Cockett railway station

Cockett railway station was a former station on the West Wales Line from Swansea to Gowerton and onwards to Llanelli.

Cockett railway station up platform on left, looking east to Cockett Tunnel and Swansea

South Wales Railway
Cross Country Route to Birmingham to Bristol to docks and GRC&W Works Gloucester Eastgate Gloucester Docks Gloucester (GWR) River Severn Alney Island River Severn Ledbury and Gloucester Railway Oakle Street Grange Court Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway Westbury-on-Severn Halt Newnham Ruddle Road Halt Bullo Pill Railway Bullo Pill (Goods only) Awre for Blakeney Forest of Dean Central Railway Gatcombe Severn Bridge Railway to Sharpness Severn Railway Bridge over River Severn Severn Bridge Severn Bridge Tunnel Lydney Lydney Junction Lydney Harbour Branch Dean Forest Railway Tinworks branch Woolaston Wye Valley Railway Tutshill for Beachley Halt Chepstow East Chepstow Railway Bridge over River Wye Chepstow Bristol and South Wales Union Railway Portskewett (original location) ("Portskewett Junction" 1863–1886) Portskewett South Wales Main Line via Severn Tunnel Caerwent Training Area Caldicot Severn Tunnel Junction Undy Halt Magor flying junction Bishton Crossing Llanwern station & steelworks Goods line to Uskmouth Welsh Marches line to Abergavenny and Hereford River Usk Newport High Street Brecon and Merthyr Railway to Ebbw Vale Alexandra Dock Brecon and Merthyr Railway to Machen and Merthyr Tydfil Marshfield River Rhymney Roath Rhymney Railway to Caerphilly Cardiff Queen Street Taff Vale Railway to Pontypridd Cardiff Central Bute Street Queen Alexandra Dock P & A Campbell ferry across the River Severn Barry Railway to Barry, Penarth and Vale of Glamorgan Cardiff Canton Locomotive Depot Ninian Park Leckwith Junction Penarth Harbour and Dock Railway to Taffs Well Ely Main Line St Fagans St Fagans Junction Barry Railway to Barry to Tynycaeau Junction Drope Junction Peterston Pontyclun Ely Valley Railway Cowbridge and Aberthaw Railway Llanharan Cardiff and Ogmore Valley Railway Pencoed Barry Railway to Vale of Glamorgan Bridgend Llynvi and Ogmore Railway to Maesteg Llynvi and Ogmore Railway to Tondu Pyle Junction Pyle Llynvi and Ogmore Railway to Porthcawl Port Talbot Railway to Tondu Port Talbot Railway to Tonmawr Junction (Mean) Margam Halt Port Talbot Port Talbot Docks Baglan Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway to Treherbert South Wales Mineral Railway to Tonmawr Briton Ferry Swansea District line Neath Vale of Neath Railway River Neath Skewen Swansea District line to Swansea Docks Llansamlet Landore viaduct over River Tawe Landore High Level Swansea Cockett Tunnel Cockett Gowerton North Loughor Loughor Viaduct Trostre Tinplate Works Llanelli Pembrey & Burry Port Lando Platform Kidwelly Flats Halt Kidwelly Ferryside Carmarthen Junction Carmarthen for Carmarthen–Aberystwyth line via Lampeter Sarnau St Clears Whitland West Wales line to Pembroke Dock Whitland and Cardigan Railway Clunderwen Rosebush loop Clarbeston Road Fishguard branch Haverfordwest Wolf's Castle Halt Welsh Hook Halt Mathry Road Rosebush loop Jordanston Halt Fishguard & Goodwick Fishguard Harbour Ferry to Rosslare Europort Johnston Neyland Waterston oil refinery Robeston oil refinery Milford Haven Newton Noyes Hakin Docks

The station was located on the west side of Swansea in the residential area of Cockett.

History

The railway line between Landore and Carmarthen was opened on 11 October 1852 by the broad gauge South Wales Railway, which later became part of the Great Western Railway. The engineer of this line was Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Originally the first station westwards from Landore was at Loughor; Cockett and Gowerton stations were opened at later dates. Cockett station was closed to passenger traffic on and from 2 November 1964.

There have been recent proposals to reopen the station as part of the Welsh Government's Rail infrastructure investment.

Cockett Tunnel

Just east of the station, towards Swansea, was the 829 yard Cockett Tunnel. The tunnel was cut through unstable soft ground and had wide cuttings at a shallow angle at either end.

The tunnel suffered a partial collapse in 1899, which was held to have been caused by the resumption of pumping operations at the long-closed Weig-fawr colliery, owned by Philip Richard (II), the flooded workings of which extended beneath the tunnel. The tunnel was completely closed for four weeks, after which traffic was resumed on a single line, but it was not fully restored until 1903, by which time steel ribs had been inserted into the bore of the tunnel at its eastern end (not the location of the collapse) to strengthen the roof. These were found to unduly restrict the loading gauge within the tunnel and were removed in 1908. At the same time the eastern end of the tunnel was opened out (reducing the length to 789 yards) and the cutting sides were supported by two brick-built flying arches preceded by a very short tunnel (51.6336°N 3.9671°W / 51.6336; -3.9671 (Cockett tunnel arches)). The banks of the cutting were so unstable that even during this opening-out work, timber horseshoe shoring was required.

External links

• Fforestfachhistory.com