Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway

[v · d · e]Coleford, Monmouth, Usk & Pontypool Railway

Legend Ross and Monmouth Railway Wye Valley Railway and Coleford Railway 0m 46ch River Wye 0m 0ch Monmouth Troy Monmouth Troy tunnel River Trothy 3m 32ch Dingestow 5m 56ch Elms Bridge Halt 6m 34ch Raglan 6m 43ch Raglan Footpath 7m 59ch Raglan Road Crossing Halt 8m 52ch Llandenny 9m 66ch Cefntilla Halt Usk Tunnel 12m 4ch Usk River Usk 14m 28ch ROF Glascoed 14m 48ch Glascoed Halt Welsh Marches Line 16m 12ch Little Mill Junction Pontypool Road

[v · d · e]The Railways of Monmouth
Legend Ross and Monmouth Railway Monmouth Mayhill River Wye Monmouth Troy Goods Yard Monmouth Troy River Wye Wyesham Halt Coleford Railway Wye Valley Railway Monmouth Troy Tunnel River Trothy Dingestow CMU&PR

The Coleford, Monmouth, Usk & Pontypool Railway (abbreviated CMU&PR) was a 4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) standard gauge railway of 16 miles (26 km) which ran between Monmouth to Pontypool. It was opened in 1857, passenger services were withdrawn in 1955. A Stephenson Locomotive Society special ran along the line exactly 100 years from opening on 12 October 1957.^[1][2]

History

The railway was authorized by an Act of Parliament on 20 August 1853. The railway was partly opened between Pontypool and Usk in June 1856 and fully opened on 12 October 1857 upon the completion of Monmouth Troy Station.^[3] A viaduct was built over the River Wye in an attempt to reach Coleford in the Forest of Dean, but following the purchase of the line by GWR the scheme was abandoned.^[4]

The Railway had stations at Little Mill Junction, Usk, Llandenny, Raglan, Dingestow and Monmouth. Usk and Monmouth Troy were the only stations on the line with two platforms.^[5] Halts were added at Glascoed (1927), Elms Bridge, (1933) and Cefntilla (1954). Raglan Station, known as Raglan Road was closed in 1931 and Raglan Station was moved to a previously unofficial stopping place called Raglan Footpath. The original station was then re-opened as a halt on 24 July 1931.^[1]

From 1940 ROF Glascoed which produced munitions for the armed services was served by the line. When the branch closed the factory continued to be served by rail until 1993. The highly overgrown track from near Little Mill Junction to what is now BAE Systems factory remains in situ but completely impassable.^[4]

Monmouth Troy Station was also used by the Wye Valley Railway from 1876–1964, the Ross and Monmouth Railway from 1874–1964 and the Coleford Railway from 1883-1917.^[6][7]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} B. M. Handley and R. Dingwall, The Wye Valley Railway and the Coleford Branch, 1982, ISBN 0-85361-530-6
2. ^ Stanley C Jenkins, The Ross, Monmouth and Pontypool Road Line, revised second edition 2009, ISBN 978-0-85361-692-4
3. ^ Railways of Monmouth, by Nigel Nicholson
4. ^ ^{a b} V. Mitchell and K. Smith, Branch Line to Monmouth, 2008, ISBN 978-1-906008-20-8
5. ^ Urban75.org, The Monmouth & Wye Valley Railway
6. ^ Mike Hall, Lost Railways of South Wales, 2009, ISBN 978-1-84674-172-2
7. ^ Stan Yorke, Lost Railways of Gloucestershire, 2009, ISBN 978-1-84674-163-0

External links

• National Archives Records of the Railway
• Information of Usk Station