| Newtown and Machynlleth Railway | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Moat Lane Junction, a joint station with the Llanidloes and Newtown Railway. The N&MR to the Cambrian Mountains and Cardigan Bay proceeds ahead, the L&NR to Builth Wells proceeds to the left. Two LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0's work within the station, 11 May 1957. | |||
| Overview | |||
| Status | Operational, Cambrian Line | ||
| Owner | Original: Newtown and Machynlleth Railway Current: Network Rail | ||
| Locale | Mid Wales | ||
| Termini | |||
| Stations | Scafell Halt, Moat Lane Junction, Caersws, Pontdolgoch, Carno, Talerddig, Llanbrynmair, Commins Coch Halt, Cemmes Road | ||
| Service | |||
| System | Cambrian Railways | ||
| Operator(s) | Original: Cambrian Railways Current: Transport for Wales | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | 1863 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 23 mi (37 km) | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
| |||
Newtown and Machynlleth Railway |
|---|
The Newtown and Machynlleth Railway was a railway company in Wales. It built a line from a junction with the Llanidloes and Newtown Railway near Caersws to the market town of Machynlleth; the line opened in 1862. Newtown had become the hub of railway lines in the district. Machynlleth was an important town, and extension from there to Aberystwyth and to the coast northward was in the minds of the promoters.
The topography of the district was challenging, and a practicable line had to be routed north of the most mountainous region, and climb steeply. There was a summit at Talerddig, 693 feet (211 m) above sea level; a 120-foot-deep (37 m) rock cutting was made at the summit, to mitigate the climb on the approaches. Another company, the Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway, built the line connecting Machynlleth to Aberystwyth, and also to Porthmadog and Pwllheli, and the Newtown and Machynlleth Railway company itself was incorporated into the Cambrian Railways company in 1864. Its line became the main access route for Aberystwyth and the coast, and remains in use at the present day.