The railway system in Great Britain is the oldest railway system in the world. The first locomotive-hauled public railway opened in 1825,which was followed by an era of rapid expansion. Most of the track is managed by Network Rail,which in 2017 had a network of 9,824 miles (15,811 km) of standard-gauge lines,of which 3,339 miles (5,374 km) were electrified. In addition,some cities have separate metro,light rail and tram systems,among them the historic London Underground and the Glasgow Subway. There are also many private railways,some of them narrow-gauge,which are primarily short lines for tourists. The main rail network is connected with that of continental Europe by the Channel Tunnel and High Speed 1,opened in 1994 and 2007 respectively.
National Rail (NR) is the trading name licensed for use by the Rail Delivery Group,an unincorporated association whose membership consists of the passenger train operating companies (TOCs) of England,Scotland,and Wales. The TOCs run the passenger services previously provided by the British Railways Board,from 1965 using the brand name British Rail. Northern Ireland,which is bordered by the Republic of Ireland,has a different system. National Rail services share a ticketing structure and inter-availability that generally do not extend to services which were not part of British Rail.
Valleys &Cardiff Local Routes is the network of passenger suburban railway services radiating from Cardiff,Wales. It includes lines within the city itself,the Vale of Glamorgan and the South Wales Valleys.
Cardiff Central is a major station on the South Wales Main Line. It is located in the capital of Wales,Cardiff,170 miles 30 chains (274 km) down the line from London Paddington,via Stroud. It is one of the city's two urban rail network hubs,along with Cardiff Queen Street. Opened in 1850 as Cardiff station,it was renamed Cardiff General in 1924 and then Cardiff Central in 1973.
A train operating company (TOC) is the term used on the railway system of Great Britain for a railway undertaking operating passenger trains under the collective National Rail brand. TOCs have existed since the privatisation of the network under the Railways Act 1993.
Bangor railway station serves the city of Bangor,Gwynedd;it is operated by Transport for Wales. The station,which is 24+3⁄4 miles (40 km) east of Holyhead,is the last mainland station on the North Wales Coast line between Crewe and Holyhead. It is the busiest in terms of passenger numbers in North Wales,as it serves the community around Caernarfon and further west. It is close to the Snowdonia National Park and Bangor University,and has an interchange with bus services to the various towns and villages of north-west Gwynedd and Anglesey.
Newport is the second-busiest railway station in Wales. It is situated in Newport city centre and 158 miles 50 chains (255.3 km) from London Paddington,via Stroud.
The Merthyr line is a commuter railway line in South Wales from central Cardiff to Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare. The line is part of the Cardiff urban rail network,known as the Valley Lines.
Swansea railway station serves the city of Swansea,Wales. It is 216 miles 7 chains (348 km) measured from London Paddington on the National Rail network.
The Shrewsbury–Chester line is a railway line between Chester and Shrewsbury in England,with the line passing through Wrexham County Borough in Wales. Passenger train services are operated by Transport for Wales Rail between the northern terminal of Chester and Shrewsbury in the south as part of the Wales &Borders franchise. Some additional services,starting part way along the line to London Euston via Chester are operated by Avanti West Coast. The line was built in 1846 by the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway,with the engineer for the line being Henry Robertson,a partner in locomotive builders Beyer Peacock,while the contractor was Thomas Brassey in partnership with William Mackenzie and Robert Stephenson. The line is part of Transport for Wales' North Wales Metro improvement programme.
The Ebbw Valley Railway is a branch line of the South Wales Main Line in South Wales. Transport for Wales Rail provides an hourly passenger service each way between Ebbw Vale Town and Cardiff Central,and an hourly service each way between Ebbw Vale Town and Newport.
Fairwater railway station is a railway station serving the Fairwater area of Cardiff,Wales. Passenger services are currently operated by Transport for Wales.
The Borderlands line,also known as the Bidston–Wrexham or Wrexham–Bidston line,is a railway line between Bidston on the Wirral Peninsula in England and Wrexham Central in the north-east of Wales. Passenger train services are part of the Wales &Borders franchise and are operated by Transport for Wales Rail. The line connects to the Merseyrail network at Bidston,the North Wales Coast Line at Shotton and the Shrewsbury–Chester line at Wrexham General. Parts of the line in Wales are used by freight trains,serving Deeside Industrial Park and the Hanson Cement works to the south of Buckley.
Llangennech railway station is a railway station in the village of Llangennech. It lies on the Heart of Wales line with services operated by Transport for Wales running to and from Swansea and Shrewsbury.
Aberdare railway station is a railway station serving the town of Aberdare in Rhondda Cynon Taf,Wales. It is the terminus of the Aberdare branch of the Merthyr Line,22½ miles (36 km) north northwest of Cardiff Central. Passenger services are provided by Transport for Wales.
Pensarn railway station serves the village of Pensarn in Gwynedd,Wales. The station is an unstaffed halt on the Cambrian Coast Railway with passenger services to Porthmadog,Pwllheli,Barmouth,Machynlleth and Shrewsbury.
Beasdale railway station is a railway station serving Glen Beasdale in the Highland region of Scotland. This station is on the West Highland Line,sited 28 miles 49 chains (46.0 km) from the former Banavie Junction,between Lochailort and Arisaig. ScotRail manage the station and operate all services.
The Swansea District line is a section of railway line running through the northern part of Swansea,Wales and is primarily used for freight transportation,although minimal passenger services also traverse the route. It was built by the Great Western Railway in 1912 to provide a faster and less steeply graded route between London and Fishguard,in connection with the recently opened harbour at the latter place. It can thereby claim to be the last mainline railway to have been built in Wales. The double track line runs from Cwrt Sart junction at Briton Ferry on the South Wales Main Line to Morlais junction near Pontarddulais on the Heart of Wales line.
Hirwaun was a railway station serving the village of Hirwaun in Rhondda Cynon Taf,Wales.
Transport for Wales Rail Limited,branded as Transport for Wales and TfW Rail,is a Welsh publicly owned train operating company,a subsidiary of Transport for Wales (TfW),a Welsh Government-owned company. It commenced operations of the day to day services of the Wales &Borders franchise on 7 February 2021,as an operator of last resort,succeeding KeolisAmey Wales.
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