Lydney Junction railway station
Encyclopedia
Lydney Junction railway station is a railway station near Lydney
in Gloucestershire
. The station is now the southern terminus of the Dean Forest Railway
. It is located to the south of Lydney, near the A48 road
.
The diesel department of the preserved line uses Lydney Junction as a base of operations.
station, which remains open as Lydney railway station
, opened in 1851 on the Gloucester to Chepstow section of the South Wales Railway
. To the west of this station, the freight-only line of the Severn and Wye Mineral Railway
crossed the GWR line on its north-south route taking coal and iron from the Forest of Dean to the docks at Lydney.
In 1875, the Severn and Wye started passenger services and built a new terminus station at Lydney Junction for passenger trains to and from Drybrook, near Cinderford
. Four years later, this first station was superseded by a new one as the Severn and Wye joined with the Midland Railway
in building the Severn Bridge Railway
, which linked Lydney across the river Severn
with the Midland's Sharpness Branch Line
, enabling access for the Forest of Dean minerals to the new and more extensive docks at Sharpness
.
The new Lydney Junction (Severn and Wye) station was linked by a long footbridge to the GWR's station. It was built on a curve which took the line away to the east from the north-south line of the original freight railway, and there were extensive freight yards, which provided the only rail link between the Severn and Wye and the Great Western lines. The two stations worked closely together, particularly after 1894, when the Severn and Wye Railway was bought by the Great Western and the Midland. Finally, in 1955, under British Railways, the two stations were formally merged into one.
Lydney Junction (Severn and Wye) was used as a through-station for passenger services to and from Berkeley Road railway station
and over the Severn Railway Bridge
. These services either terminated at Lydney Town railway station
, which was in the centre of Lydney, or continued on northwards into the Forest of Dean to terminate at Lydbrook Junction
on the Ross to Monmouth line. These services ceased abruptly in October 1960 when the Severn Railway Bridge
was damaged beyond economic repair in a shipping accident. Passenger services were officially withdrawn in November 1964.
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on Gloucester-Newport line
Lydney
Lydney is a small town and civil parish in the English county of Gloucestershire. It is located on the west bank of the River Severn, close to the Forest of Dean. The town lies on the A48 road, next to the Lydney Park gardens with its Roman temple in honour of Nodens.-Transport:The Severn Railway...
in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
. The station is now the southern terminus of the Dean Forest Railway
Dean Forest Railway
The Dean Forest Railway is a long heritage railway that runs between Lydney and Parkend in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. The route was part of the Severn and Wye Railway which ran from Lydney to Cinderford. The society that operates the line started steam locomotive operations in 1971, and...
. It is located to the south of Lydney, near the A48 road
A48 road
The A48 is a major trunk road in Great Britain. It runs from the A40 at Highnam west of Gloucester to the A40 at Carmarthen. Before the construction of the M4 motorway and the first Severn Bridge in the mid 1960s it was the principal route into South Wales. For most of its journey through Wales,...
.
The diesel department of the preserved line uses Lydney Junction as a base of operations.
History
Lydney Junction was the name of two separate but adjacent stations on two different railway lines. The Great Western RailwayGreat Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
station, which remains open as Lydney railway station
Lydney railway station
Lydney railway station is a railway station serving the town of Lydney in Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the Gloucester-Newport line. Passenger services are provided by Arriva Trains Wales, with an hourly Maesteg/Cardiff Central-Cheltenham Spa service...
, opened in 1851 on the Gloucester to Chepstow section of the South Wales Railway
South Wales Railway
The South Wales Railway was a broad gauge railway that linked the Gloucester and Dean Forest Railway with Neyland in Wales.-History:The need for the railway was created by the need to ship coal from the South Wales Valleys to London, and secondly to complete Brunel's vision of linking London with...
. To the west of this station, the freight-only line of the Severn and Wye Mineral Railway
Severn and Wye Railway
The Severn and Wye Railway was a small railway network in west Gloucestershire that was constructed to allow exploitation of the mineral resources of the Forest of Dean. The Severn and Wye Railway and Canal Company began construction of the tramway and the Lydney Canal in 1810. In 1868 the tramway...
crossed the GWR line on its north-south route taking coal and iron from the Forest of Dean to the docks at Lydney.
In 1875, the Severn and Wye started passenger services and built a new terminus station at Lydney Junction for passenger trains to and from Drybrook, near Cinderford
Cinderford
Cinderford is a small town on the eastern fringe of the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, England. A population of 8,116 people is recorded in the 2001 census....
. Four years later, this first station was superseded by a new one as the Severn and Wye joined with the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
in building the Severn Bridge Railway
Severn Bridge Railway
The Severn Bridge Railway was an early British railway company. It ran from Berkeley Road railway station to Sharpness railway station via the Sharpness Branch Line. It then went over the River Severn on the Severn Railway Bridge and to Lydney Junction railway station. It was opened in 1879 as a...
, which linked Lydney across the river Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
with the Midland's Sharpness Branch Line
Sharpness Branch Line
The Sharpness Branch Line was a railway in Gloucestershire, England, built by the Midland Railway to connect the port of Sharpness to the main Bristol and Gloucester Railway...
, enabling access for the Forest of Dean minerals to the new and more extensive docks at Sharpness
Sharpness
Sharpness is an English port in Gloucestershire, one of the most inland in Britain, and eighth largest in the South West. It is on the River Severn at , at a point where the tidal range, though less than at Avonmouth downstream , is still large .The village of Sharpness is pronounced with the...
.
The new Lydney Junction (Severn and Wye) station was linked by a long footbridge to the GWR's station. It was built on a curve which took the line away to the east from the north-south line of the original freight railway, and there were extensive freight yards, which provided the only rail link between the Severn and Wye and the Great Western lines. The two stations worked closely together, particularly after 1894, when the Severn and Wye Railway was bought by the Great Western and the Midland. Finally, in 1955, under British Railways, the two stations were formally merged into one.
Lydney Junction (Severn and Wye) was used as a through-station for passenger services to and from Berkeley Road railway station
Berkeley Road railway station
Berkeley Road railway station served the towns of Berkeley and Dursley in Gloucestershire, England.-History:The station was one of the first six stations built on the Bristol and Gloucester Railway, originally a broad gauge line overseen by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, but later taken over by the...
and over the Severn Railway Bridge
Severn Railway Bridge
The Severn Railway Bridge was a crossing across the River Severn between Sharpness and Lydney, Gloucestershire. It was badly damaged in an accident involving river barges in 1960 and demolished in 1970.-Construction:...
. These services either terminated at Lydney Town railway station
Lydney Town railway station
Lydney Town railway station is a railway station on the Dean Forest Railway in Lydney in Gloucestershire. It is located a few metres from the High Street which a level crossing runs over on the Norchard end.-History:...
, which was in the centre of Lydney, or continued on northwards into the Forest of Dean to terminate at Lydbrook Junction
Lydbrook Junction railway station
Lydbrook Junction railway station is a disused railway station opened by the Ross and Monmouth Railway in 1873, it remained open for 91 years until 1964 when the line finally closed to freight, though passenger services ceased in 1959. The station was constructed in the hamlet of Stowfield...
on the Ross to Monmouth line. These services ceased abruptly in October 1960 when the Severn Railway Bridge
Severn Railway Bridge
The Severn Railway Bridge was a crossing across the River Severn between Sharpness and Lydney, Gloucestershire. It was badly damaged in an accident involving river barges in 1960 and demolished in 1970.-Construction:...
was damaged beyond economic repair in a shipping accident. Passenger services were officially withdrawn in November 1964.
Revival
After closure, the up platform and the station building were demolished. The down platform survived and forms the basis of the new Lydney Junction station on the heritage Dean Forest Railway.Services
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Lydney railway station
Lydney railway station is a railway station serving the town of Lydney in Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the Gloucester-Newport line. Passenger services are provided by Arriva Trains Wales, with an hourly Maesteg/Cardiff Central-Cheltenham Spa service...
on Gloucester-Newport line
Gloucester to Newport Line
The Gloucester to Newport Line is a railway line that runs along the bank of the River Severn in the United Kingdom from Gloucester to Newport....