Cockett railway station

Cockett railway station up platform on left, looking East to Cockett Tunnel and Swansea.

Cockett station was a former station on the West Wales Line from Swansea to Gowerton and onwards to Llanelli.

South Wales Railway
Cross Country Route
to Birmingham
to Bristol
to docks and GRC&W Works
Gloucester Eastgate
Gloucester Docks
Gloucester (GWR)
River Severn
Alney Island
River Severn
Ledbury and Gloucester Railway
Oakle Street
Grange Court
Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway
Westbury-on-Severn Halt
Newnham
Ruddle Road Halt
Bullo Pill Railway
Bullo Pill (Goods only)
Awre for Blakeney
Forest of Dean Central Railway
Gatcombe
Severn Bridge Railway to Sharpness
Severn Railway Bridge
over River Severn
Severn Bridge
Severn Bridge Tunnel
Lydney
Lydney Junction Dean Forest Railway
Lydney Harbour Branch
Dean Forest Railway
Tinworks branch
Woolaston
Wye Valley Railway
Tutshill for Beachley Halt
Chepstow East
Chepstow Railway Bridge
over River Wye
Chepstow
Bristol and South Wales Union Railway
Portskewett (original location)
("Portskewett Junction" 1863–1886)
Portskewett
South Wales Main Line
via Severn Tunnel
Caerwent Training Area
Caldicot
Severn Tunnel Junction
Undy Halt
Magor
flying junction
Bishton Crossing
Llanwern station│ steelworks
Goods line to Uskmouth
Welsh Marches line
to Abergavenny and Hereford
River Usk
Newport High Street
Brecon and Merthyr Railway
to Ebbw Vale
Alexandra Dock
Brecon and Merthyr Railway
to Machen and Merthyr Tydfil
Marshfield
River Rhymney
Roath
Rhymney Railway to Caerphilly
Cardiff Queen Street
Taff Vale Railway to Pontypridd
Cardiff Central
Bute Street
Queen Alexandra Dock
P and A Campbell ferry
across the River Severn
Barry Railway
to Barry, Penarth and Vale of Glamorgan
Cardiff Canton Locomotive Depot
Ninian Park
Leckwith Junction
Penarth Harbour and Dock Railway
to Taffs Well
Ely Main Line
St Fagans
St Fagans Junction
Barry Railway
to Barry Up arrow
Left arrow to Tynycaeau Junction
Drope Junction
Peterston
Pontyclun
Ely Valley Railway
Cowbridge and Aberthaw Railway
Llanharan
Cardiff and Ogmore Valley Railway
Pencoed
Barry Railway to Vale of Glamorgan
Bridgend
Llynvi and Ogmore Railway to Maesteg
Llynvi and Ogmore Railway to Tondu
Pyle Junction
Pyle
Llynvi and Ogmore Railway
to Porthcawl
Port Talbot Railway to Tondu
Port Talbot Railway to Tonmawr
Junction (Mean)
Margam Halt
Port Talbot
Port Talbot Docks
Baglan
Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway
to Treherbert
South Wales Mineral Railway
to Tonmawr
Briton Ferry
Swansea District line
Neath
Vale of Neath Railway
River Neath
Skewen
Swansea District line
to Swansea docks
Llansamlet
Landore viaduct
over River Tawe
Landore High Level
Swansea High Street
Cockett Tunnel
Cockett
Gowerton North
Loughor
Loughor Viaduct
Trostre Tinplate Works
Llanelli
Pembrey and Burry Port
Lando Platform
Kidwelly Flats Halt
Kidwelly
Ferryside
Carmarthen Junction
Carmarthen
for Carmarthen–Aberystwyth line via Lampeter
Sarnau
St Clears
Whitland
West Wales line to Pembroke Dock
Whitland and Cardigan Railway
Clunderwen
Rosebush loop
Clarbeston Road
Fishguard branch
Haverfordwest
Wolf's Castle Halt
Welsh Hook Halt
Mathry Road
Rosebush loop
Jordanston Halt
Fishguard and Goodwick
Fishguard Harbour
Ferry to Rosslare Europort
Johnston
Neyland
Waterston oil refinery
Robeston oil refinery
Milford Haven
Newton Noyes
Hakin Docks

The station was located on the west side of Swansea in the residential area of Cockett.

History

The railway line between Landore and Carmarthen was opened on 11 October 1852 by the broad gauge South Wales Railway, which later became part of the Great Western Railway. The engineer of this line was Brunel. Originally, the first station westwards from Landore was at Loughor; Cockett and Gowerton stations were opened at later dates. Cockett station was closed to passenger traffic on and from 2 November 1964.

Cockett Tunnel

Just east of the station, towards Swansea, was the 829 yard Cockett Tunnel. The tunnel was cut through unstable soft ground and had wide cuttings at a shallow angle at either end.

The tunnel suffered a partial collapse in 1899, which was held to have been caused by the resumption of pumping operations at the long-closed Weig-fawr colliery,[1] owned by Philip Richard (II), the flooded workings of which extended beneath the tunnel. The tunnel was completely closed for four weeks, after which traffic was resumed on a single line, but it was not fully restored until 1903,[2] by which time steel ribs had been inserted into the bore of the tunnel at its eastern end (not the location of the collapse) to strengthen the roof. These were found to unduly restrict the loading gauge within the tunnel and were subsequently removed[3] (by 1916).[4] The eastern end of the tunnel was opened out (reducing the length to 788 yards) and the cutting sides were supported by two brick-built flying arches (51°38′01″N 3°58′02″W / 51.6336°N 3.9671°W / 51.6336; -3.9671 (Cockett tunnel arches)).[5][6] The banks of the cutting were so unstable that even during this opening-out work, timber horseshoe shoring was required.

References

  1. Board of Trade report, available online http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventsummary.php?eventID=6127
  2. R.A. Cooke, Track Layout Diagrams of the Great Western Railway and British Railways Western Region
  3. "Track Topics" by W.G. Chapman, published in the 1920s by the Great Western Railway Company
  4. Ordnance Survey 1:2500 plan
  5. Jones, Stephen K. (2006). Brunel in South Wales. II: Communications and Coal. Tempus. pp. 153–154. ISBN 0-7524-3918-9.
  6. "Cockett Bridge and tunnel near m.p. 216 and a quarter". RCTS.

Coordinates: 51°38′15″N 3°58′42″W / 51.6376°N 3.9782°W / 51.6376; -3.9782

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