The Impact

The arrival of the first railway line into Pembrokeshire which opened to Haverfordwest in 1853 had a major and lasting effect on the county.

For the first time other parts of the country became more accessable and travel was made faster, cheaper and more comfortable. Previously any journey to England or other parts of Wales involved a lenghty stagecoach journey (which only the wealthy could afford) over very poor roads or a long sea voyage which was the only way to move goods in bulk. With the railway England was just hours away.

Pembrokeshire could now export its agricultural produce to major cities and the county's coal, slate and fish could go speedily and in bulk to its markets by rail. The fishing industry especially expanded massively with the docks that were developed at Milford once the town had its own railway link. Manufactured goods from Britain's rapidly growing industrial centres could also now easily be brought into Pembrokeshire.

Despite these advantages the railway also had negative effects that soon became apparent. The coastal shipping which had dominated trade in Pembrokeshire (almost the whole county is accessable from the sea) now faced stiff competition and declined rapidly. The Great Western Railway (the dominant railway company in the area from 1863) at one stage slashed its freight prices in Pembrokeshire and drove most of the remaining coastal shippers out of business. With this competition eliminated the G. W. R. prices shot upwards some 200%.

The coal industry in Pembrokeshire that was in existance as early as the 14th Century also began to suffer. It produced the highest quality coal and the railway was a very useful outlet for this but from the 1860s the market was flooded with cheap South Wales steam coal moved in bulk by rail. Unable to compete not only nationaly but locally as well the Pembrokeshire coal industry with its expensive and difficultly mined coal went into terminal decline.

Perhaps the greatest effect of all was that the railway enabled the developement of the local tourist industry by making the population of the country more mobile and Pembrokeshire, with its great natural beauty and magnificent coastline, more accessable. Tenby especially now developed into a major resort and the town expanded rapidly. The Victorians believed that sea bathing was very healthy and a cured many aliments and so Tenby with its beautiful beaches soon became very popular with tourists once it was linked by rail with the rest of the country in 1866.

Small rural communities that found themselves on the route of the railway also rapidly developed as commercial centres around the stations serving them through which many goods could be brought in and agricultural produce shipped out. Examples of this are Clynderwyn, Clarbeston Road, Kilgetty and Crymmych.

The railways also became major employers in the area with their extensive station staffs, linesmen, and train crews.

With the railway in Pembrokeshire the county would never be the same again.