Carmarthen–Aberystwyth line
The Carmarthen–Aberystwyth line was originally a standard-gauge branch line of the Great Western Railway (GWR) in Wales, connecting Carmarthen and Aberystwyth.
| Carmarthen–Aberystwyth line | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||||||
| Status | mostly disused; some reused by Gwili Railway | |||||
| Locale | Wales | |||||
| Termini |
| |||||
| History | ||||||
| Opened | 1860 (Carmarthen to Cynwyl Elfed) | |||||
| Track lifted | 1975 | |||||
| Closed |
| |||||
| Technical | ||||||
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | |||||
| Old gauge | 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) (Carmarthen to Llandyssul) | |||||
| ||||||
It is now also a proposed railway link from Carmarthen railway station to Aberystwyth railway station, with five new proposed stations at Pencader, Llanybydder, Lampeter, Tregaron and Llanilar, with an estimated cost of around £620 million.
At Carmarthen, the line connected with the GWR mainline from London Paddington to Fishguard. At Aberystwyth, the line connected with the Cambrian Line. The line also had connecting branches to Aberaeron, Llandeilo and Newcastle Emlyn.
As a result of floods and the Beeching Axe, the line was entirely closed to passengers in February 1965. Freight traffic from Pont Llanio creamery (near Tregaron) to Aberaeron Junction (near Lampeter) ended in 1970; that from Green Grove siding (between Aberaeron and Lampeter) and from Newcastle Emlyn to Carmarthen ended in September 1973. The track was lifted in 1975, except for a short section at Bronwydd Arms station which was to be used by the Gwili Railway Preservation Society for its heritage train operation.