Waunavon railway station
Encyclopedia
Waunavon railway station, also known as "Waunafon", was a station that served as a junction for Milfraen Pit colliery, south east Wales
. Build by the London and North Western Railway
(LNWR) as an expansion for the Brynmawr and Blaenavon Railway to meet Blaenavon
.
At an altitude of 1401ft above sea level, Waunavon was the highest railway station on a standard gauge line in England and Wales.
to transport coal to the Midlands via the Heads of the Valleys line
. The line was completed in the late eighteen sixties and the LNWR were operating passenger trains over the line by 1872.
From the turn of the century the line served mining activity centred on several pits and collieries. The branch served several collieries between Brynmawr and Waunafon. The first of these was the Waun Nantyglo colliery, which was situated a little east of a tramway which later carried the B4248 Brynmawr to Blaenavon Road. The connection was removed by 1925. As Waunafon was approached on a facing branch to the left was built, leading to Clydach colliery, but these had gone by 1915, to be replaced by New Clydach Colliery sidings. Vestiges of these remained until 1950. Some 300m south of Waunafon station a branch, built in 1870, veered to the West to serve the Milfraen Colliery. The space between the single platform station at Waunafon and the branch was occupied by a series of loops and sidings.
By 1938 Milfraen Pit had ceased production having exhausted its own coal reserves, the branchline that served it was removed in 1937. The line was closed to passengers, not during the Beeching Cuts
which befell the GWR route to Blaenavon Low Level, but in 1941 due to the exigencies of the Second World War. Blaenavon shed closed in 1942 and eventually goods also ceased in 1954. The line was retained for wagon storage until 1953, and around 1950, a temporary siding was laid in connection with opencast workings on the Blorenge, branching east roughly at the point where the Milfraen Colliery branch had previously branched west.
Reopening the station to the public has become one of the long-term aims of the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway
. After the extensions to Blaenavon High Level
and Big Pit halt is achieved, the railway will turn towards extending the line northwards, under a small road bridge and along the still intact track bed to Waunavon, the summit of the line. . There is also growing political interest for the line to extend further again to Brynmawr
which interestingly takes the railway over the local authority boundary from Torfaen
into Blaenau Gwent
and also the historic county boundary from Monmouthshire into Brecknockshire. However the emphasis with the local authority is that this reopening will serve as a community link, rather than a tourist attraction.
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...
. Build by the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
(LNWR) as an expansion for the Brynmawr and Blaenavon Railway to meet Blaenavon
Blaenavon
Blaenavon is a town and World Heritage Site in south eastern Wales, lying at the source of the Afon Lwyd north of Pontypool, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. The town lies high on a hillside and has a population of 6,349 people...
.
At an altitude of 1401ft above sea level, Waunavon was the highest railway station on a standard gauge line in England and Wales.
History
The line from Brynmawr to Blaenavon was originally built in 1866 by the Brynmawr and Blaenavon Railway and immediately leased to the London and North Western RailwayLondon and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
to transport coal to the Midlands via the Heads of the Valleys line
Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway
The Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway was a railway company operating between 1860 and 1958 between the towns of Merthyr Tydfil, Tredegar and Abergavenny through the counties of Glamorganshire, Brecknockshire and Monmouthshire in south east Wales....
. The line was completed in the late eighteen sixties and the LNWR were operating passenger trains over the line by 1872.
From the turn of the century the line served mining activity centred on several pits and collieries. The branch served several collieries between Brynmawr and Waunafon. The first of these was the Waun Nantyglo colliery, which was situated a little east of a tramway which later carried the B4248 Brynmawr to Blaenavon Road. The connection was removed by 1925. As Waunafon was approached on a facing branch to the left was built, leading to Clydach colliery, but these had gone by 1915, to be replaced by New Clydach Colliery sidings. Vestiges of these remained until 1950. Some 300m south of Waunafon station a branch, built in 1870, veered to the West to serve the Milfraen Colliery. The space between the single platform station at Waunafon and the branch was occupied by a series of loops and sidings.
By 1938 Milfraen Pit had ceased production having exhausted its own coal reserves, the branchline that served it was removed in 1937. The line was closed to passengers, not during the Beeching Cuts
Beeching 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...
which befell the GWR route to Blaenavon Low Level, but in 1941 due to the exigencies of the Second World War. Blaenavon shed closed in 1942 and eventually goods also ceased in 1954. The line was retained for wagon storage until 1953, and around 1950, a temporary siding was laid in connection with opencast workings on the Blorenge, branching east roughly at the point where the Milfraen Colliery branch had previously branched west.
The site today
The track along the whole route to Brynmawr was finally lifted in July 1961 and the platforms demolished. The station building still survives to this day and has now become a private residence, known as 'Station House'.Reopening the station to the public has become one of the long-term aims of the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway
Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway
The Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway is a volunteer-run heritage railway in South Wales, running trains between a halt platform opposite the Whistle Stop public house southwards to the town of Blaenavon via a two-platform station at the site of former colliery furnace.The line is the highest...
. After the extensions to Blaenavon High Level
Blaenavon High Level railway station
Blaenavon High Level is a station on the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway heritage line, serving the World Heritage Site town of Blaenavon, south Wales...
and Big Pit halt is achieved, the railway will turn towards extending the line northwards, under a small road bridge and along the still intact track bed to Waunavon, the summit of the line. . There is also growing political interest for the line to extend further again to Brynmawr
Brynmawr
Brynmawr is a market town in Blaenau Gwent, south Wales. The town, sometimes cited as the highest town in Wales, is situated at 1,250 to 1,500 feet above sea level and nestled at the head of the South Wales Valleys...
which interestingly takes the railway over the local authority boundary from Torfaen
Torfaen
Torfaen is a county borough in Wales within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It was originally formed in 1974 as a district of the county of Gwent and in 1996 it was reconstituted as a unitary authority.-Education:...
into Blaenau Gwent
Blaenau Gwent
Blaenau Gwent is a county borough in South Wales, sharing its name with a parliamentary constituency. It borders the unitary authority areas of Monmouthshire and Torfaen to the east, Caerphilly to the west and Powys to the north. Its main towns are Abertillery, Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale and...
and also the historic county boundary from Monmouthshire into Brecknockshire. However the emphasis with the local authority is that this reopening will serve as a community link, rather than a tourist attraction.