Gowerton railway station
{{Short description|Railway station in Swansea, Wales}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox station
| name = Gowerton
| native_name = {{langx|cy|Tre-gŵyr}}
| symbol_location = gb
| symbol = rail
| image = Gowerton railway station - geograph.org.uk - 3673649.jpg
| country = Wales
| coordinates = {{coord|51.6487|N|4.0353|W|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| grid_name = Grid reference
| grid_position = {{gbmapscaled|SS592964|25|SS592964}}
| manager = Transport for Wales
| platforms = 2
| code = GWN
| classification = DfT category F2
| opened = {{start date and age|1854|08|01|df=y}}
| mpassengers =
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2019/20 |passengers={{decrease}} 0.178 million}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2020/21 |passengers={{decrease}} 34,648}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2021/22 |passengers={{increase}} 0.105 million}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2022/23 |passengers={{increase}} 0.119 million}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2023/24 |passengers={{increase}} 0.142 million}}
| footnotes = Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road
}}
Gowerton railway station (originally Gower Road and later Gowerton North) serves the village of Gowerton, Wales. It is located at street level at the end of Station Road in Gowerton, {{convert|219|mi|45|chain|km|lk=in}} from the zero point at {{stnlnk|London Paddington}}, measured via Stroud.{{cite book |last=Padgett |first=David |editor-last=Munsey |editor-first=Myles |title=Railway Track Diagrams 3: Western & Wales |edition=6th |date=June 2018 |orig-year=1989 |publisher=Trackmaps |location=Frome |isbn=978-1-9996271-0-2 |at=map 24A }} The station is unmanned but has a ticket machine, shelters on each platform and live train running information displays.
Background
Gowerton station was opened as Gower Road by the South Wales Railway on Tuesday 1 August 1854.{{cite magazine| first=N.T.| last=Wassell| title=Gowerton North (Part One)| publisher=the Railway Club of Wales| date=c. 1986}} Article cites a contemporary report in The Cambrian newspaper. It was later renamed Gowerton, following a request to the railway company by the parish vestry, and from 1950 became known as Gowerton North to distinguish it from the Gowerton South railway station which served the now closed Pontarddulais to Swansea Victoria section of the Heart of Wales Line until 1964.{{cite book| title=Clinker's Register of Closed Passenger Stations and Goods Depots in England, Wales and Scotland, 1830-1977| publisher=AvonAngliA Publications| location=Bristol| year=1978}}{{page needed|date=August 2020}}
History
File:Gowerton Railway Station.jpg
The station originally had two platforms, sited on the section between Cockett station and Duffryn, but the track was singled in 1986 as an economy measure. Network Rail planned to re-double the section of railway through this station and re-instate the disused east-bound platform in May 2012. Work commenced in March 2013 and was completed a month later.{{cite news| newspaper=South Wales Evening Post| date=May 2012}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-22037479 |title=Loughor viaduct brings more trains to Gowerton|work=BBC News |date=5 April 2013 | access-date=15 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130606204228/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-22037479 |archive-date=6 June 2013 |url-status=live }}
This has increased the capacity of this section of line and allowed more trains to stop at this station.{{cite web| url=http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/rus%20documents/route%20utilisation%20strategies/wales/wales%20rus.pdf| title=Network Rail Wales RUS| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607075754/http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/rus%20documents/route%20utilisation%20strategies/wales/wales%20rus.pdf| archive-date=7 June 2011| website=Network Rail| access-date=2008-06-25}} The re-doubling work was completed in July 2013 with the disused platform brought back into use. This resulted in an additional 95 services stopping at Gowerton every week{{cite web| url=http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/Revamped-Gowerton-train-station-track-fine-future/story-19519832-detail/story.html#axzz2bc2C1Oqi| website=This is South Wales| title=Revamped Gowerton train station is on track to fine future| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924104938/http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Revamped-Gowerton-train-station-track-fine-future/story-19519832-detail/story.html| archive-date=24 September 2015| first=Richard| last=Youle| date=July 15, 2013}} and this has also helped to increase passenger usage at the station, which has risen by 2,100% since 1998.{{cite magazine| last=Johnston| first=Howard| title=Regional News| magazine=Rail| date=13 April 2016| issue=798| page=25| issn=0953-4563}}
Services
Gowerton is served approximately every hour by Transport for Wales services heading westbound towards Llanelli, where they continue to either West Wales or to Shrewsbury via the Heart of Wales line; and eastbound towards {{rws|Swansea}}, with many continuing further east to {{rws|Cardiff Central}}, {{rws|Hereford}} and Manchester Piccadilly.{{NRtimes|December 2016|128 & 129}} The station was originally a request stop, but on 9 September 2013, it was no longer listed as one.
=Future services=
In December 2022, the ORR approved Grand Union to commence a new service from Paddington to Carmarthen in partnership with Spanish rail operator Renfe, for which a fleet of new bi-mode trains will be used. The new service is scheduled to commence in December 2024.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-63819582 | title = Trains: Plans for new London-west Wales services approved |date=1 December 2022 |website=BBC News |access-date=1 December 2022}} The service will call at Bristol Parkway, Severn Tunnel Junction, Newport, Cardiff Central, Gowerton and Llanelli en-route to Carmarthen.ORR approves Grand Union London - Carmarthern trains Rail issue 972 14 December 2022 page 17
{{rail start}}
{{rail line|previous=Swansea|next=Llanelli|route=Transport for Wales
West Wales Line|col={{KAW colour}}}}
{{rail line|previous=Swansea|next=Llanelli|route=Transport for Wales
Heart of Wales Line|col={{KAW colour}}}}
{{s-note|text=Future services}}
{{rail line |previous={{rws|Cardiff Central}}|next={{rws|Llanelli}}|route=Grand Union
London - Carmarthen |col={{Temporary rail colour|960018}} }}
{{s-end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
{{stn art lnk|GWN|SA43AJ}}
- [https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3673649 Gowerton station after track redoubling in 2013]
{{Transport in Swansea}}
Category:Railway stations in Swansea
Category:DfT Category F2 stations
Category:Former Great Western Railway stations
Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1854
Category:Railway stations served by Transport for Wales Rail