Cwmbran railway station

Cwmbran railway station (Welsh: Gorsaf Rheilffordd Cwmbrân) is in the northeast of Cwmbran town centre, within five minutes' walking distance. It is part of the British railway system owned by Network Rail and is managed by Transport for Wales, who operate all trains serving it. It lies on the Welsh Marches Line from Newport to Hereford. The station was opened at this site in 1986 to serve the commuter route to Newport and Cardiff, and shoppers to the town centre.

This article is about the railway station opened in 1986. For the Great Western Railway station, see Cwmbran railway station (Great Western Railway).

Cwmbran

Welsh: Cwmbrân
National Rail
General information
LocationCwmbran, Torfaen
Wales
Coordinates51.6572°N 3.0160°W / 51.6572; -3.0160
Grid referenceST298958
Managed byTransport for Wales
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeCWM
ClassificationDfT category E
History
Opened12 May 1986
Passengers
2017/18Increase 0.400 million
2018/19Steady 0.400 million
2019/20Increase 0.413 million
2020/21Decrease 0.107 million
2021/22Increase 0.263 million
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History

Historically, a number of railway stations served Cwmbran. The first station was opened by the Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company in July 1852. This closed on 11 March 1880 and a new station was opened on the same day by the Great Western Railway.[1][2] The station was located on a spur which linked the Monmouthshire Railway with the Pontypool, Caerleon and Newport Railway.[3] This closed to passengers on 30 April 1962[1][2] and to goods on 17 May 1965.[4] The first station, which had remained open for goods traffic, also closed on 17 May 1965.[4]

The Monmouthshire Railway line to Blaenavon ran to the west of the town.[3] The section between Pontypool and Blaenavon closed to passengers 30 April 1962, the mineral branches followed on 7 April 1969 and the branch to Talywain on 3 May 1980.[5] The section from Pontypool as far as Oakfield Siding near Cwmbran saw coal traffic until 1980.[6]

New station
The station in May 1990.

The present station was opened by British Rail on 12 May 1986.[1][2] It is situated around 300 yards (270 m) to the south of Lower Pontnewydd railway station which closed to passengers on 9 June 1958 and to goods on 25 January 1965.[7][8][9]

Facilities
The new main building, consisting of a small cafe and ticket hall (2019)

Refurbished facilities at the station were officially opened by Rhodri Morgan AM on Friday 14 March 2008. This included a larger car park, a new ticket hall, modern sheltered seating areas and new live departure boards like those seen at Newport. The booking office is open six days per week; there is also a self-service ticket machine on offer for use or to collect advance purchase tickets. Automatic announcements and timetable poster boards offer train running information in addition to the CIS displays mentioned. Level access is on offer to each side, though for the southbound platform, this requires a long detour via public roads (the footbridge linking the platforms has steps).[10]

In addition to this, Torfaen County Borough Council have funded a limited Number 4 bus that serves the town centre and suburbs of Cwmbran, which is currently operated by Stagecoach in South Wales.

Service

Services that stop at Cwmbran in both directions are all operated by Transport for Wales and include the hourly service between Manchester Piccadilly, Cardiff Central and West Wales and the two hourly service between Holyhead and Cardiff Central.[11] Most Sunday services only run on the former route (there are only two services each way to/from Holyhead).

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Abergavenny   Transport for Wales
Welsh Marches Line		   Newport
Pontypool and New Inn    

References

Notes
  1. Butt 1995, p. 75.
  2. Quick 2009, p. 142.
  3. Conolly 2004, p. 43, section A3.
  4. Clinker 1988, p. 36.
  5. Awdry 1990, p. 36.
  6. Cobb 2006, p. 141.
  7. Clinker 1988, p. 90.
  8. Quick 2009, pp. 142, 260.
  9. Butt 1995, p. 150.
  10. Cwmbran station facilities National Rail Enquiries; Retrieved 10 April 2017
  11. GB eNRT December 2016 Edition, Table 131

Sources
  • Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063. CN 8983.
  • Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
  • Cobb, M.H. (2006) [2003]. The Railways of Great Britain: A Historical Atlas. Vol. 1. Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7110-3236-1.
  • Clinker, C. R. (1988) [1978]. Clinker's Register of Closed Passenger Stations and Goods Depots in England, Scotland and Wales 1830–1980 (2nd ed.). Bristol: Avon-Anglia Publications & Services. ISBN 978-0-905466-91-0. OCLC 655703233.
  • Conolly, W. Philip (2004) [1958]. British Railways Pre-Grouping Atlas and Gazetteer. Hersham, Surrey: Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0-7110-0320-0.
  • Quick, Michael (2009) [2001]. Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (4th ed.). Oxford: Railway & Canal Historical Society. ISBN 978-0-901461-57-5. OCLC 612226077.
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