Morfa Mawddach railway station

Morfa Mawddach railway station (formerly Barmouth Junction) is an unstaffed station located on the outskirts of the village of Arthog in Gwynedd, Wales, on the Cambrian Coast line between Machynlleth and Pwllheli. Built by the Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway in 1865, it was formerly the junction station for the Ruabon to Barmouth Line. Since the closure of the Ruabon to Barmouth line in 1965, it remains open, as a minor station on the Cambrian Line.

Morfa Mawddach
General information
Location	Arthog, Gwynedd Wales
Coordinates	52.7077°N 4.0316°W / 52.7077; -4.0316
Grid reference	SH628142
Managed by	Transport for Wales
Platforms	1
Other information
Station code	MFA
Classification	DfT category F2
History
Original company	Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway
Pre-grouping	Cambrian Railways
Post-grouping	Great Western Railway
Key dates
3 July 1865 (1865-07-03)	Opened as Barmouth Junction
13 June 1960	Renamed Morfa Mawddach
Passengers
2018/19	11,920
2019/20	11,022
2020/21	894
2021/22	5,320
2022/23	8,174
Notes Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History

The station as it was in 1962

The station was built by the Aberystwith [sic] and Welsh Coast Railway and opened on 3 July 1865 as Barmouth Junction.^[1][2] From 1899 to 1903 there was a connection with the Barmouth Junction and Arthog Tramway.

The station was host to a GWR camp coach from 1934 to 1939.^[3][4] A camping coach was also positioned here by the Western Region from 1956 to 1962. In 1963 the administration of camping coaches at the station was taken over by the London Midland, there were three coaches here in 1963 and 1964 and two from 1965 to 1968.^[5]

Until the 1960s there was a summer service between London Paddington and Pwllheli, via Birmingham Snow Hill, Shrewsbury and Machynlleth.

On 13 June 1960 it was renamed Morfa Mawddach.^[2]

Background

North of Morfa Mawddach the railway crosses the Afon Mawddach on the Barmouth Bridge.

Morfa Mawddach is mainly used by passengers travelling to Barmouth from south of the Mawddach Estuary: parking at the station and taking the train to Barmouth is often much quicker than the 20-mile road journey via Dolgellau. Originally a four-platform station, it is now a single platform unstaffed halt. Trains stop on request.

Morfa Mawddach is often quoted as an example of a notable feature of the Great Western Railway in Wales, namely its inheritance of junctions in unlikely and inconvenient locations. Other examples are Moat Lane Junction, Talyllyn Junction, Afon Wen and Dovey Junction.^[6]

The trackbed to Dolgellau now forms the Mawddach Trail (Welsh: Llwybr Mawddach), which officially starts at the station car park.

Facilities

The station has very few facilities. There is a payphone on the platform, but there are no toilets or help points available. There is a small waiting shelter and a car park with 20 spaces.^[7]

Services

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Fairbourne		Transport for Wales Cambrian Coast Line		Barmouth
	Historical railways
Barmouth Line and station open		Great Western Railway Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway		Fairbourne Line and station open
		Great Western Railway Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway		Arthog Line and station closed

References

Notes

1. Butt 1995, p. 27
2. Butt 1995, p. 163
3. McRae 1997, p. 31
4. Fenton 1999, p. 24
5. McRae 1998, pp. 112 & 120–123
6. Fifoot, Les; Wright, Paul (21 May 2017). "Station name: Afon Wen". disused-stations.org.uk. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
7. "National Rail Enquiries - Station facilities for Morfa Mawddach".

Sources

• Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
• Fenton, Mike (1999). Camp Coach Holidays on the G.W.R. Wild Swan. ISBN 1-874103-53-4.
• McRae, Andrew (1997). British Railway Camping Coach Holidays: The 1930s & British Railways (London Midland Region). Vol. Scenes from the Past: 30 (Part One). Foxline. ISBN 1-870119-48-7.
• McRae, Andrew (1998). British Railways Camping Coach Holidays: A Tour of Britain in the 1950s and 1960s. Vol. Scenes from the Past: 30 (Part Two). Foxline. ISBN 1-870119-53-3.

Further reading

• Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC 22311137.
• Jowett, Alan (2000). Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas (1st ed.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN 978-0-906899-99-1. OCLC 228266687.
• Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (2010). Ruabon to Barmouth. Midhurst, West Sussex: Middleton Press. figs. 107-116. ISBN 9781906008840. OCLC 651922152.

External links

• Train times and station information for Morfa Mawddach railway station from National Rail
• Past and present photos of Morfa Mawddach station