Abertillery | |
---|---|
General information | |
Location |
Abertillery,
Blaenau Gwent Wales |
Grid reference | SO215041 |
Platforms | 2 |
Other information | |
Status | Disused |
History | |
Original company | Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company |
Pre-grouping | Great Western Railway |
Post-grouping | Great Western Railway |
Key dates | |
21 December 1850 | Opened |
c. 1893/4 | Resited 185 metres (202 yd) due north |
30 April 1962 | Closed to passengers |
7 April 1969 | Closed to goods traffic |
Abertillery railway station was a station which served Abertillery, in the Welsh county of Monmouthshire. [1]
Among the lines built by the Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company from Newport into the valleys was a 6-mile (9.7-kilometre) branch from Aberbeeg to Nantyglo, which was first opened as a tramroad in 1824 branching from the Llanhiledd Tramroad between Crumlin and Beaufort. [2] The first timetabled passenger service began on 21 December 1850 from Newport Courtybella to Blaina via Abertillery. [3] The line was converted to a railway in 1855 together with other Monmouth tramroads in the area. [4] It became part of the Great Western Railway in 1880 [5] and remained there at the Grouping of 1923. [6]
The first Abertillery station was replaced by a second situated 185 metres (202 yd) north in c. 1893/4. [7] [8] Solidly-built stone buildings were provided on the Up platform. [4] The platforms were constructed of timber in order to reduce the weight on the made-up land on the valley side. [9] Just to the south of the station was Abertillery Junction where a short mineral branch less than a mile long diverged to serve Cwmtillery Colliery from 1858 to 1963. [10] [4] The station had 59 employees in 1929 and 48 in 1938. [11] In the 1930s, a combined rail and theatre ticket was issued which allowed passengers from certain stations in the Western valleys of Monmouthshire to travel to Abertillery which at the time had four cinemas. [12]
Passenger services were withdrawn from the station on 30 April 1962 and cessation of goods services followed on 7 April 1969. [13] [7] [8] The line through the station was singled on 3 May 1971. [14] The route was progressively shortened as collieries were closed, with the last section being taken out of use in 1989 after the closure of Six Bells Colliery. [4] [15] The first station had remained open for goods traffic until 1 April 1963 during which period it was designated as "Abertillery Old Yard". [16]
Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Bournville (Mon) Halt Line and station closed |
Great Western Railway Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company |
Six Bells Halt Line and station closed |
The trackbed is clear up to south of the former station site.[ citation needed] However the A467 road has been built on the formation from there northward. [17]
The platform of the old station, albeit entirely cleared of station buildings, remained partly in place into the 1980s until the A467 development began, but a wire fence stood between it and the singled line. Station House, the one-time home of the stationmaster and the one remaining building associated with Abertillery Station, remains as a private dwelling on the town's Oak Street.
Abertillery was initially identified as a potential future phase development of the Ebbw Valley Railway. [18] The preferred location of the station would be the British Gas site to the south of the former Co-op store. [18] The extension of the railway line to Abertillery would involve relaying 2.5 kilometres (1.6 miles) of single-track from Aberbeeg Junction. [18] [19] [20] In April 2009, a bus link to the nearest station at Llanhilleth was withdrawn after Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council said that it could not continue funding the £200,000 a year service following the ending of Welsh Assembly funding. [21]
In October 2010, it was reported that Sewta had approved recommendations by Capita Symonds for new stations at Abertillery and Crumlin as part of a £14.2 million scheme which would see an hourly service between Abertillery and Cardiff. [22] Negotiations were said to be ongoing with Tesco, the owners of the Co-op site, for the sale of the land. [22] The site would have parking for up to 80 cars, creating a park and ride facility. [22] The estimated cost of extending the line to Abertillery is estimated at £16.7m according to Sewta; part of the trackbed, which is owned by Blaenau Gwent Council, is used as a cycleway but there is thought to be sufficient space for a single track. [23]
However, after the scheme was omitted from the Welsh Government's National Transport Plan for funding priorities until 2015, Welsh Transport Minister Carl Sargeant AM confirmed that the new station is not a priority until after 2015. [24]
This line has been identified by Campaign for a Better Transport as a priority 1 candidate for reopening. [25]
Abertillery | |
---|---|
General information | |
Location |
Abertillery,
Blaenau Gwent Wales |
Grid reference | SO215041 |
Platforms | 2 |
Other information | |
Status | Disused |
History | |
Original company | Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company |
Pre-grouping | Great Western Railway |
Post-grouping | Great Western Railway |
Key dates | |
21 December 1850 | Opened |
c. 1893/4 | Resited 185 metres (202 yd) due north |
30 April 1962 | Closed to passengers |
7 April 1969 | Closed to goods traffic |
Abertillery railway station was a station which served Abertillery, in the Welsh county of Monmouthshire. [1]
Among the lines built by the Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company from Newport into the valleys was a 6-mile (9.7-kilometre) branch from Aberbeeg to Nantyglo, which was first opened as a tramroad in 1824 branching from the Llanhiledd Tramroad between Crumlin and Beaufort. [2] The first timetabled passenger service began on 21 December 1850 from Newport Courtybella to Blaina via Abertillery. [3] The line was converted to a railway in 1855 together with other Monmouth tramroads in the area. [4] It became part of the Great Western Railway in 1880 [5] and remained there at the Grouping of 1923. [6]
The first Abertillery station was replaced by a second situated 185 metres (202 yd) north in c. 1893/4. [7] [8] Solidly-built stone buildings were provided on the Up platform. [4] The platforms were constructed of timber in order to reduce the weight on the made-up land on the valley side. [9] Just to the south of the station was Abertillery Junction where a short mineral branch less than a mile long diverged to serve Cwmtillery Colliery from 1858 to 1963. [10] [4] The station had 59 employees in 1929 and 48 in 1938. [11] In the 1930s, a combined rail and theatre ticket was issued which allowed passengers from certain stations in the Western valleys of Monmouthshire to travel to Abertillery which at the time had four cinemas. [12]
Passenger services were withdrawn from the station on 30 April 1962 and cessation of goods services followed on 7 April 1969. [13] [7] [8] The line through the station was singled on 3 May 1971. [14] The route was progressively shortened as collieries were closed, with the last section being taken out of use in 1989 after the closure of Six Bells Colliery. [4] [15] The first station had remained open for goods traffic until 1 April 1963 during which period it was designated as "Abertillery Old Yard". [16]
Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Bournville (Mon) Halt Line and station closed |
Great Western Railway Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company |
Six Bells Halt Line and station closed |
The trackbed is clear up to south of the former station site.[ citation needed] However the A467 road has been built on the formation from there northward. [17]
The platform of the old station, albeit entirely cleared of station buildings, remained partly in place into the 1980s until the A467 development began, but a wire fence stood between it and the singled line. Station House, the one-time home of the stationmaster and the one remaining building associated with Abertillery Station, remains as a private dwelling on the town's Oak Street.
Abertillery was initially identified as a potential future phase development of the Ebbw Valley Railway. [18] The preferred location of the station would be the British Gas site to the south of the former Co-op store. [18] The extension of the railway line to Abertillery would involve relaying 2.5 kilometres (1.6 miles) of single-track from Aberbeeg Junction. [18] [19] [20] In April 2009, a bus link to the nearest station at Llanhilleth was withdrawn after Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council said that it could not continue funding the £200,000 a year service following the ending of Welsh Assembly funding. [21]
In October 2010, it was reported that Sewta had approved recommendations by Capita Symonds for new stations at Abertillery and Crumlin as part of a £14.2 million scheme which would see an hourly service between Abertillery and Cardiff. [22] Negotiations were said to be ongoing with Tesco, the owners of the Co-op site, for the sale of the land. [22] The site would have parking for up to 80 cars, creating a park and ride facility. [22] The estimated cost of extending the line to Abertillery is estimated at £16.7m according to Sewta; part of the trackbed, which is owned by Blaenau Gwent Council, is used as a cycleway but there is thought to be sufficient space for a single track. [23]
However, after the scheme was omitted from the Welsh Government's National Transport Plan for funding priorities until 2015, Welsh Transport Minister Carl Sargeant AM confirmed that the new station is not a priority until after 2015. [24]
This line has been identified by Campaign for a Better Transport as a priority 1 candidate for reopening. [25]