The Cambrian Line is a railway from Shrewsbury (in Shropshire, England) to Welshpool, Aberystwyth and Pwllheli. The railway runs first through the central part of Wales and then along the coast of Cardigan Bay. Shrewsbury railway station is Shrewsburys only remaining railway station (Shrewsbury Abbey, as well as all the other small stations around the town, having long closed). ... The Welsh Marches Line is the railway line from Newport to Crewe via Abergavenny, Hereford, Craven Arms, Shrewsbury and Whitchurch. ... The Heart of Wales Line is the railway line from Llanelli to Craven Arms. ... The Shrewsbury to Chester Line is a railway line that runs from Shrewsbury to Chester, via Wrexham. ... The Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury Line (previously starting from Birmingham) is the railway line from Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury via Wellington. ... Welshpool railway station (Welsh: Y Trallwng) is a railway station on the Cambrian Line, in mid-Wales. ... Newtown (Powys) railway station (Welsh: Y Drenewydd) is a railway station in mid-Wales, serving Newtown, Powys. ... Caersws railway station is a railway station on the Cambrian Line in mid-Wales, serving the village of Caersws. ... Machynlleth railway station is a railway station on the Cambrian Line in mid-Wales, serving the historic town of Machynlleth. ... Machynlleth-bound train at Dovey Junction station Dovey Junction railway station (Welsh: Cyffordd Dyfi) is a railway station on the Cambrian Line in Wales. ... Penhelig railway station serves the eastern outskirts of the seaside resort of Aberdovey in Gwynedd, Wales. ... Borth railway station is a railway station on the Cambrian Line in mid-Wales, serving the village of Borth near Aberystwyth. ... Aberdovey railway station serves the seaside resort of Aberdovey in Gwynedd, Wales. ... Vale of Rheidol Railways Aberystwyth station is accommodated within the former Carmarthen bay. ... Tywyn railway station serves the town of Tywyn in Gwynedd, Wales. ... Tonfanau railway station serves Tonfanau in Gwynedd, Wales. ... Llwyngwril railway station serves the village of Llwyngwril in Gwynedd, Wales. ... Fairbourne railway station serves the village of Fairbourne in Gwynedd, Wales. ... Morfa Mawddach railway station in Gwynedd, Wales, on the Cambrian Coast Railway from Dovey Junction was formerly a junction station (known as Barmouth Junction) with the branch line from Dolgellau (closed in 1965). ... Barmouth railway station serves the seaside town of Barmouth in Gwynedd, Wales. ... Llanaber railway station serves the village of Llanaber near Barmouth in Gwynedd, Wales. ... Talybont railway station serves the villages of Tal-y-bont and Llanddwywe in Gwynedd, Wales. ... Dyffryn Ardudwy railway station serves the villages of Dyffryn Ardudwy, Coed Ystumgwern and Llanenddwyn in Gwynedd, Wales. ... Llanbedr railway station serves the village of Llanbedr in Gwynedd, Wales. ... Pensarn railway station serves the village of Pensarn in Gwynedd, Wales. ... Llandanwg railway station serves the village of Llandanwg in Gwynedd, Wales. ... The station as seen from Harlech Castle. ... Tygwyn railway station is located at a level crossing on the A496 between Harlech and Talsarnau near the estuary of the Afon Dwyryd in Gwynedd, Wales. ... Talsarnau railway station serves the village of Talsarnau on the estuary of the Afon Dwyryd in Gwynedd, Wales. ... Llandecwyn railway station serves the small town of Llandecwyn on the estuary of the Afon Dwyryd in Gwynedd, Wales. ... Penrhyndeudraeth railway station is a railway station serving the small town of Penrhyndeudraeth on the Lleyn Peninsula in Gwynedd, Wales. ... The upper-level, narrow-gauge station at Minffordd Minffordd (translation Lip of the Road) is the interchange station (called Minffordd Junction by the Victorians) opened on 1 August 1872 at the point where the then newly built Cambrian Railways line from Dovey Junction to Pwllheli passes under the existing narrow... Porthmadog railway station serves the town of Porthmadog on the Lleyn Peninsula in Gwynedd, Wales. ... Criccieth railway station serves the seaside town of Criccieth on the Lleyn Peninsula in Gwynedd, Wales. ... Penychain railway station, also known as Butlins Penychain railay station is located at the Penychain level crossing on the Lleyn Peninsula in Gwynedd, Wales. ... Abererch railway station is located at a level crossing on the minor road from the beach to the village of Abererch on the Lleyn Peninsula in Gwynedd, Wales. ... Pwllheli railway station in Pwllheli, Gwynedd is a terminus of the Cambrian Coast Railway. ... Statistics Population: 70,059 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SJ495123 Administration District: Shrewsbury and Atcham Shire county: Shropshire Region: West Midlands Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Shropshire Historic county: Shropshire Services Police force: West Mercia Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: West Midlands Post office and... Shropshire (abbreviated Salop or Shrops) is an English county in the West Midlands region of the United Kingdom. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... Welshpool Town Hall Welshpool (Welsh: ) is a town in Powys, Wales, only 4 miles (6 km) from the border with England. ... Aberystwyth, viewed from the nature reserve on Penglais Hill Aberystwyth /aberˈəstwɪθ/ (Welsh Mouth of the Ystwyth) is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Mid Wales. ... Pwllheli is the main market town of the Lleyn peninsula in northwestern Wales. ... Motto: (Welsh for Wales forever) Anthem: Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff Official language(s) Welsh, English Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Rhodri Morgan AM Unification    - by Gruffudd ap Llywelyn 1056  Area    - Total 20,779... The term Cardigan Bay, when used by itself, can refer to: A horse called Cardigan Bay A bay in Wales called Cardigan Bay A bay in Prince Edward Island called Cardigan Bay This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the...

The railway is very scenic, with parts travelling through the Cambrian Mountains or along the Cambrian Coast. This latter section travels over the spectacular Barmouth Bridge, which crosses the River Mawddach. The Cambrian Mountains are a mountain range in Mid Wales, reaching from the Brecon Beacons in South Wales to Snowdonia in North Wales. ... The term Cardigan Bay, when used by itself, can refer to: A horse called Cardigan Bay A bay in Wales called Cardigan Bay A bay in Prince Edward Island called Cardigan Bay This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the... A train crossing the Barmouth Bridge The Barmouth Bridge (Welsh: Pont Abermawr) is a railway viaduct that crosses the estuary of the River Mawddach near to Barmouth in Wales, on the coast of Cardigan Bay. ... The River Mawddach (in Welsh, Afon Mawddach) is a river in North Wales which has its source north of Aran Fawddwy in Snowdonia and its mouth at the town of Barmouth. ...

Route

The line diverges at Dyfi Junction, just after Machynlleth, to serve either Aberystwyth, or Pwllheli via the Cambrian Coast Line. The stations on these routes are listed below. Dovey Junction railway station (Welsh: Cyffordd Dyfi) is a railway station on the Cambrian Line in Wales. ... Machynlleth is a market town in the traditional county of Montgomeryshire (Sir Drefaldwyn), north Powys in Wales. ...

Cambrian Line

• Shrewsbury
  • Connection with the Shrewsbury-Wolverhampton line, Shrewsbury-Chester line and Welsh Marches Line.
• Welshpool
  • Connection with Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway
• Newtown
• Caersws
• Machynlleth
  • Cambrian Coast Line diverges to Pwllheli (see below)
• Dyfi Junction
• Borth
• Aberystwyth
  • Connection with Vale of Rheidol Railway

Statistics Population: 70,059 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SJ495123 Administration District: Shrewsbury and Atcham Shire county: Shropshire Region: West Midlands Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Shropshire Historic county: Shropshire Services Police force: West Mercia Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: West Midlands Post office and... The Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury Line (previously starting from Birmingham) is the railway line from Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury via Wellington. ... The Shrewsbury to Chester Line is a railway line that runs from Shrewsbury to Chester, via Wrexham. ... The Welsh Marches Line is the railway line from Newport to Crewe via Abergavenny, Hereford, Craven Arms, Shrewsbury and Whitchurch. ... Welshpool Town Hall Welshpool (Welsh: ) is a town in Powys, Wales, only 4 miles (6 km) from the border with England. ... 823 The Countess and 822 The Earl - the two original W&LLR engines. ... Newtown town centre Newtown (Welsh: ) is a town with a population of 10,541 (1993) lying on the River Severn in Mid Wales. ... Caersws is a small village sitting on the River Severn in Powys, Mid Wales. ... Machynlleth is a market town in the traditional county of Montgomeryshire (Sir Drefaldwyn), north Powys in Wales. ... Pwllheli is the main market town of the Lleyn peninsula in northwestern Wales. ... Dovey Junction railway station (Welsh: Cyffordd Dyfi) is a railway station on the Cambrian Line in Wales. ... Borth is a small Welsh village about 7 miles north of Aberystwyth in the county of Ceredigion. ... Aberystwyth, viewed from the nature reserve on Penglais Hill Aberystwyth /aberˈəstwɪθ/ (Welsh Mouth of the Ystwyth) is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Mid Wales. ... Train taking on water, Vale of Rheidol Railway The Vale of Rheidol Railway is a narrow-gauge (1 foot 11¾ inches) heritage railway that runs for 11¾ miles between Aberystwyth and Devils Bridge (Pont yr Fynach (Welsh) - Bridge over the Mynach) - in Wales, UK. It was the last steam line...

Cambrian Coast Line

• Machynlleth
• Dovey Junction
• Penhelig
• Aberdyfi
• Tywyn
  • Connection with Talyllyn Railway
• Tonfanau
• Llwyngwril
• Fairbourne
  • Connection with Fairbourne Railway
• Morfa Mawddach
• Barmouth
• Llanaber
• Talybont
• Dyffryn Ardudwy (Morfa Dyffryn)
• Llanbedr
• Pensarn
• Llandanwg
• Harlech
• Tygwyn
• Talsarnau
• Llandecwyn
• Penrhyndeudraeth
• Minffordd
  • Connection with Ffestiniog Railway
• Porthmadog
  • Connections with Ffestiniog Railway and Welsh Highland Railway
• Criccieth
• Penychain
• Abererch
• Pwllheli

Machynlleth is a market town in the traditional county of Montgomeryshire (Sir Drefaldwyn), north Powys in Wales. ... Dovey Junction is a station on the Cambrian Line in Wales. ... Aberdyfi (sometimes Aberdovey in English) is a village on the estuary of the River Dyfi on the west coast of Wales. ... Tywyn (formerly Towyn) is a town lying on Cardigan Bay on the west coast of north Wales a mile away from the mouth of the Afon Dysynni and known as a seaside resort. ... Locomotive no. ... Fairbourne is a village in Gwynedd, Wales, lying on the estuary of the River Mawddach. ... Beddgelert, a model of an engine from the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways. ... Morfa Mawddach railway station in Gwynedd, Wales, on the Cambrian Coast Railway from Dovey Junction was formerly a junction station (known as Barmouth Junction) with the branch line from Dolgellau (closed in 1965). ... Barmouth (Welsh: Abermaw (formal); Y Bermo (colloquial)) is a town in the administrative county of Gwynedd, traditional county of Merionethshire, northwestern Wales, lying on the estuary of the River Mawddach and Cardigan Bay. ... Talybont (otherwise Tal-y-bont) is a village in Gwynedd, Wales north of the town of Barmouth. ... Morfa Dyffryn beach is on the Welsh coast, between Barmouth and Harlech. ... Note: There are several places in Wales with Llanbedr (literally, church of St Peter) in their names. ... Harlech is a town and seaside resort in North Wales, lying on Tremadog Bay, and within the Snowdonia National Park. ... Penrhyndeudraeth is a community in Wales. ... Translation meaning Lip of the Road There are 2 stations co-located at right angles to each other. ... The Ffestiniog Railway (in Welsh Rheilffordd Ffestiniog) is a narrow-gauge heritage railway, located in North West Wales. ... Porthmadog, (Pronounced Port Madock), known locally as Port, is a small coastal town located in Gwynedd, in north-west Wales, traditionally part of Caernarfonshire. ... ex-South African Railways Garratt no 138 Millennium/Mileniwm hauling a train out of Caernarfon station December 28, 2004 Sister engine, no 143 in the countryside. ... Criccieth (Welsh Cricieth) is a town on the LlÅ·n or Lleyn peninsula in Gwynedd, traditional county of Caernarfonshire, north Wales. ... Abererch is a village in the Welsh principal area of Gwynedd. ... Pwllheli is the main market town of the Lleyn peninsula in northwestern Wales. ...

History

The lines from Welshpool to Aberystwyth and from Dyfi Junction to Pwllheli make up the surviving sections of the Cambrian Railways main line (constructed between 1855 and 1869). The Cambrian Railways (Cambrian) owned a total of 230 miles of track, over a large area of mid-Wales. ... 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ...

The Cambrian Railways became part of the Great Western Railway and on nationalisation these lines were operated first by the Western Region of British Railways and later by the London Midland Region. In a later reorganisation, passenger services were operated by the Regional Railways Central sector. Following privatisation in the mid 1990s, passenger services were first operated by Central Trains, then by Wales & Borders Trains from 2001 and, since late 2003, by Arriva Trains Wales. The original Bristol Temple Meads station, first terminus of the GWR, is the building to the left of this picture The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company, linking South West England, the West Country and South Wales with London. ... The Western Region may be: Western Ghana Western Region of British Railways This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... British Railways (BR), later rebranded as British Rail, ran the British railway system, from the nationalisation of the Big Four British railway companies in 1948 until its privatisation in stages between 1994 and 1997. ... ex-LMS Jubilee Class 45641 Sandwich at Chinley in 1954 The London Midland Region (LMR) was one of the six regions created on British Railways (BR) and consisted of ex-London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) lines in England and Wales. ... Class 150/2 Sprinter no. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Class 158, no. ... An Arriva train in North Wales Class 158, no. ...

Closed Stations

Although the line survived the Beeching Axe, the number of stations on the lines was heavily rationalised in the 1960s onwards. The stations closed include the following: Many railway lines were closed as a result of the Beeching Axe The Beeching Axe was an informal name for the British Governments attempt in the 1960s to control the spiralling cost of running the British railway system by closing what it considered to be little-used and unprofitable...

Shrewsbury to Dovey Junction:

• Buttington Junction (connection with the Cambrian Railways line to Oswestry)
• Montgomery
• Abermule
• Moat Lane Junction (connection with Mid Wales Railway to Cardiff)
• Pontdolgoch
• Carno
• Talerddig
• Llanbrynmair
• Commins Coch Halt
• Cemmaes Road (connection with the branch line to Dinas Mawddwy)

Dovey Junction to Aberystwyth: The Cambrian Railways (Cambrian) owned a total of 230 miles of track, over a large area of mid-Wales. ... The Mid Wales Railway was a standard gauge railway opened in 1864 as a North-South route serving central Welsh towns including Llanidloes, Rhayader, Builth Wells and Brecon. ... Dinas Mawddwy is a village in Gwynedd, North Wales just to the side of the A470 so that most visitors pass the village by. ...

• Glandyfi
• Ynyslas
• Llandre
• Bow Street

Dovey Junction to Pwllheli:

• Gogarth
• Abertafol
• Llangelynin
• Black Rock Halt
• Afon Wen (connection with the Afon Wen - Caernarfon line)
• The Ruabon bound platforms at Barmouth Junction were also closed in 1965 and the station renamed Morfa Mawddach.

Afon Wen was a railway station located in Afon Wen, Gwynedd. ... The Carnarvonshire Railway was a railway connecting Bangor with Afon Wen. ... The Ruabon to Barmouth Line was a standard-gauge branch line of the Great Western Railway in North Wales which connected Ruabon with Barmouth. ... Morfa Mawddach railway station in Gwynedd, Wales, on the Cambrian Coast Railway from Dovey Junction was formerly a junction station (known as Barmouth Junction) with the branch line from Dolgellau (closed in 1965). ...

Performance

With long sections of single line, limited passing points and tightly-diagrammed rolling stock, minor disruptions on the Cambrian Line quickly lead to compound delays and partial cancellations. While the coast line is generally a good performer, services between Aberystwyth and Birmingham New Street have deteriorated hugely since the early 2000s and are now the least punctual in Britain [2].

In Arriva Trains Wales' monthly performance statistics, the Cambrian Line is routinely the worst-performing service group.

Line upgrade

In October 2006, it was announced that Network Rail would pilot the European Rail Traffic Management System on the Cambrian Line. The ERTMS will allow the "safety gap" between trains using the same track to be reduced, meaning services will be more frequent. Should the pilot scheme be successful, the system is expected to be rolled out across Britain's busiest routes (notably the East Coast Main Line). The European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) is an EU-backed initiative to enhance cross-border interoperability and signalling procurement by creating a single Europe-wide standard for railway signalling. ... The East Coast Main Line viaduct at Durham. ...

The upgrade is expected to cost £59 million and be completed by December 2008.^[2]

External links

• The Cambrian Line
• Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth Rail Passengers' Association

See also

• Railways of Shropshire
• Heart of Wales Line

Shropshire has a fairly large railway network, with 19 national rail stations, as well as the famous heritage Severn Valley Railway running along its eastern border with Worcestershire. ... The Heart of Wales Line is the railway line from Llanelli to Craven Arms. ...

// High-speed main line See also: Template:British main lines Channel Tunnel Rail Link Classic main lines See also: Template:British main lines Cross-Country Route East Coast Main Line Great Eastern Main Line Great Western Main Line Midland Main Line West Coast Main Line Railway lines in England London... The Gloucester to Newport Line is a railway cutoff along the bank of the River Severn in the United Kingdom from Gloucester to Newport. ... The North Wales Coast Line is the railway line from Crewe to Holyhead. ... The South Wales Main Line is a branch of the Great Western Main Line. ... The Welsh Marches Line is the railway line from Newport to Crewe via Abergavenny, Hereford, Craven Arms, Shrewsbury and Whitchurch. ... The Butetown Branch Line is a railway line in South Wales from Cardiff Bay and Butetown to Cardiff city centre. ... The City Line is a railway line in South Wales from Cardiff to Radyr via the western suburbs of Cardiff. ... The Coryton Line is a railway line in South Wales from Cardiff to Heath, Ty Glas, Rhiwbina, Whitchurch and Coryton. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Maesteg Line is a railway line in South Wales from Cardiff to Bridgend and Maesteg. ... The Merthyr Line is a railway line in South Wales from Cardiff to Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare. ... The Rhondda Line is a railway line in South Wales from Cardiff to Pontypridd, Porth, Ystrad Rhondda and Treherbert. ... The Rhymney Line is a railway line in South Wales from Cardiff to Heath, Llanishen, Caerphilly, Bargoed and Rhymney. ... The Vale of Glamorgan Line is a railway line in South Wales from Cardiff to Bridgend via Barry, Rhoose and Llantwit Major. ... The Borderlands Line is the name given to the railway line between Wrexham, North Wales, and Bidston, Wirral, England. ... The Conwy Valley Line is a railway line in North Wales. ... The Heart of Wales Line is the railway line from Llanelli to Craven Arms. ... The Shrewsbury to Chester Line is a railway line that runs from Shrewsbury to Chester, via Wrexham. ... The West Wales Line is a railway line from Swansea to West Wales. ...

Footnotes

1. ^ Trains arriving at destination within 10 minutes of schedule. Source: [[1]]
2. ^ Webster, Ben (2006-10-17) "Digital sensors will reduce gap between trains during rush hour". The Times, p. 23.