Elan Valley Railway

The Elan Valley Railway (EVR) was a Welsh industrial railway built to assist in the construction of the Elan Valley Reservoirs in mid Wales.

History

The four dams in the Elan Valley were built to supply water to Birmingham, and were authorized by an Act of Parliament in 1892. By 1893 dam construction was underway and the railway was completed in 1896. At its maximum extent, the railway had 33 miles of track supporting the construction work, running from a junction with the Cambrian Railways Mid Wales line near Rhayader to the Craig Goch dam site.

The railway was owned and operated by the Birmingham Corporation which also owned the dams and associated works. The railway was mainly operated using a fleet of steam locomotives owned by the Corporation, with occasional assistance from locomotives borrowed from neighbouring railways.

The dams were officially opened by King Edward VII on 21 July 1904, although construction continued until 1906. The railway connection with the Cambrian Railways line was reduced from a loop and double junction to a single junction in June 1908, as traffic reduced. The majority of the EVR was lifted by 1912, with the final main line track being removed in 1916.

References

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