Neyland railway station
Encyclopedia
Neyland railway station was on the north bank of the Milford Haven Waterway in Pembrokeshire
, Wales.
(GWR) wished to link their system to Ireland
. To do this, they supported the South Wales Railway
(SWR), which would run from to a port in west Wales
; steamships would then carry the passengers and goods to a suitable port in Ireland. Isambard Kingdom Brunel
, the GWR Engineer, originally proposed to situate the Welsh port at Fishguard
, which was intended to be the terminus when the line was authorised in 1845; but in 1852, Brunel changed his mind in favour of Neyland
, because it was sheltered and had deep water, which would allow large ships to dock. The SWR was opened in stages, and reached on 2 January 1854; the last section from there to the new port was opened on 15 April 1856. The western terminus of the SWR, a station originally named Milford Haven, was opened with the line on 15 April 1856. Very soon there was a twice-weekly steamboat service to Waterford
. The station was renamed Neyland in February 1859, but was renamed again in November that year, becoming New Milford; it was shown as New Milford (Milford Haven) in some timetables.
In 1 September 1906, the station was again renamed Neyland. This followed the opening on 30 August 1906 of the new harbour at Fishguard, the associated railway station
, the Clarbeston Road and Letterston Railway
giving a shorter route to Fishguard from and the transfer to Fishguard of the steamship service to Waterford. Neyland then rapidly declined in importance.
Goods facilities were withdrawn on 2 December 1963 and the station closed to passenger traffic on 15 June 1964.
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
, Wales.
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) wished to link their system 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...
. To do this, they supported 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...
(SWR), which would run from to a port in west Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
; steamships would then carry the passengers and goods to a suitable port in Ireland. Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
, the GWR Engineer, originally proposed to situate the Welsh port 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....
, which was intended to be the terminus when the line was authorised in 1845; but in 1852, Brunel changed his mind in favour of Neyland
Neyland
Neyland is a town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, lying on the River Cleddau and the upstream end of the Milford Haven estuary. The nearby Cleddau Bridge crosses the river, linking Neyland to Pembroke Dock.-History:...
, because it was sheltered and had deep water, which would allow large ships to dock. The SWR was opened in stages, and reached on 2 January 1854; the last section from there to the new port was opened on 15 April 1856. The western terminus of the SWR, a station originally named Milford Haven, was opened with the line on 15 April 1856. Very soon there was a twice-weekly steamboat service to Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
. The station was renamed Neyland in February 1859, but was renamed again in November that year, becoming New Milford; it was shown as New Milford (Milford Haven) in some timetables.
In 1 September 1906, the station was again renamed Neyland. This followed the opening on 30 August 1906 of the new harbour at Fishguard, the associated railway station
Fishguard Harbour railway station
Fishguard Harbour railway station serves the port of Fishguard Harbour, Wales. It is the terminus of one of the branches of the West Wales Line from Swansea.-Ownership:...
, the Clarbeston Road and Letterston Railway
Clarbeston Road and Letterston Railway
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.-History:...
giving a shorter route to Fishguard from and the transfer to Fishguard of the steamship service to Waterford. Neyland then rapidly declined in importance.
Goods facilities were withdrawn on 2 December 1963 and the station closed to passenger traffic on 15 June 1964.