Clarbeston Road and Letterston Railway
Encyclopedia
The Clarbeston Road and Letterston Railway was a small railway company formed to give the Great Western Railway
a more direct route to the port at Fishguard Harbour.
(GWR) originally obtained access to Ireland
over the South Wales Railway
, which ran via , and to , where a small port was built as part of the railway facilities; the line was opened as far as Haverfordwest in 1854, and extended to Neyland in 1856.
The original proposal of 1844 (authorised by Act of Parliament in 1845) had been for the western terminus to be at Fishguard
, with Haverfordwest on a branch, and by August 1847 work was in progress within 7 miles (11.3 km) of Fishguard. In 1848, the effects of the Great Irish Famine made Ireland a less attractive proposition, and work on the western end of the line stopped as a result. In 1851, work restarted, but it was decided that the western terminus should be on the Milford Haven Waterway, and Neyland was selected; the section between Clarbeston Road and Fishguard, some 14 miles (22.5 km) in length, was not built.
In 1878, the Rosebush and Fishguard Railway (R&FR) was formed, to extend the Narberth Road and Maenclochog Railway
(NR&MR), which had opened in 1876, to Fishguard; the R&FR bought the NR&MR in 1881 and was renamed the North Pembrokeshire and Fishguard Railway
(NP&FR) in 1884, although it only opened approximately 1 miles (1.6 km) of new line. The NP&FR was acquired by the Fishguard and Rosslare Railways and Harbours Co. (F&RR&H) in 1894. In 1899, the F&RR&H sold its railways in Wales to the GWR, which completed the extension of the NP&FR line to on 1 July 1899.
A new line was proposed by the GWR to shorten the distance to Fishguard; this was the Clarbeston Road and Letterston Railway, which opened on 30 August 1906 between Clarbeston Junction (271 miles (436.13114 km) from Paddington) and Letterston Junction (281 miles (452.22454 km)). Prior to this, Letterston Junction was 283 miles (455.44322 km) from Paddington via Rosebush. There is one tunnel, Spittal Tunnel, which is 243 yard long; the eastern end is 274 miles (440.95916 km) from Paddington. There were no intermediate stations at first, but three were opened later: on 1 October 1913, on 5 May 1924, and on 1 August 1923.
The intermediate stations were closed on 6 April 1964, but the line remains open for services to Fishguard Harbour. It is single-track, with a passing loop at Letterston Junction.
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
a more direct route to the port at Fishguard Harbour.
History
The Great Western RailwayGreat Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
(GWR) originally obtained access to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
over the South Wales Railway
South Wales Railway
The South Wales Railway was a broad gauge railway that linked the Gloucester and Dean Forest Railway with Neyland in Wales.-History:The need for the railway was created by the need to ship coal from the South Wales Valleys to London, and secondly to complete Brunel's vision of linking London with...
, which ran via , and to , where a small port was built as part of the railway facilities; the line was opened as far as Haverfordwest in 1854, and extended to Neyland in 1856.
The original proposal of 1844 (authorised by Act of Parliament in 1845) had been for the western terminus to be at Fishguard
Fishguard
Fishguard is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, with a population of 3,300 . The community of Fishguard and Goodwick had a population of 5043 at the 2001 census....
, with Haverfordwest on a branch, and by August 1847 work was in progress within 7 miles (11.3 km) of Fishguard. In 1848, the effects of the Great Irish Famine made Ireland a less attractive proposition, and work on the western end of the line stopped as a result. In 1851, work restarted, but it was decided that the western terminus should be on the Milford Haven Waterway, and Neyland was selected; the section between Clarbeston Road and Fishguard, some 14 miles (22.5 km) in length, was not built.
In 1878, the Rosebush and Fishguard Railway (R&FR) was formed, to extend the Narberth Road and Maenclochog Railway
Narberth Road and Maenclochog Railway
The Narberth Road and Maenclochog Railway was a Welsh light railway company in Pembrokeshire. Services started in January 1876.The long line ran from Clynderwen on the Great Western Railway via Maenclochog to Rosebush in the Preseli Mountains...
(NR&MR), which had opened in 1876, to Fishguard; the R&FR bought the NR&MR in 1881 and was renamed the North Pembrokeshire and Fishguard Railway
North Pembrokeshire and Fishguard Railway
The North Pembrokeshire and Fishguard Railway was a British railway company operating in Wales in the late 19th century.-History:The company started off as the Narberth Road and Maenclochog Railway which was opened between Narberth Road and Rosebush, north of Maenclochog, on 19th September 1876.In...
(NP&FR) in 1884, although it only opened approximately 1 miles (1.6 km) of new line. The NP&FR was acquired by the Fishguard and Rosslare Railways and Harbours Co. (F&RR&H) in 1894. In 1899, the F&RR&H sold its railways in Wales to the GWR, which completed the extension of the NP&FR line to on 1 July 1899.
A new line was proposed by the GWR to shorten the distance to Fishguard; this was the Clarbeston Road and Letterston Railway, which opened on 30 August 1906 between Clarbeston Junction (271 miles (436.13114 km) from Paddington) and Letterston Junction (281 miles (452.22454 km)). Prior to this, Letterston Junction was 283 miles (455.44322 km) from Paddington via Rosebush. There is one tunnel, Spittal Tunnel, which is 243 yard long; the eastern end is 274 miles (440.95916 km) from Paddington. There were no intermediate stations at first, but three were opened later: on 1 October 1913, on 5 May 1924, and on 1 August 1923.
The intermediate stations were closed on 6 April 1964, but the line remains open for services to Fishguard Harbour. It is single-track, with a passing loop at Letterston Junction.