Pyle railway station

Not to be confused with Pylle railway station.

Pyle railway station is a minor station in Pyle (Welsh: Y Pîl) in Bridgend county borough, south Wales. The station is located at street level at Beach Road in Pyle, 196 miles 40 chains (316.2 km) from the zero point at London Paddington, measured via Stroud.^[1]

Pyle Welsh: Y Pîl
General information
Location	Pyle, Bridgend Wales
Coordinates	51.526°N 3.698°W / 51.526; -3.698
Grid reference	SS823820
Managed by	Transport for Wales
Platforms	2
Other information
Station code	PYL
Classification	DfT category F2
Passengers
2018/19	0.125 million
2019/20	0.126 million
2020/21	20,920
2021/22	64,536
2022/23	77,942
Notes Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

v t e Llynvi and Ogmore Railway
originally Duffryn, Llynvi and Porthcawl Railway
Legend
to Glyncorrwg South Wales Mineral Railway to Tonmawr Cymmer Viaduct Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway to Port Talbot │ to Treherbert West Junction Cymmer Afan Abergwynfi Abergwynfi Colliery Cymmer Tunnel 1591 yd 1455 m Caerau Colliery Caerau Nantyffyllon Port Talbot Railway and Docks Company to Pontyrhyl Maesteg (Neath Road) PTR&DCo to Port Talbot Maesteg Castle Street Maesteg Maesteg (Ewenny Road) Garth Troedyrhiew Garth Llangynwyd Ogmore Valley Railway to Brynmenyn Tondu South Wales Main Line to Bridgend Cefn Junction PTR&DCo Kenfig Hill South Wales Main Line to Bridgend Pyle Junction Pyle South Wales Main Line to Swansea Cornelly Quarry Nottage Halt Nottage Tunnel 63 yd 58 m Porthcawl

History

The original station at Pyle was opened by the South Wales Railway in 1850. It was relocated in 1876 and amalgamated with the former Llynvi and Ogmore Railway station of 1865, which served the branch lines to Tondu and Porthcawl.^[2]

In the days of steam Pyle Junction, together with its extensive sidings, was quite an important strategic point on the South Wales railway system, not only for passengers, commuting from or visiting the resort of Porthcawl, but also for freight and bulk traffic, particularly the limestone from local quarries essential for the iron and steel industries. This is evidenced by the fact that during World War II there were two military 'pill-boxes' overlooking its approaches. This station was closed by the Western Region of British Railways in 1964 as part of the notorious Beeching cuts, less than a year after the L&O lines also lost their passenger service (traffic ceased on 9 September 1963, with complete closure following in February 1965).

As part of the Swanline initiative, the present station was opened about 0.5 miles (0.80 km) to the west in June 1994.

For a time under British Rail direct trains ran to London Waterloo, now passengers have to change at Bridgend to reach London Paddington.

Facilities

The station has 2 platforms:

• Platform 1, for westbound trains towards Swansea
• Platform 2, for eastbound trains towards Cardiff Central

The station is unmanned - there is no ticket office nor are there any platform entry barriers. Passengers must purchase tickets on board trains.

Services

It is a stop on the South Wales Main Line, served by Transport for Wales' Swanline Swansea to Cardiff regional trains. These services are generally every two hours during the day (including Sundays), with additional trains during the morning and evening peaks (some of which continue beyond Swansea onto the West Wales Line).^[3]

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Bridgend		Transport for Wales Swanline		Port Talbot Parkway

References

1. Padgett, David (June 2018) [1989]. Munsey, Myles (ed.). Railway Track Diagrams 3: Western & Wales (6th ed.). Frome: Trackmaps. map 22B. ISBN 978-1-9996271-0-2.
2. Quick, M. E. (2005). Railway Passenger Stations in England, Scotland and Wales: a chronology. Richmond: Railway & Canal Historical Society.
3. GB eNRT 2015-16 Edition, Table 128

External links

Media related to Pyle railway station at Wikimedia Commons

• Train times and station information for Pyle railway station from National Rail