Welsh Marches line

Railway line linking Wales and England

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Welsh Marches line

An Arriva Trains Wales Class 175 approaching Craven Arms

Overview
Owner| Network Rail
Locale|

* West Midlands (region)
* Wales
* North West England

Termini|

* Newport
* Crewe/Chester

Stations| 17 (Newport to Crewe) / 15 (Newport to Chester)
Service
System| National Rail
Technical
Line length| 84.38 miles (135.80 km)
Number of tracks| Double track throughout
Track gauge| 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Operating speed| 60-90mph

Route map

(Click to expand)

The Welsh Marches line (Welsh: Llinell y Mers), known historically as the North and West Route, is a railway line running from Newport in south-east Wales to Shrewsbury in the West Midlands region of England. It follows a route by way of Abergavenny, Hereford and Craven Arms and thence, by some definitions, to Crewe via Whitchurch. The line thus links the south of Wales to north-west England, via the Welsh Marches region, bypassing Birmingham. Via the Shrewsbury to Chester line, the line also links the South of Wales to the North of Wales.

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Welsh Marches line

Legend

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Crewe–Manchester line

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West Coast Main Line

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North Wales Coast Line

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|  | Crewe
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Crewe–Derby line

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West Coast Main Line

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|  | Gresty
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|  | Willaston
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|  | Newcastle Crossing
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|  | Nantwich
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| Nantwich and

Market Drayton Railway

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|  | Wrenbury
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| Whitchurch and

Tattenhall Railway

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|  | Whitchurch
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| Oswestry, Ellesmere

and Whitchurch Railway

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|  | Prees
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|  | Wem
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|  | Yorton
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|  | Hadnall
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Shrewsbury–Chester line

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|  | Shrewsbury
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| Wolverhampton–

Shrewsbury Line

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|  | Shrewsbury Abbey
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|  | Coleham
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Severn Valley Railway

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Cambrian Line

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| Shropshire and

Montgomeryshire Railway

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|  | Condover
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Cound Brook

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|  | Dorrington
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|  | Leebotwood
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|  | All Stretton Halt
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|  | Church Stretton
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|  | Little Stretton Halt
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|  | Marshbrook
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Wenlock Edge Railway

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|  | Wistanstow Halt
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River Onny

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Bishops Castle Railway

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|  | Craven Arms
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Heart of Wales line

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River Onny

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|  | Onibury
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|  | Bromfield
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River Corve

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Clee Hill Junction

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|  | Ludlow
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Ludlow Tunnel

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River Teme

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|  | Ashford Bowdler
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|  | Tenbury Railway
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|  | Woofferton
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|  | Berrington and Eye
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| Leominster and

Kington Railway

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|  | Leominster
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River Arrow

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| Worcester, Bromyard

and Leominster Railway

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|  | Ford Bridge
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Dinmore Tunnel

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|  | Dinmore
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|  | Moreton-on-Lugg
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Cotswold Line

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| Hereford, Hay and

Brecon Railway

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|  | Hereford
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|  | Hereford Barton
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River Wye

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ROF Rotherwas

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| Hereford, Ross and

Gloucester Railway

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|  | Tram Inn
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|  | St Devereux
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Golden Valley Railway

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|  | Pontrilas
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River Monnow | England

Wales

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| Note: line crosses river three

times and border five times

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|  | Pandy
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|  | Llanvihangel
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|  | Abergavenny Junction
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| Merthyr, Tredegar and

Abergavenny Railway

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|  | Abergavenny
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|  | Penpergwm
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|  | Nantyderry
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| Coleford, Monmouth, Usk

and Pontypool Railway

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|  | Little Mill Junction
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|  | Pontypool and New Inn
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to Crumlin

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|  | Panteg
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|  | Lower Pontnewydd
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|  | Cwmbran
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Eastern Valley Branch

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|  | Llantarnam
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|  | Ponthir
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|  | Caerleon
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River Usk

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| South Wales Main Line &

Gloucester–Newport line

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River Usk

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|  | Newport
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South Wales Main Line

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## History

[edit]

Main articles: Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway and Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway

The line that exists today is the amalgamation of two lines, both with influence from the LNWR. The southern section from Newport to Hereford is formed from the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway, while the northern section from Hereford to Shrewsbury is formed from the joint GWR/LNWR Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway.[1] Northbound from Shrewsbury to Crewe, the line runs over the LNWR-owned Crewe and Shrewsbury Railway.[2]

When the two railways arrived in the important market town of Hereford, the LNWR had already built Hereford Barton station. The S&HR and the GWR agreed to build Hereford Barrs Court station, which was then also used by the Midland Railway's Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway. After Hereford Council put pressure on the LNWR, they closed Hereford Barton to passengers, using it as a joint goods depot.

Under the 1960s Beeching Axe, many of the supporting branch lines and the Hereford Barton loop were closed. The remaining Hereford station, Barrs Court, was renamed Hereford and retains its Victorian Gothic architecture.

## Route

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The cities, towns and villages served by the routes are listed below from south to north:

* Newport
* connections with the South Wales Main Line and line to Gloucester
* Cwmbran
* Pontypool and New Inn
* Abergavenny
* Hereford
* connection with Cotswold Line to Worcester
* Leominster
* Ludlow
* Craven Arms
* connection with the Heart of Wales line to Llanelli
* Church Stretton
* Shrewsbury
* connection with Cambrian Line to Aberystwyth and Pwllheli, and the line to Wolverhampton
* through services via the Shrewsbury–Chester line to Wrexham for trains to London and Bidston, Chester then to Holyhead or Manchester
* Yorton
* Wem
* Prees
* Whitchurch
* Wrenbury
* Nantwich
* Crewe
* connection with West Coast Main Line, and North Wales Coast Line to Holyhead (for ferries to Dublin)
* through services to Manchester

## Services

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Transport for Wales operates all passenger services on the line, on the following routes:[3]

* There is a generally hourly service from Manchester Piccadilly to Cardiff Central, Carmarthen or Milford Haven, calling at principal stations.
* A service every two hours from Holyhead to Cardiff Central also uses the Marches line from Shrewsbury southwards.
* Local stopping services operate between Crewe and Shrewsbury
* Services via the Heart of Wales line use the Marches line between Shrewsbury and Craven Arms.

## Great Western Railway

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While Great Western Railway does not operate any passenger services along the line, the operator moves its Class 800 empty rolling stock at 05:50 and 06:33 in the morning, and 22:10 and 23:38 at night along the Hereford to Newport section of the line, where stock returns to Stoke Gifford depot, near Filton.

First Great Western briefly operated a limited service to Abergavenny as an extension of the service from London Paddington to Hereford, but this was withdrawn after just one year due to low usage.[citation needed]

## Gallery

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* The Welsh Marches Line at Craven Arms, Shropshire

* Steam train approaching Harlescott Crossing near Shrewsbury

* A Class 158 diesel multiple unit running northwards from Shrewsbury to Crewe

* Pontrilas railway station, currently closed, in the very long section without an intermediate station between Abergavenny and Hereford.

## See also

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* Flounders' Folly

* Cheshire portal

## References

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### Citations

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1. ^ Cryer 2014, p. 26.
2. ^ Cryer 2014, p. 28.
3. ^ "Timetables". Transport for Wales. 2 June 2024. Retrieved 11 December 2024.

### Sources

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* Cryer, Geoff (2014). Shropshire Railways. Marlborough: Crowood Press. ISBN 978-1-84797-691-8.

## Further reading

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* Clark, Rhodri (8–21 October 1997). "The North & West - The jewel in South Wales and West's crown". RAIL. No. 315\. EMAP Apex Publications. pp. 40–45\. ISSN 0953-4563. OCLC 49953699.
* Allen, David (22 April – 5 May 1998). "Signalling the Marches Line". RAIL. No. 329\. EMAP Apex Publications. pp. 34–39\. ISSN 0953-4563. OCLC 49953699.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Welsh Marches Line.

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Railway lines in Wales

InterCity lines|

* North Wales Main Line
* South Wales Main Line

Main lines|

* Gloucester–Newport line
* Shrewsbury–Chester line
* Welsh Marches line

Valleys & Cardiff
Local Routes|

*   Butetown Branch
*   City Line
*   Coryton Line
*   Ebbw Vale Line
*   Maesteg Line
*   Merthyr line
*   Rhondda line
*   Rhymney line
*   Vale of Glamorgan Line

Other lines|

* Borderlands line
* Cambrian Line
* Conwy Valley line
* Heart of Wales line
* West Wales lines
* Swansea District line
* Heritage railways

Service routes|

* Premier Service
* Swanline

* Trains portal
* Wales portal

* v
* t
* e

Railway lines in the West Midlands

Main lines|

* West Coast Main Line
* Cross Country Route
* Chiltern Main Line

Inter-regional|

* Birmingham–Peterborough line
* Crewe–Derby line
* Cotswold Line
* Shrewsbury–Chester line
* Stafford–Manchester line
* Welsh Marches line

Local|

* Birmingham to Worcester via Bromsgrove line
* Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster line
* Camp Hill line
* Chase Line
* Colwich–Stone line
* Coventry–Leamington line
* Coventry–Nuneaton line
* Cross-City Line
* Leamington–Stratford line
* North Warwickshire Line
* Northampton loop
* Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford line
* Stourbridge Town branch line
* Trent Valley line
* Wolverhampton–Shrewsbury line

Freight only|

* South Staffordshire line
* Sutton Park line
* Walsall–Wolverhampton line

Heritage|

* Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
* Severn Valley Railway
* Telford Steam Railway

* v
* t
* e

Railway lines in the North West

Primary to London|

* West Coast Main Line

Other|

| Inter-regional|

* Buxton line
* Calder Valley line
* Chester–Warrington line
* Crewe–Derby line
* Glossop line
* Hope Valley line
* Huddersfield line
* Leeds–Morecambe line
* Mid-Cheshire line
* Morecambe branch line
* Ribble Valley line
* Stafford–Manchester line
* Tyne Valley line
* Weaver Junction–Liverpool line

|

Intra-regional|

* Blackpool branch lines
* Borderlands line
* Chester–Birkenhead line
* Crewe–Manchester line
* Cumbrian Coast line
* East Lancashire line
* Furness line
* Hooton–Helsby line
* Kirkby branch line
* Liverpool–Manchester lines
* Liverpool–Wigan line
* Manchester–Preston line
* Manchester–Southport line
* Northern line
* Ormskirk branch line
* Settle–Carlisle line
* Stockport–Stalybridge line
* Styal line
* Windermere branch line
* Wirral line

Heritage|

* East Lancashire Railway
* Eden Valley Railway
* Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway
* Ribble Steam Railway

Disused|

* Bardsea branch
* Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway
* Hincaster branch line
* Ingleton branch line
* Rowrah and Kelton Fell Railway

* v
* t
* e

Transport in Newport

Road|

* M4 motorway
* European route E30
* A48(M) motorway
* New M4 (cancelled)
* A48 road
* A449 road
* A468 road
* A4042 road

Bus|

* Newport bus station
* Cwmbran bus station
* Newport Bus
* National Express
* Stagecoach South Wales
* Cardiff Bus
* Fflecsi (TfW)

Railway lines|

* South Wales Metro (proposed)
* South Wales Main Line
* Welsh Marches line
* Gloucester–Newport line
* Ebbw Valley Railway

Railway stations|

* Newport
* Pye Corner
* Rogerstone
* Proposed:
* Caerleon
* Llanwern
* Magor & Undy
* Newport West
* Newport West Central
* Somerton

Cycling|

* NCR 88
* NCR 4
* NCR 46
* NCR 47

Walking|

* Wales Coast Path
* Usk Valley Walk
* Cistercian Way

Waterways|

* River Usk
* Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal
* Fourteen Locks

Sea|

* Newport Docks

Transporter bridge|

* Newport Transporter Bridge

* Transport portal
* Wales portal

* v
* t
* e

Transport in Monmouthshire

Road|

* M4 motorway
* European route E30
* M48 motorway
* A40 road
* A449 road
* A465 road
* A472 road
* A4042 road
* A4136 road
* A48 road

Bus|

* Stagecoach South Wales
* Stagecoach West
* Newport Bus

National Cycle Network|

* Celtic Trail
* National Cycle Route 4
* National Cycle Route 47
* National Cycle Route 42

Railway lines|

* South Wales Main Line
* Gloucester–Newport line
* Welsh Marches line

Railway stations|

* Abergavenny
* Caldicot
* Chepstow
* Severn Tunnel Junction

Waterways|

* Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal
* River Wye

* v
* t
* e

Transport in Torfaen

Road|

*   *   *   *

Bus|

* Stagecoach South Wales
* Newport Bus

Railway lines|

* Welsh Marches line

Railway stations|

* Cwmbran
* Pontypool and New Inn

Heritage railways|

* Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway

Cycling|

* Celtic Trail
* NCR 49
* NCR 423
* NCR 466
* NCR 492

Walking|

* Cambrian Way
* Celtic Way
* Cistercian Way

Waterways|

* Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal
* Pontymoile Basin

* Transport portal
* Wales portal

52°5′14″N 2°41′23″W﻿ / ﻿52.08722°N 2.68972°W﻿ / 52.08722; -2.68972
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