Severn Tunnel Junction railway station

Coordinates: 51°35′03″N 2°46′38″W / 51.5842°N 2.7771°W / 51.5842; -2.7771

Severn Tunnel Junction
Cyffordd Twnnel Hafren
Severn Tunnel Junction station before the recent (January 2010) restoration of a fourth line and platform
Location
Place	Rogiet
Local authority	Monmouthshire
Operations
Station code	STJ
Managed by	Arriva Trains Wales
Number of platforms	4
Live arrivals/departures and station information from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage
2004/05 *	118,092
2005/06 *	119,729
2006/07 *	134,648
2007/08 *	140,192
2008/09 *	148,836
2009/10 *	169,667
History
1850 c. 1886	Opened as Rogiet Renamed Severn Tunnel Junction
National Rail - UK railway stations
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
* Annual passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Severn Tunnel Junction from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Please note: methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Severn Tunnel Junction railway station (Welsh: Cyffordd Twnnel Hafren) is a small railway station on the western side of the Severn Tunnel at Rogiet, Monmouthshire, Wales. It lies at the junction of the South Wales Main Line from London and the Gloucester to Newport Line.

Originally called Rogiet Station^[1] after the nearby village, it was renamed after the opening of the Severn Tunnel in 1886.

The next station to the west is Newport. The next stations to the east are at Pilning in South Gloucestershire (through the tunnel) and nearby Caldicot (on the Gloucester line).

History

Severn Tunnel Junction Yards in 1961

Severn Tunnel Junction Locomotive Depot in 1951

The Great Western Railway built a major goods yard at the junction, which sorted coal coming from the South Wales Valleys to the London and the Midlands; while in reverse, it sorted goods from the rest of the UK to South Wales. The station and goods yard were heavily bombed during World War II, due to the large goods yard facility.^[2]

From 1924 to 1966 Severn Tunnel Junction was the terminus of a car transport service through the tunnel to Pilning. The service was made redundant by the opening of the Severn Bridge in 1966.^[3]

As a result of reduced coal and industrial production from the mid-1980s from South Wales, and increases in fixed goods formations, Severn Tunnel Junction goods yard and locomotive depot were closed from 12 October 1987 with residual marshalling moving to Newport railway station.^[4] After the tracks were lifted in the early 1990s, part of the site of the former goods yard was used for the toll booths for the Second Severn Crossing.

Current Developments

Network Rail is currently remodelling the track layout at Severn Tunnel Junction in conjunction with resignalling work, due to be completed by 2014.^[5] This will provide improved operational flexibility, reduce maintenance costs and re-instate a fourth through platform. SEWTA intends use the opportunity to improve passenger facilities at the station.

Since 4 January 2010 the new track configuration is in use. The South Wales Main Line now uses platforms 3 and 4 and Gloucester to Newport Line platforms 1 and 2. There are no rail connections between the platforms east of the station as high-speed crossovers have been provided to the west.

Services

[v · d · e]Severn Tunnel Junction
Legend South Wales Main Line to Newport Severn Tunnel Junction Caldicot South Wales Main Line towards Bristol (in tunnel) freight line to Caerwent Training Area Gloucester to Newport Line

[v · d · e]Gloucester to Newport Line

Legend Cross Country Route Gloucester River Severn Ledbury and Gloucester Railway Oakle Street Grange Court Hereford, Ross & Gloucester Railway Westbury-on-Severn Halt Newnham Ruddle Road Halt Severn and Wye Railway Awre for Blakeney Forest of Dean Central Railway Severn Railway Bridge Severn Bridge Sharpness Branch Line Lydney Junction / Lydney Lydney Harbour Branch Dean Forest Railway Woolaston Wye Valley Railway Tutshill Halt Chepstow East River Wye (Chepstow Railway Bridge) Chepstow M48 Severn Bridge Portskewett South Wales Main Line Sudbrook Tunnel Pumps Caerwent training area Severn Tunnel Caldicot Severn Tunnel Junction M4 Second Severn Crossing Undy Halt Magor River Severn Steel works Llanwern Uskmouth Power Station Welsh Marches Line River Usk Monmouthshire Railway Newport South Wales Main Line

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Newport		Arriva Trains Wales Maesteg / Cardiff Central - Cheltenham Spa		Caldicot
Newport		CrossCountry Cardiff Central - Birmingham New Street / Nottingham (Mondays to Saturdays only, limited service)		Caldicot
		CrossCountry Cardiff Central - Manchester Piccadilly via Bristol Temple Meads (Mondays to Saturdays only, limited service)		Patchway
Newport		First Great Western Cardiff Central - Taunton (Mondays to Saturdays only)		Patchway or Pilning
		First Great Western Cardiff Central - Portsmouth Harbour / Brighton (Mondays to Saturdays, morning and evening peak only and Sundays)		Filton Abbey Wood

See also

• First Great Western
• List of all UK railway stations

References

1. ^ The Severn Tunnel
2. ^ BBC - WW2 People's War - Dennis Harper's Story
3. ^ Nock, O.S. (1967) History of the Great Western Railway Volume III p.42
4. ^ Railways in Gloucester and Churchdown - after 1845
5. ^ Network Rail - Wales Route Utilisation Strategy Draft for Consultation

External links

• Monmouthshire Railway Society
• Train times for Severn Tunnel Junction from National Rail
• Map and aerial photos of Severn Tunnel Junction
• Historic pictures of Severn Tunnel Junction