Corris Railway

Corris Railway Rheilffordd Corris
Locomotive No. 7 at Maespoeth in 2007
Locale	Mid-Wales
Terminus	(Original) Machynlleth & Aberllefenni (Current) Maespoeth & Corris
Connections	Ratgoed Tramway at Aberllefenni Cambrian Railways at Machynlleth Assorted minor quarry tramways
Commercial operations
Name	Corris Railway Company
Built by	Corris, Machynlleth & River Dovey Tramroad
Original gauge	2 ft 3 in (686 mm)
Preserved operations
Owned by	Corris Railway Company Ltd
Operated by	Corris Railway Society
Stations	2
Length	58 chains (1,170 m) (operational)
Preserved gauge	2 ft 3 in (686 mm)
Commercial history
Opened	1859 onwards (as below)
1859	Opened to freight (horse-drawn)
1878	Locomotive operation commenced
1883	Opened to passengers
1931	Closed to passengers
1948	Closed to freight
Preservation history
1966	Supporters' group formed
1970	Corris Railway Museum opened
1971	Demonstration track laid
1981	Maespoeth shed purchased
2002	Passenger services restored
2005	Steam motive power restored
Headquarters	Maespoeth Junction
Website
https://www.corris.co.uk
Route map Legend Ratgoed Quarry Cymerau Quarry Ratgoed Tramway Corris Railway Aberllefenni quarries Aberllefenni Y Magnus slate enamelling works Garneddwen Abercwmeiddaw quarry Abercorris quarry Gaewern quarry Braichgoch Slate Mine Corris Upper Corris Tramway Corris Railway Maespoeth Junction Current end of line Era quarry Era Slate and slab works Era Slate Quarry Tramway Corris Railway Esgairgeiliog Llwyngwern Llwyngwern quarry Lliwdy Doldderwen Crossing Ffridd Gate River Dyfi Cambrian Line Machynlleth Cambrian Line Machynlleth Town Wharf at Derwenlas Wharf at Morben

The Corris Railway (Welsh: Rheilffordd Corris) is a narrow gauge railway based in Corris on the border between Merionethshire (now Gwynedd) and Montgomeryshire (now Powys) in Mid-Wales.

The line opened in 1859 as a horse tramway, running from quays on the River Dyfi at Morben and Derwenlas, through the town of Machynlleth and then following the Dulas Valley north to Corris and on to Aberllefenni. Branches served the slate quarries at Corris Uchaf, Aberllefenni, the isolated quarries around Ratgoed and quarries along the length of the Dulas Valley. In 1878, the railway was rebuilt and steam locomotives were introduced. It was taken over by the Great Western Railway, in 1929 and closed in 1948.

A preservation society was formed in 1966, initially opening a museum at Corris. A short section of line between Corris and Maespoeth was re-opened to passengers in 2002. The railway now operates as a tourist attraction. Two new steam locomotives have been built for the railway, in 2005 and 2023. Two of the original locomotives and some of the original rolling stock are preserved on the nearby Talyllyn Railway.

The railway has the unusual gauge of 2 ft 3 in (686 mm) which was shared by only three other public railways in the United Kingdom: the Talyllyn Railway and the short-lived Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway in Mid Wales, and the Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway in Scotland.