Morfa Mawddach railway station

Morfa Mawddach railway station (formerly Barmouth Junction) is in Gwynedd, Wales, on the Cambrian Coast Railway between Machynlleth and Pwllheli. Built by the Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway in 1865, it was formerly the junction station for the Ruabon to Barmouth Line. Since the closure of the Ruabon to Barmouth line in 1965, it remains open, as a minor station on the Cambrian Line.

Morfa Mawddach
Location
PlaceMorfa Mawddach
Local authorityGwynedd
Coordinates52.7077°N 4.0316°W / 52.7077; -4.0316
Grid referenceSH628142
Operations
Station codeMFA
Managed byTransport for Wales
Number of platforms1
DfT categoryF2
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2014/15 10,758
2015/16 11,094
2016/17 10,880
2017/18 11,434
2018/19 11,920
History
Original companyAberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway
Pre-groupingCambrian Railways
Post-groupingGreat Western Railway
3 July 1865 (1865-07-03)Opened as Barmouth Junction
13 June 1960Renamed Morfa Mawddach
National Rail – UK railway stations
  • Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Morfa Mawddach from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.

History
The station as it was in 1962

The station was built by the Aberystwith [sic] and Welsh Coast Railway and opened on 3 July 1865 as Barmouth Junction.[1][2] From 1899 to 1903 there was a connection with the Barmouth Junction and Arthog Tramway.

Until the 1960s there was a summer service between London Paddington and Pwllheli, via Birmingham Snow Hill, Shrewsbury and Machynlleth.

On 13 June 1960 it was renamed Morfa Mawddach.[2]

Background

North of Morfa Mawddach the railway crosses the Afon Mawddach on the Barmouth Bridge.

Morfa Mawddach is mainly used by passengers travelling to Barmouth from south of the Mawddach Estuary: parking at the station and taking the train to Barmouth is often much quicker than the 20-mile road journey via Dolgellau. Originally a four-platform station, it is now a single platform unstaffed halt. Trains stop on request.

Morfa Mawddach is often quoted as an example of a notable feature of the Great Western Railway in Wales, namely its inheritance of junctions in unlikely and inconvenient locations. Other examples are Moat Lane Junction, Talyllyn Junction, Afon Wen and Dovey Junction.[3]

The trackbed to Dolgellau now forms the Llwybr Mawddach (Welsh for 'Mawddach Trail'), which officially starts at the station car park.

Services
Preceding station National Rail Following station
Fairbourne   Transport for Wales
Cambrian Coast Line		   Barmouth
  Historical railways  
Barmouth
Line and station open		   Great Western Railway
Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway
   Fairbourne
Line and station open
  Great Western Railway
Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway
   Arthog
Line and station closed

References

Notes
  1. Butt 1995, p. 27
  2. Butt 1995, p. 163
  3. Fifoot, Les; Wright, Paul (21 May 2017). "Station name: Afon Wen". disused-stations.org.uk. Retrieved 2 February 2020.

Sources
  • Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199.
  • Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC 22311137.
  • Jowett, Alan (2000). Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas (1st ed.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN 978-0-906899-99-1. OCLC 228266687.

Further reading
  • Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (2010). Ruabon to Barmouth. Midhurst, West Sussex: Middleton Press. figs. 107-116. ISBN 9781906008840. OCLC 651922152.
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