Sugar Loaf railway station

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The station sees very few passengers; in 2010/2011 an estimated 84 passengers used the station and in 2014 it was reported that the station was averaging five passengers per month. [2] In 2017/2018, it increased its passenger usage by nearly 710% from the previous year, taking it to as many visitors in the year as the previous 17 years combined. Its low usage seemed to make it a popular attraction. [3] In 2020, with rail passenger numbers in general affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the station saw 156 passengers, followed by zero the following year. [4] Between 6 July 2020 and 21 August 2021, trains did not call at the station due to the short platform and the inability to maintain social distancing between passengers and the guard when opening the train door. [5]

This station is a request stop used mainly by trekkers and cyclists, since it is the nearest stop to the Sugar Loaf vantage point, [6] [7] although it was originally built to serve a number of cottages occupied by railway workers (such as signalmen and track gangers). [8] The children of the workers travelled by train to school in Llanwrtyd Wells. [7] South of the station the line reaches the summit at 820 feet (250 m) above sea level and then passes beneath the hills via the 1,001-yard (915 m) Sugar Loaf tunnel, which is approached by gradients as steep as 1 in 60. It then descends steadily for the next 8+1⁄2 miles (13.7 km) down to Llandovery. The climb up to the summit here was a challenging one for train crews in steam days (especially northbound) and the use of banking locomotives was commonplace.

Facilities

The station has basic amenities only - a waiting shelter and timetable poster boards - although it has had a digital CIS display fitted. There is no step-free access available, due to the station entrance being some distance from the nearest road (the A483) along a narrow path and in a cutting. [9]

Services

All trains serving the station are operated by Transport for Wales. There are five trains a day in each direction (towards Swansea and Shrewsbury) from Monday to Saturday, and two services on Sundays. [10] Being a request stop, passengers have to give a hand signal to the approaching train driver to board or notify the guard when they board that they wish to alight from the train there.

Sugar Loaf

Welsh: Dinas y Bwlch
National Rail logo.svg
Sugar Loaf railway station in southern Powys (geograph 5368007).jpg
Sugar Loaf station in April 2017
General information
LocationSugar Loaf Mountain, Llandovery, Powys
Wales
Coordinates 52°04′55″N3°41′13″W / 52.082°N 3.687°W / 52.082; -3.687
Grid reference SN844438
Managed by Transport for Wales
Platforms1
Other information
Station codeSUG
Classification DfT category F2
Key dates
1868Opened
1965Closed
1984Reopened
6 July 2020Temporarily closed
21 August 2021Reopened
Passengers
2018/19Decrease2.svg 708
Preceding station National Rail logo.svg National Rail Following station
Cynghordy   Transport for Wales
Heart of Wales Line 		  Llanwrtyd

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References

  1. ↑ Sugar Loaf (Map). 1:25,000. OS Explorer. Cartography by Ordnance Survey. Streetmap.co.uk. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Britain's forgotten railway stations". The Daily Telegraph . 25 March 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  3. ↑ Shuttleworth, Peter (11 December 2018). "Why Wales' quietest station, Sugar Loaf, got busier". BBC Wales News.
  4. ↑ "Railway: Why one remote station lost 90% of its passengers". BBC News. 5 December 2020.
  5. ↑ "Covid-19 timetable from 29 March 2021 | Transport for Wales".
  6. ↑ "Sugar Loaf". Heart of Wales Line. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  7. 1 2 "Sugar Loaf Halt is Wales' quietest station, Arriva says". BBC. 3 July 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  8. ↑ Heart of Wales Travel Guide Doughty, Audrey, Llandeilo Past & Present; Retrieved 6 July 2016
  9. ↑ Sugar Loaf station facilities National Rail Enquiries; Retrieved 28 January 2017
  10. ↑ Table 130 National Rail timetable, May 2023

Further reading

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