Ross and Monmouth Railway

Ross and Monmouth Railway
The bridge in the background is the steel bridge which was opened in 1874 to allow the line to reach Monmouth Troy
Overview
Locale	Monmouthshire-Herefordshire
Termini	Ross-on-Wye Monmouth
Stations	Seven
Operation
Opened	4 August 1873 (1873-08-04)
Closed	1959 (1959)
Operator(s)	Great Western Railway
Technical
Line length	13 mi (21 km)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in)

Legend

Hereford, Ross and

Gloucester Railway

0m 0ch

Ross-on-Wye

3m 12ch

4m 10ch

River Wye

Lydbrook tunnel

River Wye

Severn and Wye Railway

5m 40ch

Lydbrook Junction

Symonds Yat tunnel

7m 50ch

Symonds Yat

Herefordshire, England

Monmouthshire, Wales

border

10m 59ch

Hadnock Halt

12m 31ch

Monmouth Mayhill

Wye Valley Railway

and Coleford Railway

River Wye

13m 10ch

Monmouth Troy

Coleford, Monmouth, Usk

and Pontypool Railway

The Railways of Monmouth

Legend

Ross and Monmouth Railway

Monmouth Mayhill

Duke of Beaufort Bridge

Monmouth Troy Goods Yard

Coleford Railway

Wye Valley Railway

Monmouth Troy Tunnel

River Trothy

Dingestow

CMU&PR

The Ross and Monmouth Railway (sometimes referred to as the Wye Valley Line) was a 4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) standard gauge railway of 13 miles (21 km) which ran between Ross-on-Wye, in Herefordshire, England and Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales.^[1] It was authorized in 1865 by an Act of Parliament and opened on 4 August 1873.^[2] The station at Monmouth was situated at Mayhill on the east bank of the Wye; later, in 1874 the line was extended to a station at Monmouth Troy. The railway remained independent until 1921 when the 1921 Railways Act forced its amalgamation with the Great Western Railway.^[2]

History

Contractor was John Firbank who took eight years to construct the railway, which was opened on 4 August 1873, with its terminus initially at Monmouth Mayhill. The bridge over the River Wye was completed in 1874, a few months after the line's official opening ceremony. On the bridges completion the line was extended to Monmouth Troy, the extension was officially opened on 1 May 1874.^[2]

There were five stations on the 12 ¹⁄₂ miles (20.1 km) long line, Ross-on-Wye (already constructed for the Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway),^[3] Kerne Bridge, Lydbrook Junction, Symonds Yat, Monmouth Mayhill and Monmouth Troy. Two halts were added later, one at Walford (opened in 1931) and the other at Hadnock (opened in 1951). Hadnock Halt was only open for eight years, it was closed in 1959 when passenger services were withdrawn from the line.

Route

Starting at Ross-on-Wye the line skirted around the southern outskirts of the town before heading west down the Wye valley on the river's south bank. The line passed through Walford, and Kerne Bridge then to avoid a long detour along a bend in the river crossed onto the opposite bank, went through a tunnel before recrossing the river. Here the line met the Severn and Wye Railway just before Lydbrook Junction. The line continued on the south bank of the Wye going through a tunnel just before Symonds Yat to avoid a three-mile bend, past Hadnock to Monmouth Mayhill and then Monmouth Troy.

Operations

From day one, the line was operated by the GWR under its company, the Monmouth and Hereford Railway. This allowed the GWR to run through trains from Monmouth via Ross on Wye, and onwards to Hereford via the Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway, without passengers having to change trains, or trains to change locomotives.

The Ross and Monmouth Railway was one of the few lines in Britain to remain independent until the Railways Act 1921 forced the GWR to take over the railway. It remained under the management of the GWR until the 'big four' railway companies were nationalised.

Closure

Last train leaving Monmouth Troy in 1959.

In January 1959 the Wye Valley Railway and the passenger services were withdrawn. The last ever passenger train was a 'special' service from Chepstow to Ross-on-Wye along both the Wye Valley and Ross and Monmouth Railways, the only known train to make the trip in one single journey. The section between Lydbrook and Monmouth was closed completely but the section between the Lower Lydbrook Viaduct and Ross-on-Wye remained open until 1 November 1965.^[4]

Missing rail links in Monmouth, foreground Wye Valley Railway and background Ross and Monmouth Railway linked to missing Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway in Ross-on-Wye.

References

↑ Stanley C Jenkins, The Ross, Monmouth and Pontypool Road Line, revised second edition 2009, ISBN 978-0-85361-692-4
1 2 3 B. M. Handley and R. Dingwall, The Wye Valley Railway and the Coleford Branch, 1982, ISBN 0-85361-530-6
↑ Ross-on-Wye.com, The Railway
↑ Ross-on-Wye.com, Ross to Monmouth Line

Historic Welsh railway companies

Great Western Railway	Aberdare Railway Aberdare Valley Railway Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway Alexandra Docks and Railway Bala and Dolgelly Railway Bala and Festiniog Railway Barry Dock and Railway Barry Railway Blaenavon Tramroad Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil Junction Brecon and Merthyr Railway Bridgend Bristol and South Wales Union Railway Burry Port and Gwendraeth Valley Railway Cambrian Railways Cardiff Railway Cardiff and Ogmore Carmarthen and Cardigan Carmarthenshire Railway Clarbeston Road and Letterston Railway Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway Corris Railway Corwen and Bala Railway Denbigh, Ruthin and Corwen Railway Ely and Clydach Valleys Railway Ely Valley Railway Ely Valley Extension Railway Gwendraeth Valleys Railway Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway Kington Tramway Lampeter, Aberayron and New Quay Light Railway Llancaiach Branch Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr Railway Llanidloes and Newtown Railway Llangollen and Corwen Railway Llangurig branch Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway Llynvi and Ogmore Railway Maerdy Branch Manchester and Milford Railway Mawddwy Railway Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway Mid-Wales Railway Monmouth and Hereford Railway Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company Narberth Road and Maenclochog Railway Neath and Brecon Railway Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway Newtown and Machynlleth Railway North Pembrokeshire and Fishguard Railway North Wales Mineral Railway Oswestry, Ellesmere and Whitchurch Railway Oswestry and Newtown Railway Pembroke and Tenby Railway Pontypool, Caerleon and Newport Railway Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway Port Talbot Railway Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway Rhymney Railway Rumney Railway Ross and Monmouth Railway Shrewsbury and Chester Railway Shrewsbury, Oswestry and Chester Junction Railway South Wales Railway Taff Vale Railway Tanat Valley Light Railway Vale of Glamorgan Railway Vale of Llangollen Railway Vale of Neath Railway Vale of Rheidol Railway Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway West Midland Railway Whitland and Cardigan Railway Wye Valley Railway Wrexham and Ellesmere Railway

London and North Western Railway	Anglesey Central Railway Bangor and Carnarvon Brynmawr and Blaenavon Railway Carnarvon and Llanberis Railway Carnarvonshire Railway Central Wales Railway Central Wales Extension Railway Chester and Holyhead Railway Chester & Connah's Quay Railway Conway and Llanrwst Railway Knighton Railway Llanelly Railway Red Wharf Bay Sirhowy Railway Swansea and Carmarthen Railway Central Wales and Carmarthen Junction Railway Vale of Clwyd Railway

Joint lines	Brynmawr and Western Valleys Railway Nantybwch and Rhymney Railway Quaker’s Yard and Merthyr Railway Taff Bargoed Railway Buckley Railway North Wales and Liverpool Railway Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway Shrewsbury and Welshpool Railway Vale of Towy Railway Wrexham, Mold and Connah's Quay Railway Wrexham and Minera Railway

Independent lines	Corris, Machynlleth and River Dovey Tramroad Fairbourne Railway Ffestiniog Railway Festiniog and Blaenau Railway Glyn Valley Tramway Hay Railway Kinmel Camp Railway Mold and Denbigh Junction Railway North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway Potteries, Shrewsbury & North Wales Railway Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway Pwllheli and Llanbedrog Tramway Ruthin and Cerrig-y-Drudion Railway Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Railway Snowdon Mountain Railway Swansea and Mumbles Railway Talyllyn Railway Van Railway Welsh Highland Railway

Industrial railways	Bailey's Tramroad Beaufort Ironworks Tramway Bryn Oer Tramway Buckley Tramroad Carnarvonshire Slate Quarries Railway Cedryn Quarry Tramway Cowlyd Tramway Crawshay's Private Railway Crickheath Tramway Croesor Tramway Deeside Tramway Dinorwic Railway Dowlais Railway Eigiau Tramway Elan Valley Railway Gorseddau Junction And Portmadoc Railway Gorseddau Tramway Hendre-Ddu Tramway Kerry Tramway Little Ormes Head Quarry tramway Merionethshire Railway Morda Tramway Nantlle Tramway Padarn Railway Penrhyn Quarry Railway Penydarren Tramway Pen-yr-Orsedd Quarry tramways Rhiwbach Tramway Saundersfoot Railway Trefor Quarry railway Tremadoc Tramway

The "Big Four" pre-nationalisation British railway companies

Great Western London Midland & Scottish London & North Eastern Southern

GWR constituents	Alexandra (Newport and South Wales) Docks and Railway Barry Railway Cambrian Railways Cardiff Railway Great Western Railway Rhymney Railway Taff Vale Railway Full list

LNER constituents	Great Central Great Eastern Great Northern Great North of Scotland Hull & Barnsley North British North Eastern Full list

LMS constituents	Caledonian Furness Glasgow & South Western Highland Lancashire & Yorkshire London and North Western Midland North Staffordshire Full list

SR constituents	London and South Western Railway London, Brighton and South Coast Railway London, Chatham and Dover Railway South Eastern and Chatham Railway South Eastern Railway Full list

See also History of rail transport in Great Britain 1923–1947 List of companies involved in the grouping

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 9/28/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.