Neath railway station

Neath railway station is a main line railway station serving the town of Neath, south Wales. Managed by Transport for Wales, the station is located at street level on Windsor Road, situated back from the street fronting a small car park. It is 208 miles 20 chains (335 km) from London Paddington (via Stroud).[1]

Neath
Welsh: Castell-nedd
Location
PlaceNeath
Local authorityNeath Port Talbot
Coordinates51.662°N 3.807°W / 51.662; -3.807
Grid referenceSS751974
Operations
Station codeNTH
Managed byTransport for Wales
Number of platforms2
DfT categoryD
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2014/15 0.835 million
2015/16 0.837 million
2016/17 0.819 million
2017/18 0.817 million
2018/19 0.827 million
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Neath from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.

History
A Swansea-bound South Wales Pullman at Neath General in 1967

The surviving Neath railway station is one of four railway stations originally in Neath, and to distinguish it from the others was at one time named Neath General, the suffix being applied before Nationalisation.[2] Neath Canalside served the Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway services until they ended in 1963. Neath Riverside (also at times known as Neath Bridge Street and Neath Low Level), served trains to and from Brecon via the Neath and Brecon Railway, with an additional stop at Neath Abbey. The railway itself remains partly in use, linking Onllwyn and the docks. The remains of the Neath Bridge Street station can be seen by looking down at the railway alongside the river bridge just before Neath railway station in the Swansea direction.

Neath General also acted as the western passenger terminus of the Vale of Neath Railway for most of its life - trains running from here to Pontypool Road via Aberdare and Crumlin High Level via a connecting curve at the west end of the station. These ceased in June 1964 (when the line fell victim to the Beeching Axe) and the link line was lifted, though parts of the old VoNR remains intact (but disused) as far as Resolven and from Aberdare to Hirwaun.[3]

The present station buildings date from 1974, when the old GWR structures dating from 1886/87 were demolished and rebuilt in contemporary style by British Rail.

Facilities

The station has 2 platforms both accessed through ticket barriers:

The station is fully staffed, with the ticket office open all week (Monday to Friday: 05:30 – 18:30, Saturday: 07:00 – 18:45, Sunday: 09:20 – 16:50). A ticket machine is also provided for use outside booking office hours and for collecting pre-paid tickets. Other amenities provided in the main building on platform 2 include a buffet, waiting room, pay phone and toilets. A waiting room is available on platform 1 and both platforms have CIS displays, automated announcements and timetable poster boards. Step-free access is available to the eastbound platform at all times and to the opposite side via a foot crossing when the station is staffed. However a public lift is provided on an overlooking footbridge.[4] Both platforms are considered short, with neither platform being able to fully contain a GWR train.

Services

The station is served by both Great Western Railway main line services between London Paddington and Swansea. The trains run hourly each way with peak extras and Transport for Wales regional trains between Milford Haven/Carmarthen and Manchester Piccadilly via Cardiff, Newport and Shrewsbury (also hourly), plus the two-hourly Swansea to Cardiff stopping trains.[5]

On Sundays the London - Swansea service runs hourly and the Milford Haven/Carmarthen - Manchester trains run every two hours.

Preceding station National Rail Following station
Briton Ferry   Transport for Wales
Swanline		   Skewen
Port Talbot Parkway   Great Western Railway
London Paddington - Carmarthen		   Swansea
Port Talbot Parkway   Transport for Wales
South Wales Main Line		   Swansea
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References
  1. Yonge, John; Padgett, David (August 2010) [1989]. Bridge, Mike (ed.). Railway Track Diagrams 3: Western (5th ed.). Bradford on Avon: Trackmaps. map 24A. ISBN 978-0-9549866-6-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. Slater, J.N., ed. (July 1974). "Notes and News: Western's last "General"". Railway Magazine. London: IPC Transport Press Ltd. 120 (879): 361. ISSN 0033-8923.
  3. "Railscot - Vale of Neath Railway"Railscot; Retrieved 25 August 2016
  4. Neath station facilities National Rail Enquiries; Retrieved 5 April 2017
  5. GB eNRT 2016-17 Edition, Tables 125 & 128

Media related to Neath railway station at Wikimedia Commons

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