Newtown and Machynlleth Railway

Newtown and Machynlleth Railway
Moat Lane Junction, a joint station with the Llanidloes and Newtown Railway. The N&MR to the Cambrian Mountains and Cardigan Bay proceeds ahead, the L&NR to Builth Wells proceeds to the left. Two LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0's work within the station, 11 May 1957.
Overview
Status	Operational, Cambrian Line
Owner	Original: Newtown and Machynlleth Railway Current: Network Rail
Locale	Mid Wales
Termini	Newtown (Powys) Machynlleth
Stations	Scafell Halt, Moat Lane Junction, Caersws, Pontdolgoch, Carno, Talerddig, Llanbrynmair, Commins Coch Halt, Cemmes Road
Service
System	Cambrian Railways
Operator(s)	Original: Cambrian Railways Current: Transport for Wales
History
Opened	1863
Technical
Line length	23 mi (37 km)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Route map

v t e Newtown and Machynlleth Railway
Legend
Oswestry & Newtown Rly Newtown Scafell Halt Moat Lane Junction Llanidloes & Newtown Rly Penstrowed bridge over River Severn Caersws Van Railway Pontdolgoch Carno Talerddig cutting through Cambrian Mountains Talerddig Llanbrynmair Commins Coch Halt Mawddwy Railway Cemmes Road Corris Railway Machynlleth Aberystwyth & Welsh Coast Rly Dovey Junction A&WCR to Aberystwyth River Dyfi A&WCR to Pwllheli

The Newtown and Machynlleth Railway was a railway company in Wales. It built a line from a junction with the Llanidloes and Newtown Railway near Caersws to the market town of Machynlleth; the line opened in 1862. Newtown had become the hub of railway lines in the district. Machynlleth was an important town, and extension from there to Aberystwyth and to the coast northward was in the minds of the promoters.

The topography of the district was challenging, and a practicable line had to be routed north of the most mountainous region, and climb steeply. There was a summit at Talerddig, 693 feet (211 m) above sea level; a 120-foot-deep (37 m) rock cutting was made at the summit, to mitigate the climb on the approaches. Another company, the Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway, built the line connecting Machynlleth to Aberystwyth, and also to Porthmadog and Pwllheli, and the Newtown and Machynlleth Railway company itself was incorporated into the Cambrian Railways company in 1864. Its line became the main access route for Aberystwyth and the coast, and remains in use at the present day.