Swansea Vale Railway

The Swansea Vale Railway was a heritage railway following a section of the old Midland Railway line between Swansea and Brecon, which formerly made up part of the network associated with the Mid Wales line

History

Built in 1815 as a tramroad, the route was expanded as a feeder railway for several Swansea mines, and by 1874 was carrying passengers between Swansea St Thomas station (now closed), Llansamlet, Glais, Pontardawe, Ystalyfera, Gwys, Ystradgynlais and Brynamman. The railway was bought in 1876 by the Midland railway company in order to bypass rival railway companies and gain access to Swansea docks. In 1923, most of the railway companies were merged into the "Big Four" companies and many of these alternative routes were run down and closed. Passenger services via Brecon ceased in 1930. Between the 1930s and 1960s as the importance of Swansea port and industry dropped most of the line was closed. By 1970 nothing was left but rusting rails and earthworks.

Preservation

With the assistance of Swansea city council the Swansea Valley Railway Society, based in Pentrechwyth, was able to purchase the last remaining section of intact track between Upper Bank (close to Morfa industrial estate) and Six Pit (now renamed Nantyffin Road). It is an indication of the scale of change in Swansea that a former industrial railway now runs between a large shopping centre and the main sports stadium for the city.

In 2007 Swansea council took the decision to redevelop the area and declined to renew the lease on the railway. In part this decision was reached because the state of the railway and the costs to put it right were considerable. In addition the value of the land in question had risen from almost worthless industrial land to prime development as the city expanded. At this point in time it is not clear what will happen to the many important pieces of heritage such as Kings Dock signal box or whether they will simply be flattened and sold to developers.

Gallery

External links

* [http://www.swanseavalerailway.co.uk/ Swansea Vale Railway]
* [http://www.railscot.co.uk/Swansea_Vale_Railway/body.htm Map Of The Original Railway Route]