Machynlleth railway station

Machynlleth National Rail
Location
Place Machynlleth
Local authority Powys
Coordinates 52°35′42″N 3°51′18″W / 52.595°N 3.855°W / 52.595; -3.855Coordinates: 52°35′42″N 3°51′18″W / 52.595°N 3.855°W / 52.595; -3.855
Grid reference SH744013
Operations
Station code MCN
Managed by Arriva Trains Wales
Number of platforms 2
DfT category E
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2010/11 Increase 121,390
2011/12 Increase 132,206
2012/13 Decrease 130,358
2013/14 Decrease 119,636
2014/15 Increase 120,802
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Machynlleth from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Machynlleth railway station is a railway station on the Cambrian Line in mid-Wales, serving the historic town of Machynlleth. It was built by the Newtown and Machynlleth Railway (N&MR), and subsequently passed into the ownership of the Cambrian Railways, the Great Western Railway, British Railways (Western Region) and British Railways (London Midland Region). It is notable that there is a distance of 22 miles between this station and Caersws, the longest distance between stations in Wales.

History

Eastbound local train in 1951

The first railway station in Machynlleth was the narrow gauge Corris Railway, which opened its station building on the north side of the main-line goods yard in 1859. This was later made accessible from the mainline station by a flight of steps from the standard gauge platform. Waggish porters were known to call out "Platform 14 for Corris" when greeting arriving passengers.

The existing mainline station dates from 1863 with the opening of the Newtown and Machynlleth Railway. The following year the Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway opened the line as far as Aberystwyth via Dovey Junction, and in 1867 the line was extended from Barmouth to Pwllheli via Porthmadog (then Portmadoc). In 1868 the station and lines were absorbed into the Cambrian Railways.[1] The Cambrian Railways were absorbed by the Great Western Railway on 1 January 1922 as a result of the Railways Act 1921, and became part of British Railways in 1948.

Motive power depot

The former locomotive shed at Machynlleth station

The railway built a small engine shed at the station in 1863. This was later expanded by Cambrian Railways, but the extensions were demolished after 1966, when the depot ceased to be used for servicing steam locomotives. Only the original building now survives.[2]

Current operations

Cambrian Line

Legend
Welsh Marches Line
Shrewsbury to Chester Line
Shrewsbury
Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury Line
Shrewsbury Abbey
Coleham

Severn Valley Railway

Welsh Marches Line

Shropshire and
Montgomeryshire Railway
Hanwood
Minsterley branch line
Yockleton
Westbury
Plas-y-court Halt
England
Wales
Breidden
Oswestry and Newtown Railway
Buttington

Welshpool

Welshpool Raven Square
Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway
River Severn
Forden
Montgomery
Kerry Branch
Abermule
Newtown
Scafell Halt
Moat Lane Junction
Mid-Wales Railway
River Severn
River Severn
Caersws
Pontdolgoch
Carno
Talerddig
Talerddig cutting through
the Cambrian Mountains
Llanbrynmair
Commins Coch Halt
Mawddwy Railway
Cemmes Road

Corris Railway
Machynlleth
Dovey Junction

Glandyfi
Ynyslas
Borth
Llandre
Bow Street

Vale of Rheidol Railway

Carmarthen to Aberystwyth Line
Aberystwyth

River Dyfi

Gogarth
Abertafol
Penhelig
Aberdovey

Talyllyn Railway
Tywyn Wharf
Tywyn
Tonfanau
Llangelynin
Llwyngwril

Fairbourne

Fairbourne(FR)
Fairbourne Railway
Ruabon to Barmouth Line
Morfa Mawddach
Barmouth Bridge over
River Mawddach
Barmouth
Llanaber
Talybont
Dyffryn Ardudwy
Llanbedr
Pensarn
Llandanwg
Harlech
Tygwyn
Talsarnau
Llandecwyn
Pont Briwet over River Dwyryd
Penrhyndeudraeth
Minffordd
Ffestiniog Railway

Traeth Mawr Viaduct
over River Glaslyn
Porthmadog Harbour
Welsh Highland Railway (Cae Pawb)
Welsh Highland Heritage Railway

Porthmadog(WHHR)

Porthmadog
Black Rock Halt
Criccieth
Afon Wen
Carnarvonshire Railway
Penychain
Abererch
Pwllheli

Machynlleth is the location where the majority of eastbound or 'up' trains from Pwllheli and Aberystwyth combine to go forward as one towards Shrewsbury and Birmingham International. Similarly, most trains in the opposite direction divide here before continuing west. The service in each direction is approximately two hourly, although trains to Pwllheli are far less frequent on Sundays. The infrastructure along the line was upgraded during 2010/11, with the intention of allowing hourly trains to and from Aberystwyth. In the 2015-16 timetable, some additional Shrewsbury - Aberystwyth services operate to give an hourly interval frequency during the morning & evening peak periods.[3]

Cambrian Line signalling has been centrally controlled from Machynlleth since the 1980s conversion of the route from traditional signalling to a radio-controlled 'RETB' system. On 26 March 2011, the new European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) signalling system went into operational use across the Cambrian Line controlled from Machynlleth. Two days of driver familiarisation followed, with passenger operation commencing on the morning of 28 March 2011. A new control centre has been built on the down side opposite the earlier signal box which has since been demolished.

The current train operator, Arriva Trains Wales, has also developed Machynlleth into the main depot for its fleet of Class 158 trains which provide nearly all passenger services on the Cambrian Lines. Replacing the previous Victorian-era depot and yard, Arriva's depot opened in 2007 and prominently features environmentally friendly technologies such as rainwater harvesting and a wind turbine.[4]

In 2011, The Bluebell Railway discovered a well-worn totem sign from Machynlleth during the excavating of Imberhorne Cutting as part of the northern extension to East Grinstead, which was used as a landfill site by the local council in the late 1960s. The extension was opened on 23 March 2013. The sign is now displayed in their new museum.

References

  1. Christiansen, Rex & Miller, R.W. The Cambrian Railways, Vol. 1 David & Charles (1967); p 65
  2. Roger Griffiths and Paul Smith, Directory of British Engine Sheds, I., Oxford Publishing (1999), p.188.
  3. GB eNRT, 2015-16 Edition, Table 76 (Network Rail)
  4. RAILNEWS. "Pioneering past powers Arriva's future - Railnews - Today's news for Tomorrow's railway". Retrieved 2 August 2016.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Machynlleth railway station.
Preceding station   National Rail   Following station
Arriva Trains Wales
Disused railways
Terminus   Corris Railway   Ffridd Gate
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