Swansea District line

The Swansea District line (Welsh: Llinell Bwrdeistref Abertawe) is a section of railway line running through the northern part of Swansea, Wales and is primarily used for freight transportation, although minimal passenger services also traverse the route. It was built by the Great Western Railway in 1912 to provide a faster and less steeply graded route between London and Fishguard, in connection with the recently opened harbour at the latter place. It can thereby claim to be the last mainline railway to have been built in Wales. The double track line runs from Cwrt Sart junction at Briton Ferry on the South Wales Main Line to Morlais junction near Pontarddulais on the Heart of Wales line.

Map of the Swansea District line (orange).
Swansea District Line
South Wales Main Line
to Port Talbot Parkway
Briton Ferry
to
Briton Ferry Sidings
and Baglan Bay
South Wales Main Line
to Neath
Court Sart Junction
Neath River
Viaduct
former swing bridge
over River Neath
Vale of Neath Railway
to Swansea Docks
M4 motorway
 Llandarcy oil terminal
Llandarcy Platform
 Llandarcy refinery sidings
South Wales Main Line
to Skewen
Peniel Green Tunnel
(Lonlas Tunnel)
924 yd
845 m
 Felin Fran Halt
Swansea Vale Railway
to Swansea St Thomas
 Morriston Branch
 Pentrefelin Halt
Great Western
Railway
to Landore Low Level
and Swansea High Street
River Tawe
Morriston Viaduct
Llangyfelach Tunnel
1192 yd
1090 m
 Llangyfelach
Penllergaer Tunnel
284 yd
260 m
 Pont Lliw
Llanelly Railway
to Grovesend
River Loughor
Grovesend Colliery Loop Junction
Heart of Wales line
to Pontarddulais
Morlais Junction
 Llangennech
 Bynea
West Wales lines
to Swansea
 Trostre Steelworks
Llanelli
West Wales lines
to Carmarthen

Current usage

The line is currently used mainly for freight traffic, but Transport for Wales run two or three services along the line in each direction on Mondays to Saturdays, one of which is the daytime boat train between Fishguard Harbour and Cardiff. The boat train service is run in connection with the Stena Line ferry to/from Rosslare in Ireland. By taking the Swansea District line, these passenger services bypass Neath, Swansea and Gowerton railway stations.

Future plans

Network Rail are considering rationalisation of this line following replacement of the Loughor railway viaduct and re-doubling of the track at Gowerton, work which was completed in 2013. This could mean more traffic being diverted via the South Wales Main Line and Gowerton station.[1]

The rail transport campaign group, the Railway Development Society has proposed instead that this link be restored for passenger services including building stations to serve Llandarcy, Morriston and Grovesend.[2]

In 2017, the UK Government commissioned an independent report by the University of South Wales into developing a new parkway station at Felindre.[3][4]

The Department for Transport announced in July 2019 that it would be proposing the re-opening of the District line to passenger traffic as part of a £20m project which would see a West Wales Parkway station open near to Felindre.[5]

Loss of gauge

Careless maintenance work on the Swansea District line has reduced the rail gauge available on the Swansea District line in the past, reducing its use to freight.[6]

References
  1. Network Rail RUS Route 14, Page 8
  2. Railway Development Society - West Wales Direct - The Forgotten Rail Route
  3. New Swansea railway station 'ticket to opportunity'
  4. WEST WALESPARKWAY STATION - A SCOPING STUDYFOR THE OFFICEOFTHESECRETARYOFSTATEFORWALES
  5. "Wales' busiest railway station to get £58m upgrade". 22 July 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  6. DB Schenker Rail (UK) Ltd. rejection of proposed G1 Network Change
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