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.
The Heart of Wales line is a railway line running from Craven Arms in Shropshire to Llanelli in southwest Wales. It serves a number of rural centres,including the nineteenth-century spa towns Llandrindod Wells,Llangammarch Wells and Llanwrtyd Wells. At Builth Road,two miles (3.3 km) from the town of Builth Wells,the line crosses the former route of the earlier Mid Wales Railway,which closed in the 1960s.
Newport is the second-busiest railway station in Wales,after Cardiff Central). It is situated in Newport city centre and 158 miles 50 chains (255.3 km) from London Paddington,via Stroud.
Bridgend railway station is a main line station serving the town of Bridgend,south Wales. It is located approximately halfway between Cardiff Central and Swansea stations,at the point where the Maesteg Line diverges from the South Wales Main Line;it is also the western terminus of the Vale of Glamorgan Line from Cardiff. It is 190 miles 45 chains (306.7 km) measured from the zero point at London Paddington,via Stroud.
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.
Shrewsbury railway station is in Shrewsbury,Shropshire,England. Built in 1848,it was designated a grade II listed building in 1969.
The West Wales lines are a group of railway lines from Swansea through Carmarthenshire to Pembrokeshire,West Wales. The main part runs from Swansea to Carmarthen and Whitland,where it becomes three branches to Fishguard,Milford Haven and Pembroke Dock.
Port Talbot Parkway railway station is a railway station in Port Talbot,Wales. The station is located at street level near Station Road in Port Talbot town centre. It is 202 miles 59 chains (326 km) from London Paddington.
Llanelli railway station is the railway station serving the town of Llanelli,Carmarthenshire,Wales. It is located on the West Wales line and the Heart of Wales line 225 miles 20 chains (362.5 km) from the zero point at London Paddington,measured via Stroud. The station and the majority of trains calling are operated by Transport for Wales.
Gowerton railway station serves the village of Gowerton,Wales. It is located at street level at the end of Station Road in Gowerton,219 miles 45 chains (353.4 km) from the zero point at London Paddington,measured via Stroud. The station is unmanned but has a ticket machine,shelters on each platform and live train running information displays.
Pantyffynnon railway station is a railway station serving the village of Pantyffynnon,in Carmarthenshire,Wales. It is situated on the Heart of Wales Line at its junction with the branch lines to Brynamman and Abernant.
Bynea railway station serves the village of Bynea near Llanelli,Carmarthenshire,Wales. Bynea station is situated close to the Millennium Coastal Park and is a convenient stop for cyclists and hikers to the coastal area. It is also the last stop on the Heart of Wales route before it joins the West Wales Line at Llandeilo Junction,to the east of Llanelli.
Pontarddulais railway station serves the town of Pontarddulais and village of Hendy in Swansea,Wales. The station is located at street level not far from the town centre and the Loughor estuary. All trains serving the station are operated by Transport for Wales.
Ammanford railway station in Ammanford,Carmarthenshire,Wales,is 12 miles (19 km) north of Swansea on the Heart of Wales Line. The station opened in 1841 as a temporary terminus of the Llanelly Railway's line to Llandeilo,making it one of the country's earliest railway stations.
Ffairfach railway station serves the village of Ffairfach,near Llandeilo,Carmarthenshire,Wales. The station is on the Heart of Wales Line 30 miles (48 km) north east of Swansea.
Llandeilo railway station serves the town of Llandeilo,Carmarthenshire. The station is 30+3⁄4 miles (49 km) north east of Swansea on the Heart of Wales Line.
Llanwrda railway station serves the village of Llanwrda near Llandovery,Carmarthenshire. Opened by the Vale of Towy Railway in 1858,the station is on the Heart of Wales Line 38+1⁄4 miles (61.6 km) north east of Swansea. The station is located below street level at the end of a lane opposite the A40 that leads to the centre of the village.
Llandovery railway station serves the market town of Llandovery,Carmarthenshire,Wales. The station is on the Heart of Wales Line 42 miles (68 km) north east of Swansea and is located at Tywi Avenue.
The Llanelly Railway and Dock Company was an early Welsh railway system. It opened its first short line and a wet dock at Llanelly in 1834,and soon went on to build a longer line from Llanelly to serve pits in the Amman Valley,and then on to Llandilo,reached in 1857. The Llanelly company leased and worked the Vale of Towy Railway on to Llandovery,from 1858.
On 26 August 2020 a freight train carrying diesel fuel and gas oil in tank wagons derailed at Morlais Junction,Llangennech,Carmarthenshire,Wales. Some of the derailed wagons caught fire,leading to an evacuation of people living nearby. There was widespread contamination from the spilled fuel. The clean-up operation was described by Natural Resources Wales as the most challenging since the Sea Empress oil spill in 1996. The accident was caused by defective brakes on a wagon causing an axle to seize,which in turn caused deformation of the track under the train as it travelled over a set of points. The Heart of Wales Line was closed for seven months as a result of the derailment.
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