Welsh Marches line

The Welsh Marches line (Welsh: Llinell y Mers), known historically as the North and West Route, is a railway line running from Newport in south-east Wales to Shrewsbury in the West Midlands region of England. It follows a route by way of Abergavenny, Hereford and Craven Arms and thence, by some definitions, to Crewe via Whitchurch. The line thus links the south of Wales to north-west England, via the Welsh Marches region, bypassing Birmingham.

Welsh Marches line
An Arriva Trains Wales Class 175 approaching Craven Arms
Overview
Owner	Network Rail
Locale	West Midlands (region) Wales North West England
Termini	Newport Crewe/Chester
Stations	17 (Newport to Crewe) / 15 (Newport to Chester)
Service
System	National Rail
Technical
Line length	84.38 miles (135.80 km)
Number of tracks	Double track throughout
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Operating speed	60-90mph
Route map (Click to expand)

Welsh Marches line
Crewe–Manchester line West Coast Main Line North Wales Coast Line Crewe Crewe–Derby line West Coast Main Line Gresty Willaston Newcastle Crossing Nantwich Nantwich and Market Drayton Railway Wrenbury Whitchurch and Tattenhall Railway Whitchurch Oswestry, Ellesmere and Whitchurch Railway Prees Wem Yorton Hadnall Shrewsbury–Chester line Shrewsbury Wolverhampton– Shrewsbury Line Shrewsbury Abbey Coleham Severn Valley Railway Cambrian Line Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Railway Condover Cound Brook Dorrington Leebotwood All Stretton Halt Church Stretton Little Stretton Halt Marshbrook Wenlock Edge Railway Wistanstow Halt River Onny Bishops Castle Railway Craven Arms Heart of Wales line River Onny Onibury Bromfield River Corve Clee Hill Junction Ludlow Ludlow Tunnel River Teme Ashford Bowdler Tenbury Railway Woofferton Berrington and Eye Leominster and Kington Railway Leominster River Arrow Worcester, Bromyard and Leominster Railway Ford Bridge Dinmore Tunnel Dinmore Moreton-on-Lugg Cotswold Line Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway Hereford Hereford Barton River Wye ROF Rotherwas Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway Tram Inn St Devereux Golden Valley Railway Pontrilas River Monnow England Wales Note: line crosses river three times and border five times Pandy Llanvihangel Abergavenny Junction Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway Abergavenny Penpergwm Nantyderry Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway Little Mill Junction Pontypool and New Inn to Crumlin Panteg Lower Pontnewydd Cwmbran Eastern Valley Branch Llantarnam Ponthir Caerleon River Usk South Wales Main Line & Gloucester–Newport line River Usk Newport South Wales Main Line

History

Main articles: Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway and Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway

The line that exists today is the amalgamation of two lines, both with influence from the LNWR. The southern section from Newport to Hereford is formed from the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway, while the northern section from Hereford to Shrewsbury is formed from the joint GWR/LNWR Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway. Northbound from Shrewsbury to Crewe, the line runs over the LNWR-owned Crewe and Shrewsbury Railway.

When the two railways arrived in the important market town of Hereford, the LNWR had already built Hereford Barton station. The S&HR and the GWR agreed to build Hereford Barrs Court station, which was then also used by the Midland Railway's Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway. After Hereford Council put pressure on the LNWR, they closed Hereford Barton to passengers, using it as a joint goods depot.

Under the 1960s Beeching Axe, many of the supporting branch lines and the Hereford Barton loop were closed. The remaining Hereford station, Barrs Court, was renamed Hereford and retains its Victorian Gothic architecture.

Route

The cities, towns and villages served by the routes are listed below from south to north:

• Newport
  • connections with the South Wales Main Line and line to Gloucester
• Cwmbran
• Pontypool and New Inn
• Abergavenny
• Hereford
  • connection with Cotswold Line to Worcester
• Leominster
• Ludlow
• Craven Arms
  • connection with the Heart of Wales line to Llanelli
• Church Stretton
• Shrewsbury
  • connection with Cambrian Line to Aberystwyth and Pwllheli, and the line to Wolverhampton
  • through services via the Shrewsbury–Chester line to Wrexham for trains to London and Liverpool via Bidston, Chester then to Holyhead or Manchester
• Yorton
• Wem
• Prees
• Whitchurch
• Wrenbury
• Nantwich
• Crewe
  • connection with West Coast Main Line, and North Wales Coast Line to Holyhead (for ferries to Dublin)
  • through services to Manchester

Services

Transport for Wales operates all passenger services on the line, on the following routes:

• There is a generally hourly service from Manchester Piccadilly to Cardiff Central, Carmarthen or Milford Haven, calling at principal stations.
• A service every two hours from Holyhead to Cardiff Central also uses the Marches line from Shrewsbury southwards.
• Local stopping services operate between Crewe and Shrewsbury
• Services via the Heart of Wales line use the Marches line between Shrewsbury and Craven Arms.

Great Western Railway

While Great Western Railway does not operate any passenger services along the line, the operator moves its Class 800 empty rolling stock at 05:50 and 06:33 in the morning, and 22:10 and 23:38 at night along the Hereford to Newport section of the line, where stock returns to Stoke Gifford depot, near Filton.

First Great Western formerly operated a limited service to Abergavenny as an extension of the service from London Paddington to Hereford, but this was withdrawn after just one year due to low usage.

Gallery

• 
  The Welsh Marches Line at Craven Arms, Shropshire
• 
  Steam train approaching Harlescott Crossing near Shrewsbury
• 
  A Class 158 diesel multiple unit running northwards from Shrewsbury to Crewe
• 
  Pontrilas railway station, currently closed, in the very long section without an intermediate station between Abergavenny and Hereford.

See also

• Flounders' Folly

References

Sources

• Cryer, Geoff (2014). Shropshire Railways. Marlborough: Crowood Press. ISBN 978-1-84797-691-8.

Further reading

• Clark, Rhodri (8–21 October 1997). "The North & West - The jewel in South Wales and West's crown". RAIL. No. 315. EMAP Apex Publications. pp. 40–45. ISSN 0953-4563. OCLC 49953699.
• Allen, David (22 April – 5 May 1998). "Signalling the Marches Line". RAIL. No. 329. EMAP Apex Publications. pp. 34–39. ISSN 0953-4563. OCLC 49953699.