Heart of Wales Line
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The Heart of Wales Line ( Welsh : Rheilffordd Calon Cymru) is a railway line that runs from Craven Arms in Shropshire to Llanelli in South Wales . As the name suggests, it runs through the heart of Wales . There are a number of rural centers along the way, including some previously renowned spas such as Llandrindod Wells . At Builth Road station , 3.3 km from the town of Builth Wells , the line used to cross the former Mid-Wales Railway , which was shut down in the 1960s.
The line was opened in several sections between 1861 and 1868 by various railway companies, behind each of which the London and North Western Railway stood. As part of the so-called Beeching Ax from 1962, the route was intended to be closed. The fact that it was still preserved was partly due to the fact that it had significant freight traffic, including to the steel works in Bynea. On the other hand, it ran through six constituencies that were contested between the two British parties, so that the Labor government of Harold Wilson exempted it from the closure. Today, freight traffic on the route only takes place when other routes are closed.
The line is completely single track, with the exception of a short section at the southern end, which is shared with the Swansea District Line . There are crossroads in Llandeilo, Llandovery, Llanwrtyd, Llandrindod and Knighton. After only two of the crossing tracks had been in operation for two years and the other three served as spare parts donors, all five were modernized and put back into operation by October 2010.
In 1987 there was a train wreck on the line near Llandeilo when the Glanrhyd Bridge collapsed after heavy flooding and a morning train heading north crashed into the River Towy . Four people were killed in the disaster. The future of the route was uncertain, but political forces from all camps campaigned for its continued existence.
Today, four pairs of trains run on the route from Monday to Saturday and two on Sundays. Class 150 and 153 diesel railcars are used , the latter being criticized for their unreliability, limited space and poor prospects. With a travel time of over 4 hours, the line currently has the longest train runs of these two series.
