Cockett railway station

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

Cockett railway station up platform on left, looking east to Cockett Tunnel and Swansea
South Wales Railway
to docks and GRC&W Works
Gloucester Eastgate
Gloucester Docks
Gloucester
(GWR)
Oakle Street
Grange Court
Westbury-on-Severn Halt
Newnham
Ruddle Road Halt
Bullo Pill
(Goods only)
Awre for Blakeney
Gatcombe
Severn Bridge
Severn Bridge Tunnel
Lydney enlarge…
Lydney Junction Dean Forest Railway
Tinworks branch
Woolaston
Tutshill for Beachley Halt
Chepstow East
Chepstow Railway Bridge
over River Wye
Chepstow
Portskewett (original location)
("Portskewett Junction" 1863–1886)
Portskewett
Caerwent Training Area
Caldicot
Severn Tunnel Junction
Undy Halt
Magor
flying junction
Bishton Crossing
Llanwern
station & steelworks
Goods line to Uskmouth
Newport High Street
Alexandra Dock
Marshfield
Roath
Cardiff Queen Street
Cardiff Central
Bute Street
Queen Alexandra Dock
P & A Campbell ferry
across the River Severn
Ninian Park
Leckwith Junction
Ely Main Line
St Fagans
St Fagans Junction
Barry Railway
to Barry Up arrow
Left arrow to Tynycaeau Junction
Drope Junction
Peterston
Pontyclun
Llanharan
Pencoed
Bridgend
Pyle Junction
Pyle
Junction (Mean)
Margam Halt
Port Talbot
Port Talbot Docks
Baglan
Briton Ferry
Neath
Skewen
Llansamlet
Landore viaduct
over River Tawe
Landore High Level
Swansea
Cockett
Gowerton North
Loughor
Trostre Tinplate Works
Llanelli
Pembrey & Burry Port
Lando Platform
Kidwelly Flats Halt
Kidwelly
Ferryside
Carmarthen Junction
Carmarthen
for Carmarthen–Aberystwyth line via Lampeter
Sarnau
St Clears
Whitland
Clunderwen
Clarbeston Road
Fishguard branch
Haverfordwest
Wolf's Castle Halt
Welsh Hook Halt
Mathry Road
Jordanston Halt
Fishguard & Goodwick
Fishguard Harbour
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

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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 Isambard Kingdom 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.

There have been recent proposals to reopen the station as part of the Welsh Government's Rail infrastructure investment.[1]

Cockett Tunnel

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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,[2] 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,[3] 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 removed[4] in 1908.[5] At the same time the eastern end of the tunnel was opened out (reducing the length to 789 yards) and the cutting sides were supported by two brick-built flying arches preceded by a very short tunnel (51°38′01″N 3°58′02″W / 51.6336°N 3.9671°W / 51.6336; -3.9671 (Cockett tunnel arches)).[6][7] The banks of the cutting were so unstable that even during this opening-out work, timber horseshoe shoring was required.

References

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  1. ^ "Two New Railway Stations Planned for Wrexham as Part of Welsh Government Rail Infrastructure Improvements".
  2. ^ Board of Trade report, available online http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventsummary.php?eventID=6127
  3. ^ R.A. Cooke, Track Layout Diagrams of the Great Western Railway and British Railways Western Region
  4. ^ "Track Topics" by W.G. Chapman, published in the 1920s by the Great Western Railway Company
  5. ^ Great Western Railway Magazine
  6. ^ Jones, Stephen K. (2006). Brunel in South Wales. Vol. II: Communications and Coal. Tempus. pp. 153–154. ISBN 0-7524-3918-9.
  7. ^ "Cockett Bridge and tunnel near m.p. 216 and a quarter". Railway Correspondence & Travel Society.
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51°38′15″N 3°58′42″W / 51.6376°N 3.9782°W / 51.6376; -3.9782