Caerleon
Station in 1959.
General information
LocationCaerleon, Newport
Wales
Grid referenceST337910
Platforms2
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyPontypool, Caerleon and Newport Railway
Pre-groupingGreat Western Railway
Post-groupingGreat Western Railway
Key dates
21 December 1874 (1874-12-21)Opened
30 April 1962Closed to passengers
29 November 1965Closed to all traffic

Caerleon railway station is a former station serving Caerleon on the east side of the city of Newport, UK and a proposed future station as part of the South Wales Metro.

History

Station buildings in Caerleon awaiting platform rebuilding and station re-opening on the Welsh Marches Line

The station was opened by the Pontypool, Caerleon and Newport Railway on 21 December 1874.[1][2] This came after the absorption of the Pontypool company by the Great Western Railway.[3] The station closed to passengers on 30 April 1962[1][2] and to all traffic on 29 November 1965.[4][5]

The site is now mixed use business premises including a gym, MOT centre and Veterinary Clinic.

Proposed reopening

The Newport City Council unitary development plan and Sewta rail strategy in 2006 set out plans for the station to be re-opened.[6] Assessments by Capita Symonds in 2010 evaluated the cost of the project as £14.1m, and highlighted it would be of particular importance given the popular restaurant and pub environment in the town, as well as the 70,000 yearly visitors to the Roman tourist attractions nearby.[7] Caerleon is particularly suited to public transport improvements as it has long had poor air quality. It has been subject to a Newport City Council air quality management area study since January 2018 due to the low standard of air quality in the town centre.[8]

The Welsh Government has commissioned Arup to review the Caerleon Station Grip 3 Report land around the site has been safeguarded by Newport City Council for future reopening[9] but in the near term the station has been neglected in favour of other reopenings predominantly in the Cardiff area.

Nevertheless, Newport City Council has discussed preliminary matters such as the provision of approximately half a hectare for car parking, subject to exact provision being agreed with Welsh Government.[9]

The rail operator Transport for Wales announced in 2018 that Caerleon is a target for reopening as part of the South Wales Metro project.[10] It would join similar proposed facilities at Magor, Cardiff Parkway, and Llanwern.

Proposals to reopen Caerleon station were strengthened following the decision by First Minister Mark Drakeford in 2019 to reject the M4 relief road,[11] which now allows up to £1.4bn to be allocated through the Welsh Government's borrowing facility[12] for improving infrastructure in and around the south east Wales M4.[13]

Services

Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Ponthir
Line open, station closed		   Great Western Railway
Pontypool, Caerleon and Newport Railway		   Newport High Street
Line and station open
  Future services  
Cwmbran
Line and station open		   Transport for Wales
Welsh Marches Line		   Newport
Line and station open

See also

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 Butt 1995, p. 51.
  2. 1 2 Quick 2009, p. 110.
  3. ↑ Awdry 1990, p. 40.
  4. ↑ Clinker 1988, p. 23.
  5. ↑ Western Main Lines: Hereford to Newport. ISBN 978-1-904474-54-8.
  6. ↑ "Newport UDP" (PDF). Newport City Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 July 2006. Retrieved 26 July 2006.
  7. ↑ "Caerleon train station proposed". 8 February 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  8. ↑ "Newport's Air Pollution Hotspots Revealed". South Wales Argus. 23 January 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  9. 1 2 "Newport City Council Local Development Plan, Council Response to Matters Arising, Hearing Session 6, Transport, Other Infrastructure, Community Facilities" (PDF). Newport City Council. 9 April 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  10. ↑ "South Wales Metro summary brochure" (PDF). gov.wales. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  11. ↑ Shipton, Martin (3 June 2019). "M4 relief road plan 'to be rejected by First Minister'". walesonline. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  12. ↑ Davies, Daniel (2 June 2019). "What could you spend £1.4bn on?". Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  13. ↑ "No new M4…so what instead?". Mark Barry. 12 June 2019. Archived from the original on 2 August 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2019.

Sources

  • Conolly, W. Philip (2004) [1958]. British Railways Pre-Grouping Atlas and Gazetteer. Hersham, Surrey: Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0-7110-0320-0.
  • 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.

51°36′50.9″N 2°57′30.9″W / 51.614139°N 2.958583°W / 51.614139; -2.958583

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