Builth Road railway station

Builth Road
Builth Road station platform looking south, November 2005
Location
Place	Builth Wells
Local authority	Powys
Coordinates	52°10′08″N 3°25′38″W / 52.1689°N 3.4271°WCoordinates: 52°10′08″N 3°25′38″W / 52.1689°N 3.4271°W
Grid reference	SO024532
Operations
Station code	BHR
Managed by	Arriva Trains Wales
Owned by	Network Rail
Number of platforms	1
DfT category	F2
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2010/11	9,124
2011/12	9,028
2012/13	9,526
2013/14	8,340
2014/15	8,054
History
Original company	Mid Wales Railway (Llechryd) and Central Wales Extension Railway (Builth Road)
Pre-grouping	Cambrian Railways (Low Level) and London & North Western Railway (High Level)
Post-grouping	Great Western Railway (Low Level) and London, Midland & Scottish Railway (High Level)
1864	Llechryd station opened
1866	Builth Road station opened
1889	Llechryd station renamed Builth Road Low Level
1962	Low Level platforms closed
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Builth Road from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

High level station in 1967

View of the low level station in 1962

The engine shed at Builth Road in 1962

Builth Road railway station is a station primarily serving the town of Builth Wells, in mid Wales. It is situated on the Heart of Wales Line. The station is just over two miles (about 3.5 km) north of Builth Wells on the A470.

All trains serving the station are operated by Arriva Trains Wales and it is a request stop. There are four trains a day in each direction from Monday to Saturday, and two services on Sundays.^[1]

The station uses one of the high level platforms of the former interchange station with the earlier Mid Wales Railway (closed 31 December 1962) which served the town of Builth Wells directly on its route from Cardiff to the North. The original station did not originally bear the name "Builth Road".

During the Royal Welsh Show, Arriva Trains Wales run special services with connecting buses into Builth Wells.

Arrangement of high and low level lines in 1945

Railway bridge spanning the River Wye in the snow.

Terminology

The addition of the word "Road" to the name of the station indicates that the station is not located at Builth, but is some distance away on the road to Builth. Similarly, Gwinear Road, Beaulieu Road.

It is unusual in retaining the term "road": in recent times some such stations have been provided with park and ride facilities and renamed "Parkway", for example Bodmin Parkway. But it is not the only station on the line to retain the "Road" suffix, as the station serving Llanbister retains the name Llanbister Road.

Builth Road & Builth Wells
Legend
Mid Wales Railway Heart of Wales Line Builth Road station former low level platform Builth Wells station Mid Wales Railway

References

1. Table 129 National Rail timetable, May 2016

External links

• Train times and station information for Builth Road railway station from National Rail