Place Neyland Grid reference SM967048 Post-grouping GWR | Area Pembrokeshire Pre-grouping Great Western Railway Original company South Wales Railway | |
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15 April 1856 (1856-04-15) Opened as Milford Haven Address Neyland, Milford Haven SA73 1RW, United Kingdom Similar Wolf's Castle Halt railway st, Jordanston Halt railway st, Hakin Docks railway st, Johnston railway station, Whitland railway station | ||
Neyland railway station was on the north bank of the Milford Haven Waterway in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
History
The Great Western Railway (GWR) was established under the vision of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, to link London to North America on the quickest possible route, with steamships landing passengers and goods in West Wales as opposed to steaming to an English port. Further, such a port link could also provide quicker access to Ireland.
To achieve this, the GWR supported the South Wales Railway (SWR), which would run from Gloucester to a port in west Wales. Brunel, the GWR's Chief Engineer, originally proposed to situate the Welsh port at Fishguard, which was intended to be the terminus when the line was authorised in 1845. But in 1852, under extensive shareholder pressure to deliver revenue, Brunel changed his mind in favour of Neyland, because it was sheltered and had deep water to allow large ships to dock.
The SWR was opened in stages, and reached Haverfordwest on 2 January 1854; the last section from there to the new port was opened on 15 April 1856.
The western terminus of the SWR, a station originally named Milford Haven, was opened with the line on 15 April 1856. Very soon there was a twice-weekly steamboat service to Waterford. The station was renamed Neyland in February 1859, but was renamed again in November that year, becoming New Milford; it was shown as New Milford (Milford Haven) in some timetables.
On 1 September 1906, the station was again renamed Neyland. This followed the opening on 30 August 1906 of the new harbour at Fishguard, the associated railway station, the Clarbeston Road and Letterston Railway giving a shorter route to Fishguard from Clarbeston Road and the transfer to Fishguard of the steamship service to Waterford. Neyland then rapidly declined in importance.
Goods facilities were withdrawn on 2 December 1963 and the station closed to passenger traffic on 15 June 1964. The Pembrokeshire Light Railway Society was launched in 1986 in an unsuccessful attempt to re-open the section of the line from Johnston to Neyland.