Swansea District Line
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The Swansea District Line is a section of line running through the northern part of Swansea, and is used for freight transportation, and minimal passenger transport. It was built by the Great Western Railway in 1912 to provide a faster and less steeply graded route between London and Fishguard, in connection with the recently opened harbour at the latter place. It can thereby claim to be the very last mainline railway to have been built in Wales. The double track line runs from Cwrt Sart junction at Briton Ferry on the South Wales Main Line to Morlais junction near Pontarddulais on the Heart of Wales Line.
The line is currently used mainly for freight traffic, but Arriva Trains Wales run three services along the line in each direction on Mondays to Saturdays between Fishguard Harbour and Cardiff; (Some services extended to Cheltenham Spa). The services run in connection with morning, afternoon and evening Stena Line ferry crossings to and from Rosslare in Ireland. By taking the Swansea District Line, these passenger services bypass both Neath and Swansea railway stations.
Future plans
Network Rail intend to rationalise this line and divert traffic via the South Wales Main Line alongside the replacement of the Loughor railway viaduct and proposed re-doubling of the track at Gowerton.[1] The rail transport campaign group, the Railway Development Society has proposed instead that this link be restored for passenger services including building stations to serve Llandarcy, Morriston and Grovesend.[2]
Loss of gauge
Careless maintenance work on the Swansea District Line has reduced the Rail gauge available on the Swansea District Line in the past, reducing its use to freight.[3]
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