Shrewsbury and Welshpool Railway

The Shrewsbury and Welshpool Railway (S&WR) was a standard gauge railway which connected the towns of Shrewsbury and Welshpool. It opened in 1861 and the majority of the railway remains in use in 2008.

History

The S&WR was incorporated in an Act of Parliament in 1856. Although initially an independent company, the line was to be used and maintained by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR). Construction under the Act began in 1859, and by 1861 the line from Shrewsbury to Minsterley was completed and ready to be opened; this took place on 14 February 1861. Construction on the main line to Welshpool was completed later in 1861 and officially opened on 27 January 1862.

The Minsterley branch served the agricultural communities of the area, but its main purpose was to carry lead from the mines along the Stiperstones hills. These mines were connected to the S&WR at Pontesbury by the narrow gauge Snailbeach District Railways which opened in 1873. Following closure of the Snailbeach District Railways in 1959, the Minsterley branch closed in 1961, although passenger services had ceased early in 1951.

The mainline of the S&WR continued in use as the main route from Shrewsbury to Welshpool and the ex-Cambrian Railways mainline to Machynlleth and mid Wales. The railway was jointly operated by the LNWR and the Great Western Railway until nationalisation when it became part of British Railways. This line continues to operate in 2008.

References

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