:Caersws railway station
{{Short description|Railway station in Powys, Wales}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox station
| name = Caersws
| native_name = {{langx|cy|Caersŵs}}
| symbol_location = gb
| symbol = rail
| image = Caersws station, 2024-04-13 03 (cropped).jpg
| country = Wales
| coordinates = {{coord|52.516|-3.433|type:railwaystation_region:GB_scale:10000|display=inline,title}}
| grid_name = Grid reference
| grid_position = {{gbmapscaled|SO028918|25|SO028918}}
| manager = Transport for Wales
| platforms = 1
| code = CWS
| classification = DfT category F1
| original = Newtown and Machynlleth Railway
| pregroup = Cambrian Railways
| opened = 3 January 1863{{sfn|Butt|1995|p=51}}
| mpassengers =
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2019/20 |passengers={{decrease}} 59,274}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2020/21 |passengers={{decrease}} 13,196}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2021/22 |passengers={{increase}} 31,398}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2022/23 |passengers={{increase}} 42,500}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2023/24 |passengers={{increase}} 49,136}}
| footnotes = Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road
| embedded = {{Infobox designation list|embed=yes
| designation1 = Grade II
| designation1_feature = Caersws railway station, with stationmaster’s house
| designation1_date = 28 August 1991
| designation1_number = 8697{{NHAW|desc=Caersws railway station, with stationmaster’s house |num=8697 |accessdate=27 October 2021}}
}}
}}
Caersws railway station is on the Cambrian Line in mid-Wales, serving the village of Caersws. It is notable in that there are {{convert|22|mi|km}} separating this station and Machynlleth, the longest distance between two intermediate stations in Wales.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-mid-wales-35235671|title=Support to re-open Carno railway station|publisher=BBC News|date=6 January 2016}}
History
The station was built by the Newtown and Machynlleth Railway of the Cambrian Railways in the 1863. Originally there was a passing loop, a goods shed, a water tower and a ticket office and a signal box - the latter remained in use until March 2011 as a gate box to supervise the station level crossing (this is now operated from Machynlleth).
The station was threatened with closure in 1964 along with all of the other wayside stops on the former Cambrian main line (as a consequence of the Beeching cuts), but reprieved by the Minister of Transport Tom Fraser in December that year to act as the notional railhead for the town of Llanidloes (following the demise of the Mid-Wales Railway that served it directly).[http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/m/montgomery/index.shtml Disused Stations - Montgomery] Disused Stations Site Record; Retrieved 31 July 2017
In February 2013, Caersws station won the "Wales’ Best Unstaffed Train Station" award, supported by Keep Wales Tidy.http://www.keepwalestidy.org/10408{{Dead link|date=June 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
Facilities
Though unstaffed, the station has a ticket machine installed. Train running information is offered via CIS displays, automated announcements, timetable poster boards and a customer help point. There is also payphone available.[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/csw/details.html Caersws station facilities] National Rail Enquiries Step-free access is available from the entrance to the platform.
Services
There is a basic two-hourly service in each direction Mon-Sat, with some additional services in the morning and evening (most of which run between Shrewsbury and {{rws|Aberystwyth}} only). Sundays also run every two hours, though there is only a limited service (one in winter, three in summer) along the Cambrian Coast line to {{rws|Pwllheli}}.[http://www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk/Timetables/ Arriva Trains Wales Timetables] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150129131132/http://www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk/Timetables/ |date=29 January 2015 }} Retrieved 6 May 2016{{NRtimes|May 2017|76}}
Van Railway
An independent railway the Van Railway started /terminated at Caersws serving lead mines ran from 1871 until 1940. There was a separate station and yard about 100 yards south west of the Cambrian Railway station. Passenger services operated from 1873 until 1879.
The notable Welsh romantic poet John Ceiriog Hughes was employed as a station master and Manager of the Van Railway at Caersws railway station from 1868 until his death in 1887.{{cite book |author=C P Gasquoine|title=The Story of the Cambrian|year=1973 |publisher=Christopher Davies Ltd}}
After closure the station building was sold and was used by various companies as offices. In 2024 the station building was still standing with a portion of the platform.
{{s-rail-start|noclear=yes}}
{{s-rail|title=National Rail}}
{{s-rail-national |previous=Machynlleth |next=Newtown |toc=Transport for Wales|route=Cambrian Line|county2=Powys}}
{{historical rail insert}}
{{rail line|previous=Pontdolgoch
Line open, station closed |route=Cambrian Railways
Newtown and Machynlleth Railway |next=Moat Lane Junction
Line open, station closed |col={{Cambrian colour}} }}
{{disused rail insert}}
{{rail line|previous=Red House
Line and station closed |route=Cambrian Railways
Van Railway |col={{Cambrian colour}} }}
{{s-end}}
Gallery
File:Caersws station10.jpg|Bilingual sign at Caersws station in the early 2000s
File:Cearsws station 2`.png|Caersws station in the early 2000s
File:Caersws railway station MMB 02.jpg|Caersws station in September 2009
File:Ticket machine on Caersws railway station (geograph 5489028).jpg|Ticket machine and station building (2015)
File:Caersws railway station buildings (geograph 5489037).jpg|Caersws station and signal box (2015)
References
{{reflist}}
Sources
- {{Butt-Stations}}
External links
{{commons category-inline}}
{{stn art lnk|CWS|SY175HH}}
{{Transport in Powys}}
Category:Railway stations in Powys
Category:DfT Category F1 stations
Category:Former Cambrian Railway stations
Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1863
Category:Railway stations served by Transport for Wales Rail