Where is it?
The name can be a bit difficult to pronounce, but Machynlleth is a fascinating little market town that once was claimed to be the “ancient capital of Wales”.
I ended up in this gorgeous place located in mid-Wales when I was spending some days in Aberystwyth and decided to take a train journey nearby to explore the beautiful and remote Welsh countryside.
The train from Aberystwyth to Machynlleth is in the same service that, believe goes to Birmingham (via New Street station). It’s a very popular Arriva Trains Wales service that connects Wales with several parts of the UK, including the West Midlands.
The journey from Aberystwyth to Machynlleth takes only 33 minutes and the cheapest return ticket costs £6.40; a pleasant trip through the mid-Welsh countryside which by the windows of the train carriage it`s possible to appreciate better the hard work done in railways of Wales to the development of Britain transport links.
Machynlleth is a stunning station built by the Newtown and Machynlleth railway (N&MR) which was the narrow gauge Corris Railway and opened its station building on the north side of the main-line goods yard in 1859.
Some more facts & figures:
It`s a location where eastbound or ‘up’ trains from Pwllheli and Aberystwyth combine to go forward as one towards Shrewsbury. Similarly, trains in the opposite direction divide here before continuing west;
The current train operator, Arriva Trains Wales, has also developed Machynlleth into the main depot for its fleet of Class 158 trains which provide nearly all passenger services on the Cambrian Lines. Replacing the previous Victorian-era depot and yard, Arriva’s depot opened in 2007 and prominently features environmentally friendly technologies such as rainwater harvesting and a wind turbine.
Machynlleth is home to the signalling centre that controls the new European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) on the Cambrian Line. The system went into full operational use in March 2011;
In 2011, The Bluebell Railway discovered a well-worn totem sign from Machynlleth during the excavation of Imberhorne Cutting as part of the northern extension to East Grinstead, which was used as a landfill site by the local council in the late 1960s. The extension was opened on 23 March 2013. The sign is now displayed in their new museum.
More photos:
Source| Wikipedia Photos| Simone Ribeiro and Rob Dann
