opened on June 18, 1850. This section ran from Chepstow to Swansea, covering 75 miles of double track. It used the broad gauge and Brunel's special wooden track design. The Great Western Railway provided the engines and trains. They arrived by ship because the line wasn't connected to any other railway yet.

Soon after opening, a part of the deep cutting at Llansamlet, between Neath and Swansea, slipped. To fix it, Brunel built special "flying arches" filled with slag (waste material) to hold the ground in place.

Brunel's biggest wooden structure on the South Wales Railway was near Swansea. The Landore viaduct crossed the River Tawe and the Landore marshes. It was a continuous wooden bridge, exactly one-third of a mile long, with 37 spans ranging from 40 to 100 feet.

Work continued on the line between Landore and Haverfordwest, and between Chepstow and Grange Court. In November 1850, work on the line towards Fishguard (west of the Haverfordwest branch junction) started again. It had been stopped since late 1848. This decision to finish the line might have been due to frustration with the GWR's stance on the lease agreement.

More talks happened, and in March 1851, a new agreement was made. The GWR would lease the line for 999 years once it was complete from Grange Court to Swansea. The GWR would take one-third of the net profit but pay rent for the line. The South Wales Railway would provide staff, except for the locomotive department. Work on the very western end of the line was stopped again.

Gloucester to Chepstow Section

The completion of the Chepstow bridge was very delayed. Meanwhile, the easier section between the east side of the bridge and Grange Court was progressing well. The Gloucester and Forest of Dean Railway was also being built quickly. However, the opening bridge over the Severn at Gloucester and the connections with the GWR at Gloucester station caused delays.

Finally, the line from Gloucester to a temporary station called Chepstow East (at Sedbury Lane) opened on September 19, 1851. Passengers had to take a bus between the two Chepstow stations.

On July 19, 1852, a single track over the Chepstow bridge was opened. This meant people could travel all the way from London to Swansea. The 999-year lease by the GWR officially began. The second track over the bridge was ready on April 18, 1853.

The Chepstow railway bridge over the Wye was a huge engineering challenge. Its main spans, 300 feet long, hung from chains. A large, nine-foot-wide tube above the chains helped to hold them in place. Some people think this design was a test for the Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash.

Building the bridge involved sinking large cylinders for the piers. Workers had to dig through 29 feet of clay and sand. Below that, they found a thin layer of peat with wood, oak, and hazelnuts. The cylinders were placed on planks to stop them from sinking into the soft mud. As more cylinders were added, their weight eventually pushed through the planks, and the cylinder sank about six feet.

The parts of the bridge leading up to the main spans were replaced in 1948. The main spans themselves were rebuilt in 1962 using a different design.

Westward from Landore

The railway line from Landore to Carmarthen opened on October 11, 1852. It was built as a single track using special Barlow rails to save money. The line crossed two tracks of the Llanelly Railway at the same level, as well as other lines used by horse-drawn wagons.

The Llanelly Railway had built a dock and a two-mile railway in 1828 to connect coal mines north of Llanelly. In 1839, a second line opened from Llanelly to Cwmamman. This railway was very successful, mainly carrying minerals.

The South Wales Railway's planned route had to cross the Llanelly Railway's lines. The law that approved the SWR didn't say exactly how this should be done. The Llanelly Company wanted to sell its railway to the South Wales Railway. They argued that the crossing would make their system unusable and demanded that the SWR pay them enough money to buy their railway.

The South Wales Railway refused, and the issue went on for a long time. The Llanelly Railway tried to stop the SWR's construction as much as possible. At one point, the SWR thought about building a bridge over the Llanelly lines. But eventually, the SWR opened its line, crossing the Llanelly lines at ground level, and the problem was solved.

In June 1852, a connection was made from Swansea station to the North Dock in Swansea.

A final decision was made not to build the railway all the way to Fishguard. A new law was passed in 1852, allowing the company to abandon the Fishguard line. Instead, the railway would be extended from Haverfordwest to Neyland Point, on the Milford Haven Waterway.

The lease agreement with the Great Western Railway again caused problems. An independent decision was made, mostly in favor of the GWR. Eventually, the South Wales Railway decided to end the agreement on June 30, 1857. Even after it ended, small disagreements continued, leading to more independent decisions. However, these disagreements were usually friendly, and the two companies never became truly hostile.

The line was extended from Carmarthen to Haverfordwest on January 2, 1854. This was also a single track made of Barlow rails.

Nearby Railways

At first, the South Wales Railway only connected with the Gloucester and Forest of Dean Railway at Grange Court. This railway simply linked Gloucester to the eastern end of the South Wales Railway. There were no other broad gauge lines in the area where the SWR ran.

Some railways already existed and were crossed by the South Wales Railway:

• At Bullo Pill, there was an old but active tramway. The SWR bought it in September 1850. A connection was made soon after the main line opened, and work began to change it to a broad gauge railway. This small network, known as the Forest of Dean branch, was ready for mineral traffic on July 24, 1854.
• At Lydney, the Severn and Wye Railway, a horse-drawn line from about 1813, crossed the SWR at ground level. The SWR agreed to pay the S&WR £15,000 to upgrade their line for broad gauge trains. The S&WR was slow to do this, but started the work in 1857. Their line continued to be worked only by horses.
• At Newport, a short branch was built to connect with the narrow gauge Monmouthshire Railway for exchanging goods.
• The Taff Vale Railway had opened between Cardiff and Merthyr in 1840 and 1841. This company expanded its network a lot. It extended south from Cardiff to the Bute West Dock in Cardiff in 1848, so the South Wales Railway had to cross it.
• Even though Brunel designed it, the Taff Vale Railway was a narrow (standard) gauge line. In 1851, the South Wales Railway asked for permission to connect with the Taff Vale Railway at Bute Street, Cardiff. They hoped the Taff Vale would install broad gauge tracks to avoid having to move minerals from one train to another. The Taff Vale refused. Instead, the SWR laid narrow gauge track into its own Cardiff station. This was ready in January 1854 and approved for passenger trains in February 1854.
• The horse-worked Llynvi Valley Railway brought minerals to a transfer station at Stormy, just east of Pyle.
• The Swansea Vale Railway, an old wagonway, crossed the SWR main line at ground level near Llansamlet. Steps were taken to remove this dangerous crossing and create a proper junction instead. Broad gauge rails were laid on the Swansea Vale between the junction and the SVR sidings at North Dock, Swansea. This work was finished in February 1857. There had been a serious crash at the old crossing the previous October.
• The Llanelly Railway lines were crossed at ground level by the South Wales Railway. Equipment was installed at Llanelly to transfer minerals from narrow gauge Llanelly wagons to broad gauge SWR wagons.

SWR Branches Not Built

The South Wales Railway had planned two of its own branch lines. The one from Newport to Monmouth was mainly a promise to local people in Monmouth who wanted it. When it became clear that the Monmouth and Hereford Railway wouldn't be built, the SWR dropped its Monmouth branch.

The other branch was supposed to connect to Pembroke. When the SWR decided to make its western end at Neyland instead of Fishguard, the Pembroke branch seemed like an expensive extra. Neyland was only a five-minute ferry ride away from Pembroke. The company hoped to forget about the Pembroke branch. However, strong local opinions pushed the company to fulfill its legal duty to complete its approved lines. Because they didn't, the company was forced to stop paying its second-half dividend in 1857.

Completion to Neyland and Other Branches

On April 15, 1856, the line was extended from Haverfordwest to Neyland. The Barlow rail track that had been used on earlier western sections was now found to be not good enough. This new section was built with the usual wooden track. The Barlow track was gradually replaced over the next few years.

The line between Carmarthen and Neyland became a double track from July 1, 1857.

A short extension to the Bute docks at Cardiff opened on April 19, 1858. An extension of the Swansea coal branch to connect with the harbor railway opened in September 1859.

Independent Broad Gauge Railways

Four independent railways connected with the South Wales Railway using the broad gauge while the SWR was still its own company.

The most important was the Vale of Neath Railway. It was created in 1846 to build a line from Neath to Merthyr Tydvil, with a branch to Aberdare. As a broad gauge line serving a mining area, it was clearly going to be a useful feeder for the South Wales Railway. When it couldn't get enough money to build its line, the South Wales Railway invested £127,780.

Because of the money shortage, the directors focused on the Aberdare route first. It opened from Neath on September 24, 1851, for passenger trains, with goods and minerals following in December. The Vale of Neath Railway brought the most mineral traffic to the South Wales Railway. However, most of that traffic was going to Swansea docks, so it didn't create much income from long-distance travel. In fact, for many years, one daily mineral train to London was enough for all the South Wales Railway's traffic.

The South Wales Mineral Railway built a line about 12 miles long from Briton Ferry to Glyncorrwg, opening from 1860.

The Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway opened part of its line from the SWR Carmarthen station to its own Carmarthen station. The SWR Station was renamed Carmarthen Junction on the same day, July 1, 1860.

The Llynvi Valley Railway had been a tramway. The company got permission to change it to a broad gauge railway at Bridgend. In August 1861, the improved line opened for mineral traffic.

The Ely Valley Railway opened a mineral line from Llantrisant to Tonyrefail in August 1860.

The Neyland terminal was in a remote spot. The nearby town of Milford was important, and local people wanted a railway branch from Johnston to Milford. The Milford Railway company was formed on June 5, 1856, and built the line. The Great Western Railway, which was operating the South Wales Railway, also operated the Milford branch from its opening on September 7, 1863 (which was actually after the SWR and GWR had joined). The Milford terminal became known as Milford Haven and is still in use today.

Joining the Great Western Railway

The way the Great Western Railway operated the South Wales Railway continued to cause problems. At a meeting of the SWR in February 1860, a letter from the auditors (people who check financial records) was read. It said:

• "We need to tell you that the financial records between the South Wales and Great Western Railway companies are in a very bad state."
• "Your auditors understand that attempts have been made to sort out the many disagreements involving large sums of money between the two companies, but we now believe they have failed. Other problems have recently come up, adding so much to the disputed amounts that we think it's risky to divide any profits."
• "Therefore, we strongly recommend that the agreement between the two companies should be canceled, and that the South Wales Railway should be run independently."

A proposal was made at the meeting to end the lease, saying it was "bad for both companies."

The directors couldn't end it right away, and more problems came up in the following months. Eventually, the Board asked Parliament in 1861 for permission to raise more money to buy trains and run the line themselves. Parliament liked this idea, but there wasn't enough time to pass the law that year, so it was withdrawn. The GWR, seeing Parliament's view of the lease, suggested that the two companies should just join together instead.

These talks were also difficult, but an agreement was reached on November 15, 1861. From January 1, 1862, the GWR would lease the SWR until the GWR and the West Midland Railway officially joined. After that, the SWR would receive a share of the combined earnings of the GWR, WMR, and SWR. The joining of the companies was approved by law on July 21, 1863, and it officially happened on August 1, 1863.

Part of the Great Western Railway

From August 1, 1863, the South Wales Railway network officially became part of the Great Western Railway. The continuous route from Paddington (London) to Neyland was 285¼ miles long. The South Wales Railway had built 164 miles of this. The Gloucester to Grange Court section had always been operated with the SWR and now became fully integrated.

Even though it was successful, the line hadn't reached its full potential. The hoped-for large amount of mineral traffic from South Wales was mostly carried by ships along the coast. The transatlantic passenger business never happened at all. The discovery of deep coal seams in the middle of the South Wales Coalfield around 1850 encouraged coal to be exported overseas rather than traded within the country.

Bristol and South Wales Union Railway

It was clear from the beginning that travel between Bristol and South Wales needed to be easier. Going all the way through Gloucester by train wasn't ideal. Ferry crossings over the Severn River were common. So, a railway from Bristol to New Passage Pier was proposed. This became the Bristol and South Wales Union Railway, which opened on September 8, 1863. The GWR operated it. A short branch line on the western shore to Portskewett Pier also opened at the same time.

Changing the Track Gauge

When the South Wales Railway was first planned, the broad gauge seemed like a better technical solution. But as time went on, the problem of having different track widths (the "break of gauge") with other railways became much more significant.

Also, the importance of the former SWR line in West Wales started to decrease. The Pembroke and Tenby Railway, a narrow gauge line, had connected with other narrow gauge lines at Carmarthen. It also got permission to build its own line from Whitland to Carmarthen. The GWR realized this could lead to a rival railway, probably the London and North Western Railway, taking control of these lines. So, the GWR agreed to lay standard gauge track on its own route between Whitland and Carmarthen to allow the Pembroke and Tenby trains to use it. They did this by changing one of the broad gauge double tracks to narrow (standard) gauge. This was ready on June 1, 1868. This was the first time the GWR changed its broad gauge track to narrow gauge.

Finally, in 1871, the GWR decided to change the gauge of all its broad gauge tracks from Swindon through Gloucester to West Wales, including all branches. Some sections that had both gauges were also changed to narrow gauge only. The work was done in April 1872 in a huge operation. On the night of Tuesday, April 30, the "up" line (for trains going east) from New Milford and Grange Court was closed. A reduced train service ran on the "down" line (for trains going west) using only one track. A lot of technical preparation had been done, including oiling and loosening bolts. Much of the track was the GWR's wooden track design, but some Barlow rail sections had been replaced with rails on wooden sleepers. These were much harder to change because of how they were bolted down.

The "up" line was ready for narrow gauge traffic on May 12. All broad gauge trains and wagons were removed from the Welsh lines, including the Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway. A railway inspector was sent to make sure this was done. The reduced train service ran on the single "up" line. Sidings (short tracks for parking trains) at some stations had been narrowed earlier to allow passenger trains to move aside and let opposing trains pass, as there were no regular passing loops for a few days. During this time, freight trains did not run on the line being converted. As much as possible, freight was sent by other routes where they were available east of Swansea.

The conversion of the "down" line was finished on May 22. The next day, a basic train service ran at slower speeds. Broad gauge wagons owned by private companies were returned to their home stations. In many cases, there wasn't enough space for them, so they were taken off the line as close to their home station as possible.

From 1873 to 1923

Growth of Traffic

Changing the track gauge immediately made it easier to connect with nearby independent railways because the "break of gauge" problem was gone. The growth of industries in South Wales greatly boosted the amount of mineral traffic on the SWR route. This growth wasn't just in the coal mines in the South Wales Valleys. Iron, and later steel, industries became important. At first, they focused on getting raw materials, but soon they also started making finished products. Tinplate became especially important. Copper smelting also grew hugely, centered around Swansea.

General business and social changes led to a demand for regular passenger and goods traffic. Some coastal towns became popular holiday resorts in the last part of the 1800s.

However, many independent railway companies still saw the GWR as a difficult partner. Using ships to transport minerals along the coast remained very popular.

Severn Tunnel

The railway route from London and Bristol to the former South Wales Railway system went through Gloucester. The GWR had long been called "the Great Way Round" because of this long route. The Bristol and South Wales Union Railway offered a train and ferry connection, but it couldn't handle large amounts of minerals. Soon, there was a push to build a tunnel under the Severn River.

This was a huge project. When finished, the tunnel was 4 miles and 624 yards (7,008 meters) long. It was the longest tunnel in the United Kingdom until 2007 and the longest underwater tunnel in the world until 1987.

The line opened on September 1, 1886, although passenger trains didn't start running until December 1, 1886.

Swansea West Loop

When the South Wales Railway was built, Swansea was on a branch line from the main route to Carmarthen. The junction was at Landore. Trains going west from Swansea had to reverse direction. This situation didn't improve until 1907 when the Swansea Loop was built. This created a direct connection, forming a south-to-west curve on the railway triangle.

Swansea High Street station was originally a wooden building with two platforms. It was made bigger in 1879. Even though the opening of the Swansea West Loop in 1906 allowed trains to run directly between High Street and Carmarthen, the station wasn't big enough for the increased traffic and longer trains until it was completely modernized between 1923 and 1932. The Landore Viaduct is a well-known landmark.

Fishguard Connection

The original goal of the South Wales Railway, to reach Fishguard, was finally achieved. On August 30, 1906, a new route opened from Clarbeston Road to Fishguard Harbour. This route partly used an existing local railway line. A ferry service between Fishguard Harbour and Rosslare in Ireland started at the same time. Building this railway was very expensive because much of the station and sidings area at Fishguard had to be blasted out of rock cliffs.

Transatlantic passenger traffic was still the big prize. The RMS Mauretania ship called at Fishguard on August 25, 1909. Transatlantic steamships continued to call occasionally, but the start of World War I led to the trade being stopped after the RMS Lusitania called on September 14, 1914. It never started again. The Irish ferry trade continued after the war and is still in use today.

1923 to 1947: The Grouping

The railways of Great Britain were "grouped" together under a law called the Railways Act 1921. This took effect from January 1, 1923. The Great Western Railway (GWR) before 1923, along with the Taff Vale Railway, the Rhymney Railway, the Alexandra (Newport & South Wales) Docks & Railway, the Barry Railway, the Cambrian Railways, and the Cardiff Railway all became part of the new, larger Great Western Railway. Most other lines in South Wales and Gloucestershire west of the River Severn also became part of the Great Western Railway. Some lines owned by other companies joined the new London, Midland and Scottish Railway.

This combined Great Western Railway brought most of the branch lines under GWR control. This allowed for more efficient operations over time. The GWR had often been accused of using its near-monopoly (being almost the only long-distance railway) to its advantage. The "grouping" made this feeling even stronger.

People in South Wales sometimes blamed the Great Western "takeover" for problems that affected the railways. It was necessary to remind businesses and others in South Wales that the joining of companies in 1922 was not because the Great Western wanted to expand. The grouping was required by law.

The size of the enlarged company can be seen from the fact that the GWR was responsible for 11% of Cardiff's local taxes in 1924.

The South Wales Railway route now became the main backbone of the GWR system, with the former independent railways forming branch lines off it.

A law passed in 1929, the Development (Loan Guarantees and Grants) Act, aimed to encourage railways and other industries to do big construction projects to reduce unemployment. The Great Western Railway used this government help to improve and expand the goods sorting facilities at Severn Tunnel Junction. They also modernized and improved Cardiff General and Swansea High Street stations. A major new signaling system was installed at Cardiff. Some duplicate routes at Briton Ferry and Court Sart, left over from the Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway, were also made more efficient. All this work was done between 1930 and 1934.

Nationalization and Later Years

The main railway lines of Great Britain were taken over by the government and became British Railways at the beginning of 1948. The Great Western Railway stopped existing.

Steel manufacturing also changed a lot. As part of this, a major steelworks opened at Port Talbot in 1951. This was followed by another large steelworks at Llanwern, between Newport and Severn Tunnel Junction.

Margam marshalling yard, a place for sorting goods trains, was finished in 1960. This helped to organize goods and mineral routes in the area.

A branch line to the new Gulf Oil refinery at Waterston, near Milford Haven, opened on August 21, 1960. It connected at Herbrandston Junction. This location was chosen because it had deep water for very large oil tanker ships. Another branch opened to a new Amoco refinery at Robeston on February 20, 1974.

Neyland lost its importance as a ferry terminal when Fishguard started in 1906. However, its large facilities for servicing carriages, locomotive depot, and train crew staff meant it remained an important terminal for many decades. But finally, due to changes like the introduction of diesel trains and new ways of servicing them, the line from Johnston to Neyland closed on June 14, 1964.

Recent Times

Most of the original South Wales Railway main line is still in use today between Gloucester and Milford Haven. The section from Severn Tunnel Junction to Swansea is part of the South Wales Main Line, which is part of the London to Swansea route. Many passenger trains run between Gloucester and Severn Tunnel Junction, and west of Swansea. Milford Haven and Fishguard are the western ends of the line. The original Neyland section has closed.

Station Reopenings

Most of the stations that have reopened were brought back into use by British Rail under its Regional Railways sector.

• As part of the Maesteg Line reopening (by Mid Glamorgan council and British Rail), Pontyclun and Pencoed reopened in 1992.
• Under the Swanline project (by West Glamorgan and Mid Glamorgan councils, and British Rail), Pyle reopened in 1994, along with Briton Ferry, Skewen, and Llansamlet.
• After British Rail was broken up, Railtrack installed a new station on the Swanline at Baglan in 1996.
• Under Network Rail and the Welsh Assembly Government, a reopened Llanharan was funded partly by SEWTA at a cost of £4.3 million, opening in 2007.

List of Stations

Here is a list of stations that existed during the time the South Wales Railway was an independent company (until August 1, 1863):

• Gloucester; GWR station opened September 19, 1851
• Grange Court; opened June 1, 1855
• Newnham; opened September 19, 1851
• Awre for Blakeney; opened December 19, 1851
• Gatcombe; opened August 1851
• Lydney; opened September 19, 1851
• Woolaston; opened June 1, 1853
• Chepstow East; opened September 19, 1851
• Chepstow; opened June 19, 1850
• Portskewett; opened June 19, 1850
• Magor; opened October 1851
• Llanwern; opened October 1855
• Newport; opened June 19, 1850
• Marshfield; opened September 2, 1852
• Cardiff; opened June 19, 1850
• Ely; opened September 2, 1852
• St Fagans; opened April 1, 1852
• Peterston; opened September 1858
• Llantrisant; opened June 19, 1850
• Pencoed; opened September 2, 1850
• Bridgend; opened June 19, 1850
• Pyle; opened June 19, 1850
• Port Talbot; opened June 19, 1850
• Briton Ferry; opened September 2, 1850
• Neath; opened June 19, 1850
• Llansamlet; opened April 1, 1852
• Landore; opened June 19, 1850
• Swansea; opened June 19, 1850.

• Landore (listed above)
• Gower Road; opened August 1, 1854
• Llanelly; opened October 11, 1852
• Pembrey & Burry Port; opened October 11, 1852
• Kidwelly; opened October 11, 1852
• Ferryside; opened October 11, 1852
• Carmarthen; opened October 11, 1852; renamed Carmarthen Junction in 1860
• St Clears; opened January 2, 1854
• Whitland; opened January 2, 1854
• Narberth Road; opened January 2, 1854
• Clarbeston Road; opened January 2, 1854
• Haverfordwest; opened January 2, 1854
• Johnston; opened April 15, 1856
• Milford Haven; opened April 15, 1856; renamed Neyland in 1859, then renamed New Milford later in 1859; later Neyland; note that this is not the later Milford Haven station.