Aberystwyth railway station

Aberystwyth railway station is located in the town of Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales; it is served by passenger trains operated by Transport for Wales. It is the terminus of both the Cambrian Line (sited 81+1⁄2 miles (131.2 km) west of Shrewsbury) and of the narrow-gauge Vale of Rheidol Railway.

Aberystwyth
Terminus at Aberystwyth station
General information
Location	Alexandra Road, Aberystwyth Ceredigion Wales
Coordinates	52.4139°N 4.0816°W / 52.4139; -4.0816
Grid reference	SN585815
Managed by	Transport for Wales
Platforms	2 1 (standard gauge) 1 (narrow gauge)
Other information
Station code	AYW
Classification	DfT category D
History
Original company	Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway
Pre-grouping	Cambrian Railways / Great Western Railway
Post-grouping	Great Western Railway
Key dates
23 June 1864	Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway station opens
19 July 1867	Manchester and Milford Railway station opens; later amalgamates with A&WC station
22 December 1902	Vale of Rheidol Aberystwyth Smithfield station opens
31 July 1925	Great Western Railway (Vale of Rheidol) station opens adjacent to standard gauge station replacing Aberystwyth Smithfield
31 August 1939	Great Western (Vale of Rheidol) station closes (World War 2)
23 July 1945	Great Western (Vale of Rheidol) station reopens
1964	Carmarthen Line services cease
17 April 1968	Vale of Rheidol Railway services start from combined station using the Carmarthen Line platforms - Great Western (Vale of Rheidol) station closes
Passengers
2019/20	0.279 million
2020/21	41,430
2021/22	0.171 million
2022/23	0.242 million
2023/24	0.276 million
Listed Building – Grade II
Designated	12 July 1981 (amended 24 November 1987)
Reference no.	9930
Notes Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History

The original station was built in 1864 by the Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway for the route to Machynlleth. The neighbouring Manchester & Milford railway was to construct a two road platform adjoining this, to create a joint station and provide access south to Carmarthen. The station was greatly extended in 1925 by the Great Western Railway: the original station building on one side of the platforms was replaced by a grand terminus building.

The station in 1952

At that time the station had five platforms: Platform 1 at the south-east end of the station and two island platforms. Platforms 1 and 2 were essentially bay platforms, each of the same length (and shorter than the other three). They were the original Manchester & Milford railway platforms, used for the Carmarthen services (though Platform 2 was occasionally used for main-line trains). The Carmarthen line was closed in 1964 following flood damage. The former Platform 3 is on the other side of Platform 2; it is the only platform still in use for mainline rail and has been redesignated as Platform 1 in recent years. The former Platform 4 (closed in 1982, track removed) is now taken up by the "Craft" freecycling shop. At that time the signal box was also closed and demolished. Access to the station and the station facilities is now primarily via the original 1864 building. The running-around line between these two, for locomotive-hauled trains, still exists. Platform 5 (closed in the 1960s) was an emergency platform on the other side of Platform 4, but little trace remains. The goods yard has become the Rheidol Retail Park.

The imposing GWR exterior seen in 1992

Platform view in 1992

With the decline of railway usage and of local tourism, the facilities were far too large for their purpose. The railway yard was lifted in the 1980s and the row of shops in front, known as Western Parade, was demolished in the 1990s to allow construction of a new retail park and bus station. The 1925 station building has seen several uses, including as a local museum, but was eventually sold off and converted into a Wetherspoons pub. This conversion maintained the architecture and won awards including a National Railway Heritage Award in 2003. Other parts of the building have become office space, accommodation for a local furniture recycling scheme, and in 2022 part of the station building was purchased by Aberystwyth University and remodelled into a studying space for the university's staff and students.

Vale of Rheidol Railway

The platform that was originally used by trains via Lampeter to Carmarthen is now used by the narrow gauge steam-operated Vale of Rheidol Railway. This railway's track runs parallel to and immediately to the south of the main line as far as Llanbadarn Fawr. Opened in 1902, it originally had its own terminus at "Aberystwyth Smithfield" (named after Smithfield Road, now Park Avenue). This closed in 1925 and was replaced by a station a short distance from the main railway station; that station site is now a supermarket car park. In 1968 its track was rerouted into the former standard gauge bay Platforms 1 and 2 of the main station. As their trains unload at ground level, a new ramp and ground-level island platform were built in the space between the two original platforms. There is a runaround loop and access to the former mainline railway shed. This was used as the storage and works area for the Vale of Rheidol Railway. From 2014, the Vale of Rheidol railway, with the help of an EU-funded grant, converted the old platform 1 of the Carmarthen branch to a reduced height. This now allows passengers to board coaches from the level of the running board, as opposed to from ground level. The access is invaluable to passengers who have mobility issues. This does not allow wheelchairs to be wheeled onto coaches, but the company is working on a solution by adapting some existing rolling stock to this purpose.

In 2011, a purpose-built railway works was built on the site of the old GWR coaling stage. This now allows the railway to carry out heavy maintenance and restorations on its stock. It also allows contract work to be undertaken. The works has an apprentice school.

Today

As of December 2020, the station has a single mainline platform for trains to Machynlleth and beyond, with a loop that is used to reverse locomotive-hauled specials, including steam services and maintenance trains.

There were proposals, by the Vale of Rheidol railway, to establish a railway museum at the station, using structures removed from London Bridge station during modernisation. These proposals went ahead and construction began in 2018 and were set to be complete in late 2020.

Facilities

New canopy over the upgraded side entrance (July 2016)

The station has a staffed ticket office, open six days per week. A self-service ticket machine is also provided for use outside these times and for collecting pre-paid tickets. Other amenities include toilets, waiting room and a customer help point. Train running information is also offered via digital information screens, automatic announcements and timetable posters. There is no ATM. Step-free access is available between the entrance, concourse and platform. Many of these improvements came from the Welsh Government with funding from European Regional Development Fund and the UK Government's National Station Improvement Project.

Services

Transport for Wales services operate to Shrewsbury and Birmingham International approximately every two hours. As of the May 2015 timetable change, (almost) hourly services have commenced between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury, some of which continue to Birmingham International .

There were proposals for reinstating a direct train to London which stopped running in 1991. The journey would have taken four hours, but the plan was rejected in 2010.

Trains currently call at Bow Street, Borth, Dovey Junction, Machynlleth, Caersws, Newtown, Welshpool, Shrewsbury, Wellington, Telford Central, Wolverhampton, Smethwick Galton Bridge, Birmingham New Street and Birmingham International.

Departures

The current service pattern (Mondays to Saturdays) is

• 16 trains per day to Machynlleth
  • 12 of which continue to Shrewsbury
    • 8 of which continue to Birmingham New Street
      • 7 of which continue to Birmingham International

The current service pattern (Sundays) is

• 12 trains per day to Machynlleth
  • 8 of which continue to Shrewsbury
    • 6 of which continue to Birmingham International

Arrivals

On Mondays-Saturdays, the station sees 16 arriving services (4 start at Machynlleth, 4 at Shrewsbury, 1 at Birmingham New Street, and 7 at Birmingham International).

On Sundays, the station sees 12 arriving services (3 start at Machynlleth, 3 at Shrewsbury, and 6 at Birmingham International).

Preceding station		National Rail		Following station
Terminus		Transport for Wales Birmingham International-Aberystwyth		Bow Street
	Historical railways
Terminus		Cambrian Railways Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway		Bow Street Line and station open
	Disused railways
Terminus		Great Western Railway Manchester and Milford Railway		Llanrhystyd Road Line and station closed
	Heritage railways
Terminus		Vale of Rheidol Railway		Llanbadarn

Motive power depot

The former GWR locomotive depot

A small engine shed was opened close to the station in 1864 and extended in 1867. This was demolished by the Great Western Railway in 1938 to make way for a larger brick built structure, which is still standing. The shed was not allocated a code by British Railways since it was deemed a sub-shed of Machynlleth, and so locomotives bore that depot's code, 89C.

Aberystwyth Motive Power Depot was notable as being the last steam locomotive depot on the British Rail network. Initially closed under the Beeching report, along with the line to Carmarthen, it was adapted for use by the Vale of Rheidol railway when it relocated to the former Carmarthen platforms. The facility replaced a dilapidated set of small sheds at the railway's original base, at the riverside by the football ground. The area is now used as a car park. The shed area creates a small spur in what is otherwise a linear layout. The Vale of Rheidol was steam operated by British Rail until privatisation in 1989. Accordingly, it was an often requested posting for staff. The line is still steam operated but is owned by a charitable trust.

A new steel framed locomotive works was completed in late 2011. The building includes a machine shop, restoration workshop and locomotive running shed. The existing former Great Western Railway shed is currently used to house the running fleet.

References

Sources

• Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
• Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC 22311137.
• Jowett, Alan (2000). Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas (1st ed.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN 978-0-906899-99-1. OCLC 228266687.
• Sterndale, A.C.; Parker, L.T.; Smith, C.; Reed, P.J.T.; Tabor, F.J.; Davies, F.K.; Allcock, N.J.; Lucking, J.H. (May 1974). White, D.E. (ed.). The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway, part twelve: A Chronological and Statistical Survey. Kenilworth: Railway Correspondence & Travel Society. ISBN 0-901115-28-2. OCLC 499807460.

External links

• Train times and station information for Aberystwyth railway station from National Rail