A section of the Severn and Wye Railway, now in use as a cycle and footpath.
Overview
Locale
West Gloucestershire
Dates of operation
1810–1977
Technical
Track gauge
4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge from 1872
Previous gauge
3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) from 1810 to 1868 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) from 1868 to 1872
The Severn and Wye Railway began as an early tramroad network established in the Forest of Dean to facilitate the carriage of minerals to watercourses for onward conveyance. It was based on Lydney, where a small harbour was constructed, and opened its line to Parkend in 1810. It was progressively extended northwards, and a second line, the Mineral Loop was opened to connect newly opened mineral workings.
To facilitate transfer of traffic to the neighbouring South Wales Railway main line, the Severn and Wye Railway network was converted from a plateway to a locomotive-worked broad gauge edge railway, and then to a standard gauge railway. Extensions were made to Lydbrook, Cinderford and Coleford.
The company's finances were dependent on the mineral industry of the Forest of Dean, and in 1879 economic difficulties caused it to amalgamate with the Severn Bridge Railway. In fact this resulted in a worsening of the situation, and the combined company sold its business to the Great Western Railway and the Midland Railway jointly.
Further disappointing financial performance led to most of the passenger operation being discontinued in 1929, and after World War II inexorable decline in mineral extraction resulted in progressive closure of the network. None of the Severn and Wye Railway system is in commercial railway use today, but a heritage railway is active at Lydney.
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The Ross and Monmouth Railway was a standard gauge railway of 13 miles (21 km) which ran between Ross-on-Wye, in Herefordshire, England and Monmouth, Wales...
former SevernandWyeRailway which ran from Lydney to Cinderford. The society that operates the line started steam locomotive operations in 1971, and bought...
the South Wales Railwayand the conversion of the SevernandWyeRailway to an edge railway heralded a new era. The Forest of Dean Railway was mentioned...
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the Ross and Monmouth Railway which ran between Monmouth and Ross-on-Wye heading along the route of the River Wye, the SevernandWyeRailway which went...
The SevernRailway Bridge (historically called the Severn Bridge) was a bridge carrying the railway across the River Severn between Sharpness and Lydney...
Museum is situated at the north end of the village, on the road to Lea and Ross-on-Wye. It has been called "a unique collection of mechanical music spanning...
town. In fact the SevernandWyeRailway had its main line not far to the east, although difficult terrain intervened. The SevernandWye Company submitted...
Speech House Road railway station is a disused railway station opened by the former SevernandWyeRailway in 1875, it remained open for 88 years until...
That figure excludes the area of the River Wyeand the Bristol Avon, both of which flow into the Severn Estuary. The Estuary discharges into the Bristol...
section of the South Wales Railway. To the west of this station, the freight-only line of the SevernandWye Mineral Railway crossed the GWR line on its...
Cinderford New railway station was a disused railway station that was opened by the former SevernandWyeRailway to serve the mining town of Cinderford...
name to the "Severn & WyeRailwayand Canal Company" and (amongst other things) authorises the building of the canal to the River Severn at Nass Point...
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Severn Bridge railway station was a small station on the Severn Bridge Railway located close to the north west bank of the River Severn, 2 miles (3 km)...
(heritage) Railway. In 1864 the SevernandWyeRailway began operating small mineral trains on its existing tramroad, but they were not satisfactory and, in...
station, the Wye Valley Railwayand the Ross and Monmouth Railway. Monmouth Troy was built for the Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway near to Troy...
Upper Lydbrook railway station served the civil parish of Lydbrook, Gloucestershire, England, from 1875 to 1929 on the SevernandWyeRailway. The station...
Milkwall railway station is a disused station on the former SevernandWyeRailway. It served the village of Milkwall, Gloucestershire, England. The station...
breeding programme. The railway in Parkend began life in 1810, as a horse-drawn tramroad, owned and operated by the SevernandWyeRailway Co. By 1874, the line...