1. History

2. Notes

3. References

The Clarbeston Road and Letterston Railway was a small railway company formed to give the Great Western Railway a more direct route to the port at Fishguard Harbour.

History

The Great Western Railway (GWR) originally obtained access to Ireland over the South Wales Railway, which ran via {{stnlnk|Clunderwen}}, {{stnlnk|Clarbeston Road}} and {{stnlnk|Haverfordwest}} to {{stnlnk|Neyland}}, where a small port was built as part of the railway facilities; the line was opened as far as Haverfordwest in 1854, and extended to Neyland in 1856.{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|pp=572,577}}

The original proposal of 1844 (authorised by Act of Parliament in 1845) had been for the western terminus to be at Fishguard, with Haverfordwest on a branch, and by August 1847 work was in progress within {{convert|7|mi|km}} of Fishguard. In 1848, the effects of the Great Irish Famine made Ireland a less attractive proposition, and work on the western end of the line stopped as a result.{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|pp=556,558,560–1,565}} In 1851, work restarted, but it was decided that the western terminus should be on the Milford Haven Waterway, and Neyland was selected; the section between Clarbeston Road and Fishguard, some {{convert|14|mi|km}} in length, was not built.{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|pp=566,570}}

In 1878, the Rosebush and Fishguard Railway (R&FR) was formed, to extend the Narberth Road and Maenclochog Railway (NR&MR), which had opened in 1876, to Fishguard; the R&FR bought the NR&MR in 1881 and was renamed the North Pembrokeshire and Fishguard Railway (NP&FR) in 1884, although it only opened approximately {{convert|1|mi|km}} of new line.{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|p=417}} The NP&FR was acquired by the Fishguard and Rosslare Railways and Harbours Co. (F&RR&H) in 1894.{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|p=418}} In 1899, the F&RR&H sold its railways in Wales to the GWR, which completed the extension of the NP&FR line to {{stnlnk|Fishguard and Goodwick}} on 1 July 1899.{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|pp=418–9}}

A new double-track line was proposed by the GWR to shorten the distance to Fishguard; this was the Clarbeston Road and Letterston Railway, which opened on 30 August 1906 between Clarbeston Junction ({{convert|271|mi|8|chain|km}} from Paddington) and Letterston Junction ({{convert|281|mi|58|chain|km}}). Prior to this, Letterston Junction was {{convert|283|mi|30|chain|km}} from Paddington via Rosebush.{{sfn|Yonge|2005|loc=map 26B}} There is one tunnel, Spittal Tunnel, which is {{convert|243|yard|m}} long; the eastern end is {{convert|274|mi|40|chain|km}} from Paddington.{{sfn|Yonge|2005|loc=map 26B}} There were no intermediate stations at first,{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|p=434}} but three were opened later: {{stnlnk|Wolf's Castle Halt}} on 1 October 1913,{{sfn|Butt|1995|p=253}} {{stnlnk|Welsh Hook Halt}} on 5 May 1924,{{sfn|Butt|1995|p=244}} and {{stnlnk|Mathry Road}} on 1 August 1923.{{sfn|Butt|1995|p=156}}

The intermediate stations were closed on 6 April 1964,{{sfn|Butt|1995|pp=253,244,156}} but the line remains open for services to Fishguard & Goodwick and Fishguard Harbour stations. Falling traffic on the line caused it to be reduced to single-track on 16 May 1971 with a passing loop at Letterston Junction.{{sfn|Yonge|2005|loc=map 26B}}

Notes

References

• {{cite book |last=Butt |first=R.V.J. |title=The Directory of Railway Stations |year=1995 |publisher=Patrick Stephens Ltd |location=Yeovil |isbn=1-85260-508-1 |id=R508 |ref=harv }}
• {{cite book |last=MacDermot |first=E.T. |title=History of the Great Western Railway, vol. I: 1833-1863 |year=1927 |publisher=Great Western Railway |location=Paddington |ref=harv }}
• {{cite book |last=MacDermot |first=E.T. |title=History of the Great Western Railway, vol. II: 1863-1921 |year=1931 |publisher=Great Western Railway |location=Paddington |ref=harv }}
• {{cite book |last=Yonge |first=John |editor-last=Jacobs |editor-first=Gerald |title=Railway Track Diagrams 3: Western |edition=4th |date=November 2005 |origyear=1989 |publisher=Trackmaps |location=Bradford on Avon |isbn=0-9549866-1-X |ref=harv }}

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