Ammanford railway station
Encyclopedia
Ammanford railway station serves the town of Ammanford in Carmarthenshire
, Wales
. Situated 12 miles (19.4 km) north of Swansea
on today's Heart of Wales Line
, the station was first opened in 1841 as a temporary terminus of the Llanelly Railway's line to Llandeilo
(and branch to Cross Hands
), making it one of the country's earliest railway stations.
Originally called Duffryn, and then Tirydail, the station underwent a number of subsequent name changes (see the panel on the right) before being renamed Ammanford and Tirydail in 1960 following the closure in 1958 of Ammanford station
on the Amman Valley branch railway
. In 1973 Ammanford and Tirydail was renamed yet again: this time to plain Ammanford.
The station stands at street level about 800 m northwest of Ammanford town centre on Station Road (formerly Dyffryn Road). Old Ordnance Survey maps show that at some point between 1891 and 1906 the passenger platform was moved from the north to the south side of the Dyffryn Road level crossing. As with most of the stations on the Heart of Wales Line, the original rather elegant station buildings and signal box have been demolished and now the only structures are a platform and shelter.
and London and North Western Railway
in 1873. It became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
as a result of the Grouping
of 1923. The station then passed, upon nationalization
of the railways in 1948, to the Western Region of British Railways
. Under British Rail sectorisation
from the 1980s until railway privatization
, Ammanford station was served by Regional Railways
.
The station appears several times and is mentioned by name in the 1951 'Festival of Britain film, David.
. On Mondays to Saturdays, there are four trains a day in each direction between Swansea
and Shrewsbury
and two each way on Sundays.
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Situated 12 miles (19.4 km) north of Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
on today's Heart of Wales Line
Heart of Wales Line
The Heart of Wales Line is a railway line running from Craven Arms in Shropshire to Llanelli in South Wales. It runs, as the name suggests, through some of the heartlands of Wales. It serves a number of rural centres en route, including several once fashionable spa towns, including Llandrindod Wells...
, the station was first opened in 1841 as a temporary terminus of the Llanelly Railway's line to Llandeilo
Llandeilo
Llandeilo is a town in Carmarthenshire, Wales, situated at the crossing of the River Towy by the A483 on a 19th century stone bridge. Its population is 1,731.The town is served by Llandeilo railway station on the Heart of Wales Line.- Early history :...
(and branch to Cross Hands
Cross Hands
Cross Hands is a village in Carmarthenshire, Wales about 12 miles from Carmarthen . It is supposedly named from the practice of prisoners intended for jail in Carmarthen and Swansea being staged for exchange....
), making it one of the country's earliest railway stations.
Originally called Duffryn, and then Tirydail, the station underwent a number of subsequent name changes (see the panel on the right) before being renamed Ammanford and Tirydail in 1960 following the closure in 1958 of Ammanford station
Ammanford (GWR) railway station
This article is about the former GWR station in Ammanford. For the current station see Ammanford railway station.Ammanford railway station, served the town of Ammanford, West Wales...
on the Amman Valley branch railway
Amman Valley Railway
The Amman Valley Railway runs alongside the River Amman, some north of Swansea in west Wales. It is based around a heritage railway project on one of a number of railway lines that formerly served the various collieries of the area north of Swansea and Llanelli. Some of these lines also carried...
. In 1973 Ammanford and Tirydail was renamed yet again: this time to plain Ammanford.
The station stands at street level about 800 m northwest of Ammanford town centre on Station Road (formerly Dyffryn Road). Old Ordnance Survey maps show that at some point between 1891 and 1906 the passenger platform was moved from the north to the south side of the Dyffryn Road level crossing. As with most of the stations on the Heart of Wales Line, the original rather elegant station buildings and signal box have been demolished and now the only structures are a platform and shelter.
History
Opened by the Llanelly Railway on 6 May 1841, the station was taken over jointly by the Great Western RailwayGreat Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
and London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
in 1873. It became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
as a result of the Grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
of 1923. The station then passed, upon nationalization
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
of the railways in 1948, to the Western Region of British Railways
Western Region of British Railways
The Western Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
. Under British Rail sectorisation
British Rail brand names
British Rail was the brand image of the nationalised railway owner and operator in Great Britain, the British Railways Board, used from 1965 until its breakup and sell-off from 1993 onwards....
from the 1980s until railway privatization
Privatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
, Ammanford station was served by Regional Railways
Regional Railways
Regional Railways was one of the three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982 that existed until 1996, 3 years after privatisation. The sector was originally called Provincial....
.
The station appears several times and is mentioned by name in the 1951 'Festival of Britain film, David.
Services
All trains serving the station are operated by Arriva Trains WalesArriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
. On Mondays to Saturdays, there are four trains a day in each direction between Swansea
Swansea railway station
Swansea railway station is a railway station that serves Swansea, Wales. The station is one of four in the City and County of Swansea and is the fourth busiest in Wales after Cardiff Central, Cardiff Queen Street and Newport.-History:...
and Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury railway station
Shrewsbury railway station is the railway station serving Shrewsbury, county town of Shropshire, England. It is the only remaining railway station in the town; Shrewsbury Abbey, as well as other small stations around the town, having long closed. The station was built in 1848 and has been extended...
and two each way on Sundays.