Kingfisher Line
| Kingfisher Line | |
|
Herefordshire | |
|---|---|
|
Titley | |
 Titley Junction Station | |
| Grid reference: | SO327581 |
| Location: | 52°13’2"N, 2°59’7"W |
| No. of stations: | 1 |
| Track: | 1 mile |
| Information | |
The Kingfisher Line is a private, heritage railway at Titley in western Herefordshire, with just a mile of track running back and forth from Titley Junction railway station.
History
Titley Junction was opened in 1856 on the Leominster and Kington Railway. The first train ran on Tuesday, 28 July 1857, carrtying the railay's directors and VIPs on a train consisting of 32 coaches and two engines travelling from the joint GWR/LNWR station at Leominster to Kington, stopping briefly at all stations along the line, with a return journey during which dinner was served to the travellers.
The main revenue of the line in its day was earned from transporting livestock and agricultural goods to the various markets.
Titley Junction was the busiest intermediate station on the line with up to 30 trains a day passing through. It was the connection point for the LK&R with the Kington and Eardisley Railway south to the Hay Railway, and the L&KR's own line to Presteigne in Radnorshire.
The junction station might have been destined for greatness: the K&ER extended the line north from Kington to New Radnor, in the hope of completing a cross-Wales mainline to Aberystwyth, but this was never achieved.[1]
By 1929 it was possible to join one of the three steam trains a day - each way - and make the 6 hour journey to London. The passenger service on this line ended in 1951, but a freight service continued.
The line and the station were closed completely in 1964.[2]
Restoration
After closure of the in 1664, the station lay abandoned.
In 2005, a one mile section of the old was reopened in 2005 at the site of Titley Junction station. Known as the Kingfisher Line, it is privately owned and is open to the public only by prior arrangement.
Outside links
References
- ↑ "Railways in Powys". Powys.org.uk. http://history.powys.org.uk/school1/presteigne/railway2.shtml. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
- ↑ National Monuments Record: No. 502867 – Titley Station
- Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (2007). Branch Lines around Hay-on-Wye. Middleton Press. figs. 33-35. ISBN 9781904474920. OCLC 288983659.