Newtown railway station (Wales)


Newtown railway station is a railway station serving Newtown in Powys, Wales.

History

Newtown was the last major station before where the Mid-Wales Railway, to Llanidloes, Rhayader, Builth Road and on to Cardiff, diverged from the Cambrian Railways main line to Machynlleth and Aberystwyth.
The station was the eastern terminus of the Newtown and Machynlleth Railway opened by the Countess of Londonderry at Machynlleth station on 3 January 1863. It was also originally served by the Llanidloes and Newtown Railway and the Oswestry and Newtown Railway. All were subsequently subsumed into the Cambrian by 1865.
The Mid-Wales line passenger service was withdrawn on 31 December 1962, though trains to and from this route latterly started and terminated at Moat Lane Junction. Services to Oswestry and Whitchurch via the former O&NR Cambrian main line ended in January 1965, when the route east of Buttington closed to passenger traffic as a consequence of the Beeching Axe.

Facilities

The station currently has two through platforms, which are used separately for trains in either direction. The station is usually used as one of the passing points for trains on the Cambrian Line as it is a single track. The station has one west facing bay platform/siding which is periodically used as a storage point for Network Rail's Departmental trains.
There is an Transport for Wales appointed "Station Agent" with full ticket issuing facilities in the main building. This also houses a Grill Restaurant and a computer training centre. Train running information is provided by digital CIS displays, automatic announcements and customer help points on both platforms. Step-free access is only available for platform 1.

Services

Trains run from here westwards to and then either or via and eastwards to &. There is a basic two-hourly service each way – on weekdays and Saturdays there are also some additional Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth services during the mornings and evenings. On Sundays there is a two-hourly service on the Shrewsbury – Aberystwyth axis, but only a limited service along the coast to/from Pwllheli.