Swanbridge railway station

Swanbridge railway station was located on the now disused railway line between Penarth and Cadoxton, which closed in the 1960s.

Swanbridge
General information
LocationSully, Vale of Glamorgan
Wales
Coordinates51°24′19″N 3°12′13″W / 51.4052°N 3.2037°W / 51.4052; -3.2037
Grid referenceST166680
Platforms2
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyTaff Vale Railway
Pre-groupingTaff Vale Railway
Post-groupingGreat Western Railway
Key dates
20 Dec. 1888Station opens as Swanbridge
Jan. 1906Station renamed Swanbridge Platform
C1921Station renamed Swanbridge Halt
6 May 1968Station closes

History and description

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Like the other stations on the branch, Swanbridge opened to cater to the large amounts of tourist traffic.[1] It was downgraded to 'platform' status in 1906. It is referred to as Swanbridge Halt on a 1921 OS map.[2]

By the postwar years, traffic on the line beyond Penarth was in sharp decline, and the DMU sets which served the line in its last years rarely picked up or delivered more than a few passengers a day at Swanbridge.

The platforms originally had shelters, though these were gone by the 1960s. There was also a wooden awning covering the walkway leading up to the platforms, which stayed in position long after the platform buildings had gone.[3]

 
The disused railway bridge in 2009

The station closed in 1968. The site has mostly been reclaimed by nature. Only the old railway bridge remains.[4]


Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Sully   Great Western Railway
Taff Vale
  Lavernock

References

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  1. ^ Hall, M. Lost Railways of South Wales. Countryside Books. 2009. p. 86
  2. ^ Hutton, J. The Taff Vale Railway Volume III. Silver Link. 2006. p. 44
  3. ^ Hutton, J. The Taff Vale Railway Volume III. Silver Link. 2006. p. 43
  4. ^ Hutton, J. Taff Vale Railway Miscellany. Oxford Publishing Company. 1988