Ruabon to Barmouth Line

Ruabon to Barmouth Line

Legend Shrewsbury to Chester Line to Chester Ruabon Llangollen Junction Shrewsbury to Chester Line to Shrewsbury Acrefair Pontcysyllte Branch via Monsanto works Trevor Sun Bank Halt Llangollen (1st) (1861-1865) Llangollen(terminus of Llangollen Railway) Berwyn Deeside Halt Glyndyfrdwy Carrog Bonwm Halt Denbigh, Ruthin and Corwen Railway to Denbigh Corwen East(current terminus of Llangollen Railway) Corwen(future new terminus of Llangollen Railway) Corwen(former station site) Cynwyd Llandrillo Llandderfel Bala Junction Bala and Festiniog Railway to Blaenau Ffestiniog Bala Lake Halt(terminus of Bala Lake Railway) Bryn Hynod(closed 2011) Llangower Glan Llyn Halt(limited use) Pentrepiod Halt Llanuwchllyn(terminus of Bala Lake Railway) Llys Halt Garneddwen Halt Drws-y-Nant Wnion Halt Bont Newydd Dolserau Halt Dolgellau Penmaenpool Arthog Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway to Pwllheli Barmouth Barmouth Bridge: Afon Mawddach Barmouth Junction (Morfa Mawddach) Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway to Machynlleth

The Ruabon to Barmouth Line was a standard gauge branch line of the Great Western Railway across the north of Wales which connected Ruabon, in the east, with Barmouth on the west coast.

Connections

• At Ruabon, the line connected with the Shrewsbury to Chester line (part of the GWR mainline from London Paddington to Birkenhead Woodside).
• At Trevor an incline ran to the Monsanto works. This also connected to the Pontcysyllte Branch, which eventually rejoined the main line near Wrexham.
• At Corwen the line connected with the Denbigh, Ruthin and Corwen Railway line.
• At Bala Junction the line connected with the Bala and Festiniog Railway.
• At Barmouth Junction, the line connected with the Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway.

History

The line opened in stages by various companies:

• Vale of Llangollen Railway - 1 December 1861 (goods); 2 June 1862 (passenger);
• Llangollen and Corwen Railway - 1 May 1865
• Corwen and Bala Railway - 16 July 1866 (Corwen to Llandrillo); 1 April 1868 (Llandrillo to Bala)
• Bala and Dolgelly Railway - 4 August 1868
• Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway - 10 October 1867

The Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway was absorbed by the Cambrian Railways which, with the other companies, was absorbed into the GWR.

The line was double track from Ruabon (Llangollen Jc) to Llangollen Goods Junction. Beyond, there were passing places at Deeside, Glyndyfrdwy, Carrog, Corwen, Llandrillo, Llandderfel, Bala Junction, Llanuwchllyn, Garneddwen Halt, Drws-y-Nant, Bont Newydd, Dolgellau and Penmaenpool.

Closure

The whole line was officially closed to passenger trains as part of the Beeching Axe on 18 January 1965. Goods services between Morfa Mawddach (formerly Barmouth Jn) and Llangollen ceased in 1964. Although the whole line was planned to close for passenger services on 18 January 1965, services were suspended on 12 December 1964 following flooding. The section between Ruabon and Llangollen was subsequently reopened on 17 December for passenger trains until 18 January after which only freight services ran until 1968 when the line was closed completely. The section between Llangollen and Bala Junction was abandoned following flooding although a substitute bus service served the stations until 18 January 1965. The section between Bala, Bala Junction and Dolgellau was reopened on 17 December and the section Dolgellau to Morfa Mawddach reopened on 14 December.

Lifting of the track was completed in 1969.

Current status

Two sections of the line have been reopened as preserved railways; the narrow gauge Bala Lake Railway in 1972; and the standard gauge Llangollen Railway which first opened to passengers in 1981.

A 10 miles (16 km) section between Barmouth Junction and Dolgellau is used as the Mawddach Trail, a cycle route and bridleway, conversion of which was assisted in 1976 when heavy floods washed away most of the remaining ballast. The section between Bala Junction and Corwen remains disused and completely free from redevelopment, currently used as a path in the countryside.

Several sections have been used for road improvement schemes, including a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) section through Dolgellau, and the station site and trackbed west of Drws-y-Nant. The trackbed has also been redeveloped at the west end of Corwen and a number of houses and apartments have been built immediately east of Llangollen. Infringements occur between Llangollen and Acrefair (typically garden extensions and outbuildings) and the cutting through Cefn Mawr is partially blocked following land slips. At the end of Llanuwchllyn station, a house straddles the trackbed.

See also

• Map of places on 'Ruabon to Barmouth Line' compiled from this article

References

Sources

• The Llangollen Line - Ruabon to Barmouth, by W G Rear & N Jones. ISBN 1-870119-10-X
• Railway Walks: Exploring Disused Railways, by Gareth Lovett Jones. ISBN 0-7153-8543-7
• RAILSCOT on Vale of Llangollen Railway
• RAILSCOT on Llangollen and Corwen Railway
• RAILSCOT on Corwen and Bala Railway
• RAILSCOT on Bala and Dolgelly Railway
• RAILSCOT on Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway
• Llangollen Railway site, including a detailed history of the whole line
• Gwynedd Council - Recreational Routes - Mawddach Trail