Ruabon Barmouth Line
Encyclopedia
The Ruabon to Barmouth Line was a standard gauge
branch line of the Great Western Railway
across the north of Wales
which connected Ruabon
, in the east, with Barmouth
on the west coast.
The Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway was absorbed by the Cambrian Railway which, with the other companies, was absorbed into the GWR.
The line was double track from Ruabon (Llangollen Jc) to Llangollen Goods Junction. Beyond, there were passing places at Glyndyfrdwy, Carrog, Corwen, Llandrillo, Llandderfel, Bala Junction, Llanuwchllyn, Garneddwen Halt, Drws-y-Nant, Bont Newydd, Dolgellau and Penmaenpool.
on 18 January 1965. Goods services between Morfa Mawddach (formerly Barmouth Jn) and Llangollen ceased in 1964. Although the whole line was planned to close for passenger services on 18 January 1965, services were suspended on 12 December 1964 following flooding. The section between Ruabon and Llangollen was subsequently reopened on 17 December for passenger trains until 18 January after which only freight services to run until 1968 when the line was closed completely. The section between Llangollen and Bala Junction was abandoned following flooding although a substitute bus service servive the stations ran until 18th January 1965. The section between Bala, Bala Junction and Dolgellau was reopened on 17 December and the section Dolgellau to Morfa Mawddach reopened on 14 December.
Lifting of the track was completed in 1969.
; the narrow gauge Bala Lake Railway
in the early 1970s and the standard gauge Llangollen Railway
which first opened to passengers in 1981.
A ten mile section between Barmouth Junction and Dolgellau is also used as the Llwybr Mawddach (or "Mawddach Trail"), a cycle route and bridleway
. Conversion of the trackbed to a path was coincidentally assisted in 1976 when heavy floods washed away most of the remaining ballast.
Several sections have been used for road improvement schemes, including a mile and a half section through Dolgellau
and the station site and trackbed west of Drws-y-Nant
. The trackbed has also been redeveloped immediately east of Llangollen
.
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
branch line of the Great Western Railway
Great 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...
across the north of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
which connected Ruabon
Ruabon
Ruabon is a village and community in the county borough of Wrexham in Wales.More than 80% of the population of 2,400 were born in Wales with 13.6% speaking Welsh....
, in the east, with Barmouth
Barmouth
Barmouth ; Y Bermo ) is a town in the county of Gwynedd, north-western Wales, lying on the estuary of the River Mawddach and Cardigan Bay.The town is served by Barmouth railway station.- History :...
on the west coast.
Connections
- At RuabonRuabon railway stationRuabon railway station serves the village of Ruabon in the county borough of Wrexham, Wales. It is the second busiest station in Wrexham in terms of passenger journeys, after the mainline station, Wrexham General...
, the line connected with the Shrewsbury to Chester lineShrewsbury to Chester LineThe Shrewsbury to Chester Line, also known as the Severn–Dee Line , was built in 1846 as the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway...
(part of the GWRGreat Western RailwayThe 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...
mainline from London Paddington to Birkenhead Woodside). - At CorwenCorwen railway stationCorwen railway station in Denbighshire, Wales, was formerly a station on the Ruabon to Barmouth line. The first station to open was a temporary station at the east of the town when the line from Denbigh opened in October 1864. A permanent station was opened by the Great Western Railway in May 1865...
the line connected with the Denbigh, Ruthin and Corwen Railway line. - At Bala JunctionBala Junction railway stationBala Junction railway station in Gwynedd, Wales, was formerly a station on the Ruabon to Barmouth line. It closed to passengers on Monday 18 January 1965. Bala Junction was unusual since it was inaccessible by road and merely served as an interchange station....
the line connected with the Bala and Festiniog Railway. - At Barmouth JunctionMorfa Mawddach railway stationMorfa Mawddach railway station, formerly Barmouth Junction, is in Gwynedd, Wales, on the Cambrian Coast Railway between and at its junction with the Dolgelley branch of the Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway part of the Ruabon to Barmouth Line which closed in 1965.- Background :North of Morfa...
, the line connected with the Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast RailwayAberystwyth and Welsh Coast RailwayThe Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway was a standard gauge railway built in 1863 connecting major towns on the Welsh coast.- History :...
.
History
The line opened in stages by various companies:- Vale of Llangollen RailwayVale of Llangollen RailwayThe Vale of Llangollen Railway was built as a spur from the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway at Ruabon to the town of Llangollen. It was initially opened for goods only on 1 December 1861 and to passenger traffic on 2 June 1862, and was worked by the Great Western Railway and subsequently the Western...
- 1 December 1861 (goods); 2 June 1862 (passenger); - Llangollen and Corwen RailwayLlangollen and Corwen railwayThe Llangollen and Corwen Railway was formed as a continuation of the Vale of Llangollen Railway to continue the line along the Dee Valley a further to Corwen. This was opened on 1 May 1865 and was worked by the Great Western Railway and subsequently the Western Region of British Railways.A...
- 1 May 1865 - Corwen and Bala Railway - 16 July 1866 (Corwen to Llandrillo); 1 April 1868 (Llandrillo to Bala)
- Bala and Dolgelly Railway - 4 August 1868
- Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast RailwayAberystwyth and Welsh Coast RailwayThe Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway was a standard gauge railway built in 1863 connecting major towns on the Welsh coast.- History :...
- 10 October 1867
The Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway was absorbed by the Cambrian Railway which, with the other companies, was absorbed into the GWR.
The line was double track from Ruabon (Llangollen Jc) to Llangollen Goods Junction. Beyond, there were passing places at Glyndyfrdwy, Carrog, Corwen, Llandrillo, Llandderfel, Bala Junction, Llanuwchllyn, Garneddwen Halt, Drws-y-Nant, Bont Newydd, Dolgellau and Penmaenpool.
Closure
The whole line was closed to passenger trains as part of the Beeching AxeBeeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
on 18 January 1965. Goods services between Morfa Mawddach (formerly Barmouth Jn) and Llangollen ceased in 1964. Although the whole line was planned to close for passenger services on 18 January 1965, services were suspended on 12 December 1964 following flooding. The section between Ruabon and Llangollen was subsequently reopened on 17 December for passenger trains until 18 January after which only freight services to run until 1968 when the line was closed completely. The section between Llangollen and Bala Junction was abandoned following flooding although a substitute bus service servive the stations ran until 18th January 1965. The section between Bala, Bala Junction and Dolgellau was reopened on 17 December and the section Dolgellau to Morfa Mawddach reopened on 14 December.
Lifting of the track was completed in 1969.
Current status
Two sections of the line have been reopened as preserved railwaysHeritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
; the narrow gauge Bala Lake Railway
Bala Lake Railway
The Bala Lake Railway is a preserved railway at Bala Lake, in Gwynedd, north Wales, which runs for a distance of using gauge rolling stock....
in the early 1970s and the standard gauge Llangollen Railway
Llangollen Railway
The Llangollen Railway is a volunteer-run preserved railway in Denbighshire, Wales, which operates between Llangollen and Carrog; at long, it is the longest preserved standard gauge line in Wales and operates daily in Summer as well as weekends throughout the Winter months using a wide variety of...
which first opened to passengers in 1981.
A ten mile section between Barmouth Junction and Dolgellau is also used as the Llwybr Mawddach (or "Mawddach Trail"), a cycle route and bridleway
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
. Conversion of the trackbed to a path was coincidentally assisted in 1976 when heavy floods washed away most of the remaining ballast.
Several sections have been used for road improvement schemes, including a mile and a half section through Dolgellau
Dolgellau
Dolgellau is a market town in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, lying on the River Wnion, a tributary of the River Mawddach. It was the county town of the former county of Merionethshire .-History and economy:...
and the station site and trackbed west of Drws-y-Nant
Drws-y-Nant railway station
Drws-y-Nant railway station in Gwynedd, Wales, was formerly a station on the Ruabon to Barmouth line.The station had two platforms with a passing loop, plus a small goods yard with a dock for loading livestock...
. The trackbed has also been redeveloped immediately east of Llangollen
Llangollen
Llangollen is a small town and community in Denbighshire, north-east Wales, situated on the River Dee and on the edge of the Berwyn mountains. It has a population of 3,412.-History:...
.
Sources
- The Llangollen Line - Ruabon to Barmouth, by W G Rear & N Jones. ISBN 1-870119-10-X
- Railway Walks: Exploring Disused Railways, by Gareth Lovett Jones. ISBN 0-7153-8543-7
- RAILSCOT on Vale of Llangollen Railway
- RAILSCOT on Llangollen and Corwen Railway
- RAILSCOT on Corwen and Bala Railway
- RAILSCOT on Bala and Dolgelly Railway
- RAILSCOT on Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway
- Llangollen Railway site, including a detailed history of the whole line
- Gwynedd Council - Recreational Routes - Mawddach Trail