Cambrian Line
| Cambrian Line | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Owner | Network Rail |
| Locale | Wales Shropshire Powys |
| Service | |
| Type | Heavy Rail |
| System | National Rail |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 56.5 (Standard gauge) |
The Cambrian Line (Welsh: Llinell Cambria) is a railway from Shrewsbury (in Shropshire, England) to Welshpool, Aberystwyth and Pwllheli. The railway runs first through the central part of Wales and then along the coast of Cardigan Bay.
The railway is scenic, with parts travelling through the Cambrian Mountains or along the Cambrian Coast. This latter section travels over the Barmouth Bridge, which crosses the River Mawddach.
Route
The line diverges at Dovey Junction, just after Machynlleth, to serve either Aberystwyth, or Pwllheli via the Cambrian Coast Line. The stations on these routes are shown diagrammatically on the route diagram.
History
The line is made up of:
- Shrewsbury and Welshpool Railway between Shrewsbury and Buttington
- Oswestry and Newtown Railway between Buttington Junction and Newtown
- Llanidloes and Newtown Railway between Newtown and Moat Lane Junction
- Newtown and Machynlleth Railway between Moat Lane Junction and Machynlleth
- Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway between Machynlleth and Aberystwyth/Pwllheli
These lines were constructed between 1855 and 1869. From Buttington Junction west became part of the Cambrian Railways in 1864.
The Cambrian Railways became part of the Great Western Railway and on nationalisation these lines were operated first by the Western Region of British Railways and later by the London Midland Region. In a later reorganisation, passenger services were operated by the Regional Railways Central sector. Following privatisation in the mid 1990s, passenger services were first operated by Central Trains, then by Wales & Borders Trains from 2001 and, since late 2003, by Arriva Trains Wales.
The last scheduled freight over the line was in 1993. In 2003, freight multiple unit trials were undertaken for a period of five weeks, transporting timber from Aberystwyth, via Wrexham General railway station to a woodchip factory in Chirk. The trial used a pair of British Rail MPV units sandwiched around a rake of seven open-sided timber wagons.
Closed stations
Although the line survived the Beeching Axe, the number of stations on the lines was heavily rationalised in the 1960s onwards. The stations closed include the following:
Shrewsbury to Dovey Junction:
- Hanwood
- Yockleton
- Westbury (Salop)
- Middletown
- Buttington Junction (connection with the Cambrian Railways line to Oswestry)
- Forden
- Montgomery
- Abermule
- Moat Lane Junction (connection with Mid Wales Railway to Cardiff)
- Pontdolgoch
- Carno
- Talerddig
- Llanbrynmair
- Commins Coch Halt
- Cemmaes Road (connection with the branch line to Dinas Mawddwy)
Dovey Junction to Aberystwyth:
Dovey Junction to Pwllheli:
- Gogarth
- Abertafol
- Llangelynin
- Black Rock Halt
- Afon Wen (connection with the Afon Wen - Caernarfon line)
- The Ruabon bound platforms at Barmouth Junction were also closed in 1965 and the station renamed Morfa Mawddach.
Politics
The line acquired the name "the line of the seven marginals", owing to the fact it ran in the 1960s through seven Labour marginal constituencies, when a civil servant brought attention of his minister Richard Crossman, Minister of Housing and Local Government, to this fact. As a result, because of the political consequences thought to be attendant on railway closures, though scheduled for such treatment it has continued to survive.
Performance
With long sections of single line, limited passing points and tightly-diagrammed rolling stock, short turnround time at Aberystwyth, minor disruptions on the Cambrian Line quickly lead to compound delays and partial cancellations. While the coast line is generally a good performer, services between Aberystwyth and Birmingham New Street have deteriorated hugely since the early 2000s and are now the least punctual in Britain. [1] Late running services will often terminate short at Wolverhampton to make up lost time.
In Arriva Trains Wales' performance statistics the Cambrian Line is routinely the worst-performing service group.
| Service Group | Punctuality 16 Sep - 13 Oct 2007 | Punctuality 12 months to 13 Oct 2007 |
|---|---|---|
| Cambrian | 90.2% | 88.2% |
| Marches | 95.2% | 93.7% |
| Wales-England | 97.1% | 95.8% |
| South, West, Central Wales | 95.5% | 94.0% |
| Valley Lines | 98.1% | 95.1% |
| North Wales Inter Urban | 98.1% | 97.7% |
| North Wales Rural | 91.8% | 92.3% |
Line upgrade
In October 2006, it was announced that Network Rail would pilot the European Rail Traffic Management System on the Cambrian Line. The ERTMS will allow headways between trains using the same track to be reduced without impacting on safety, allowing a more frequent service. Should the pilot scheme be successful, the system is expected to be rolled out on other key rural routes within the UK.[2]
The upgrade is expected to cost £59 million and was to be completed by December 2008,[3] but the system was only released, for limited testing between Pwllheli and Harlech, in February 2010. Three signallers from the Machynlleth signalling centre and seven drivers have been trained to operate the new equipment.[4] Ansaldo STS are the principal contractors for the upgrade with Thales as sub-contractors for the Telecomms.
Ansaldo is installing ERTMS In Cab ETCS (European Train Control System) level 2, class 1, specification V2.3.0. As the name suggests, the driver receives the instructions for movement on the cab display. This level does not require conventional fixed signals - all the existing signals and RETB boards will be removed. Additionally, the line side speed signs will be redundant - drivers are given the appropriate maximum speed on the cab display.
The Cambrian ERTMS – Pwllheli to Harlech Rehearsal commenced on 13 February 2010 and successfully finished on 18 February 2010. The driver familiarisation and practical handling stage of the Rehearsal has provided an excellent opportunity to monitor the use of GSM-R voice in operation on this route. The first train departed Pwllheli at 0853hrs in ERTMS Level 2 Operation with GSM-R voice being used as the only means of communication between the driver and the signaller. Network Rail spokeswoman Mavis Choong was unable to give a figure of how much the scheme has cost, but said £400m was being spent installing it across the UK network. She claimed the 14 month delay was caused by the system "being new".[citation needed]
In 2007, a new flat crossing section was installed at the intersection of the Cambrian Line and the Welsh Highland Railway (all parties have agreed this crossing shall be called "Cae Pawb Crossing").
Service pattern
Presently, trains between Birmingham and the Cambrian Line run at an approximate two hour frequency usually consisting of two two-car units which divide/combine at Machynlleth; one portion forming the Pwllheli train, the other forming the Aberystwyth portion. According to http://www.transportbriefing.co.uk/story.php?id=4858 the new signalling system and other infrastructure changes will allow the frequency of trains to/from Aberystwyth to double.
Birmingham International
After December 2008, most trains are now extended to Birmingham International railway station, and will make an additional call at Smethwick Galton Bridge railway station.[5]
See also
Footnotes
- ^ Arriva Trains Wales Performance Statistics. Source
- ^ "ERTMS National implementation plan" (.pdf). Department for Transport. September 2007. Retrieved 2008-04-15.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Webster, Ben (2006-10-17). "Digital sensors will reduce gap between trains during rush hour". The Times. London. p. 23. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
- ^ "Pioneering rail technology gets tested in Wales". London: Network Rail. 12 February 2010. Retrieved 13 February 2010.
- ^ Arriva Trains Wales. "Proposed timetable 2008" (PDF). Severn Tunnel Action Group. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
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External links
- Cambrian Lines Partnership
- Cambrian Coast Railway Visitor Guide
- Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth Rail Passengers' Association
- Usage statistics for stations on the line
- Rail Magazine
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