The Gwili Steam Railway operates a standard gauge preserved railway from Bronwydd (near Carmarthen) in South Wales along a short section of the former Carmarthen to Aberystwyth railway that closed for passenger traffic in 1965, the track being lifted in 1975. The Gwili Railway was formed in 1975 and, by 1978, had purchased and rescued about eight miles of trackbed and was running an initial steam-hauled service on a one-mile section of it.
Timeline
1860: Opened
1872: Converted to Standard gauge
1882: Absorbed by the Great Western Railway
1965: Closed to passengers
1973: Closed to all traffic
1975: Gwili Railway Preservation Company formed
1978: Taken over by the preservation society who had rescued 8 miles of trackbed in 3 years
1987: Llwyfan reached
1988: Llwyfan station officially opened
2001: Opening of extension to Danycoed
2002: Work started om extension to Carmarthen North
2007: Merger with Swansea Vale Railway society after closure of Swansea Vale
2011: Gwili is awarded for fully restored GWR style crossing gate at Bronwydd Arms
2017: Opening of extension to new station at Abergwili Junction
The Gwili Railway has the distinction of becoming the first standard-gauge preserved railway to operate in South West Wales when it re-opened the one-mile section of the Carmarthen-Llanpumsaint route from its base at Bronwydd Arms, three miles north of Carmarthen. Since then, the railway has expanded to Danycoed and the company continues to hope to expand to Llanpumsaint.
The locomotive stock of the Gwili Railway is unusual in that it mostly represents local industrial and wartime operations rather than mainline services.
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Before you travel to the railway please visit the website or Facebook page to check for service changes. Please call 01267 238213 no later than 4.00pm the day before you travel.
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