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Blaina railway station

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Coordinates: 51°45′52″N 3°09′41″W / 51.7644°N 3.1613°W / 51.7644; -3.1613
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Blaina
Station remains in 1966.
General information
LocationBlaina, Blaenau Gwent
Wales
Coordinates51°45′52″N 3°09′41″W / 51.7644°N 3.1613°W / 51.7644; -3.1613
Grid referenceSO199079
Platforms2
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyMonmouthshire Railway and Canal Company
Pre-groupingGreat Western Railway
Post-groupingGreat Western Railway
Key dates
23 December 1850 (1850-12-23)Opened
30 April 1962Closed to passengers
23 March 1964Closed to goods
5 July 1976Line closed

Blaina railway station was a station which served the small town of Blaina in the Welsh county of Monmouthshire.[1]

History

[edit]

Among the lines built by the Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company from Newport into the valleys was a 6-mile (9.7-kilometre) branch from Aberbeeg to Nantyglo, which was first opened as a tramroad in 1824 branching from the Llanhiledd Tramroad between Crumlin and Beaufort.[2] The first timetabled passenger service began on 23 December 1850 from Newport Courtybella to Blaina via Abertillery.[3] There were two daily services each way; the journey time was 1¾ hours between termini.[4] The line was converted to a railway in 1855 together with other Monmouth tramroads in the area.[5] It became part of the Great Western Railway in 1880[6] and remained there at the Grouping of 1923.[7]

Blaina station opened with the first timetabled service on 23 December 1850.[8][9] It was situated opposite St Peter's Church and to the north of Blaina Reading Institute.[10] To the north lay a network of sidings branching off to serve the Tinplate Works and Lower Deep Pit, while to the south were the Gasworks served by a private siding between 1911 and 1937.[11] The Brynmawr and Blaina Gas Company received around 4000 tons of coal yearly during this period, after which coke oven gas was sourced from Blaenavon.[12] The station had two platforms linked by a covered footbridge which subsequently lost its roof.[13] A pagoda shelter stood on the Down platform, whilst the solidly-built stone station building was on the Up platform with a 42-lever signal box which was in service until 11 October 1964.[14][5] Around 15 staff were employed at Blaina station in the 1930s.[15]

Passenger services were withdrawn from the station on 30 April 1962.[16][9][8] Goods facilities were provided until 23 March 1964.[16] The route was progressively shortened as collieries were closed, with official closure of the section between Blaina and Rose Heyworth Colliery coming on 5 July 1976.[17] The last section of the line near Abertillery was taken out of use in 1989 after the closure of Six Bells Colliery.[5][18]


Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Nantyglo
Line and station closed 		  Great Western Railway
Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company
 		  Bournville (Mon) Halt
Line and station closed

Present

[edit]

The A467 road follows the course of the former line through Blaina.[citation needed]

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ Conolly (2004), p. 8, section A4.
  2. ^ Page (1988), p. 141.
  3. ^ Mitchell & Smith (2006), historical background.
  4. ^ Byles (1982), p. 32.
  5. ^ a b c Page (1988), p. 142.
  6. ^ Awdry (1990), p. 36.
  7. ^ Awdry (1990), p. 13.
  8. ^ a b Quick (2009), p. 89.
  9. ^ a b Butt (1995), p. 37.
  10. ^ Mitchell & Smith (2006), fig. XXVIII.
  11. ^ Mitchell & Smith (2006), figs. XXVIII and 81.
  12. ^ Mitchell & Smith (2006), fig. 81.
  13. ^ Mitchell & Smith (2006), figs. 80 and 82.
  14. ^ Mitchell & Smith (2006), figs. 82 and 83.
  15. ^ Mitchell & Smith (2006), fig. 80.
  16. ^ a b Clinker (1988), p. 14.
  17. ^ Hurst (1991), p. 69, note 3054.
  18. ^ Hall (2009), p. 52.

Sources

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  • Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063. CN 8983.
  • Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
  • Byles, Aubrey (1982). The History of the Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company. Cwmbran: Village Publishing. ISBN 0-946043-00-0.
  • Clinker, C. R. (1988) [1978]. Clinker's Register of Closed Passenger Stations and Goods Depots in England, Scotland and Wales 1830–1980 (2nd ed.). Bristol: Avon-Anglia Publications & Services. ISBN 978-0-905466-91-0. OCLC 655703233.
  • Conolly, W. Philip (2004) [1958]. British Railways Pre-Grouping Atlas and Gazetteer. Hersham, Surrey: Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0-7110-0320-0.
  • Hall, Mike (2009). Lost Railways of South Wales. Newbury: Countryside Books. ISBN 978-1-84674-172-2.
  • Hurst, Geoffrey (1991). Register of Closed Railways 1948–1991. Milepost Publications. ISBN 0-947796-18-5.
  • Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (August 2006). Abertillery and Ebbw Vale Lines. Welsh Valleys. Midhurst: Middleton Press. ISBN 978-1-9044-7484-5.
  • Page, James (1988) [1979]. South Wales. Forgotten Railways. Vol. 8. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0-946537-44-5.
  • Quick, Michael (2009) [2001]. Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (4th ed.). Oxford: Railway & Canal Historical Society. ISBN 978-0-901461-57-5. OCLC 612226077.
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