A Chronology of Pembrokeshire Railways

During the 19th Century the railways of Pembrokeshire were operated by small local companies. This all changed at the beginning of the 20th Century when The Great Western Railway Company took charge of nearly all of the Counties Railways. In the middle of the 20th Century it was British Rail that was in charge. Here is a Chronology of the railways of Pembrokeshire:

1834	Saundersfoot Railway completed to serve the local coal trade.	Neyland Harbour
1853	South Wales Railway is opened to Haverfordwest.
1856	South Wales Railway is opened to Neyland where a port for Ireland is built.
1863	South Wales Railway absorbed by the Great Western Railway. The Milford Railway is opened from Milford to Johnston but is operated by the G. W. R. The Pembroke and Tenby Railway is opened from Pembroke to Tenby.
1864	Pembroke and Tenby Railway is opened to Pembroke Dock.
1866	Pembroke and Tenby Railway is opened to Whitland where it meets the G. W. R.
1868	Pembroke and Tenby Railway begins operating trains to Carmarthen on the G. W. R.	Neyland Harbour
1872	Pembroke and Tenby Railway operations to Carmarthen cease.
1874	Whitland and Taf Vale Railway is opened from Whitland to Crymmych.
1876	Maenclochog Railway is opened from Clynderwyn (Narberth Road) to Rosebush.
1877	Whitland and Taf Vale Railway becomes the Whitland and Cardigan Railway.
1879	Work begins on The Rosebush and Fishguard Railway but only one mile is built.
1882	Maenclochog Railway ceases operations.
1884	Maenclochog Railway reopened. The Rosebush and Fishguard Railway becomes the North Pembrokeshire and Fishguard Railway.
1886	Whitland and Cardigan Railway is opened to Cardigan but is operated by the G. W. R.
1887	Much of the Saundersfoot Railway is recorded as disused as coal mining declines.	Neyland Harbour
1888	Maenclochog Railway closed again. The Milford Docks are opened, huge amounts of fish are soon being moved by rail.
1890	Whitland and Cardigan Railway absorbed by the G. W. R.
1892	Work begins again on the North Pembrokeshire and Fishguard Railway. Admiralty buys Pembroke and Tenby Railway's dockyard extenstion.
1894	North Pembrokeshire and Fishguard Railway buys the derelict Maenclochog Railway.
1895	North Pembrokeshire and Fishguard Railway opened from Clunderwyn to Letterston.
1896	The Milford Railway absorbed by the G. W. R. The Pembroke and Tenby Railway leased to the G. W. R.
1897	The Pembroke and Tenby Railway absorbed by the G. W. R.
1898	The North Pembrokeshire and Fishguard Railway purchased by the G. W. R.
1902	Work begins on Fishguard Harbour.	Neyland Harbour
1904	The Clarbeston Road and Letterston Railway begin new line to Fishguard for the G. W. R.
1906	The Clarbeston Road and Letterston Railway bankrupt from construction costs. The new line to Fishguard is completed by G. W. R.. Fishguard Harbour completed. Fishguard becomes the terminus of the G. W. R. replacing Neyland.
1909	Cunard Transatlantic liners begin calling at Fishguard.
1910	Start of a new line from Fishguard to Letterston.
1914	World War One begins. The new line from Fishguard to Letterston is abandoned. The Transatlantic trade at Fishguard is lost due to the start of wartime economies.
1917	The line from Rosebush to Letterston is removed to provide rails for the army in France. The Saundersfoot Railway relaid and extended to a new collery at Reynalton.
1918	End of World War One. Peacetime services resume.	Overgrown railway track on a diused line
1923	Line from Rosebush to Letterston relaid.
1926	General Strike halts all railway traffic in Pembrokeshire.
1930	Saundersfoot Railway is closed.
1935	Saundersfoot Railway reopens with revival of the local coal industry.
1937	Passenger services withdrawn from Clynderwyn to Letterston.
1938	Trecwn branch line built for the armaments depot there.
1939	Saundersfoot Railway finally closed. The start of the Second World War.
1945	Wartime economies introduced. Huge amounts of munitions moved over the county's rail network.
1948	Nationalisation and the end of the G. W. R..
1949	The North Pembrokeshire and Fishguard branch from Clynderwyn to Letterston closed.
1955	Several of the Counties smaller stations become unstaffed.
1959	Rail traffic in Pembrokeshire in major decline as people move to the roads. Diesel Multiple Units introduced to try and operate passenger services more cheaply.
1960	Esso opens the first refinery on Milford Haven, it is linked by rail to the Milford branch.
1962	Passenger services withdrawn on The Whitland and Cardigan branch.
1963	The Whitland and Cardigan branch closed. Freight Services withdrawn from most stations in Pembrokeshire. Steam locomotives replaced with diesels and most engine sheds closed.
1964	The Line to Neyland closed.
1990's	Most stations become perminantly unstaffed. Major reduction in train services. No freight except for the occasional oil train. Most of the railway infrastructure in Pembrokeshire is removed.
1993	British Rail Privatised.