Caersws railway station

Caersws railway station is on the Cambrian Line in mid-Wales, serving the village of Caersws. It is notable in that there are 22 mi separating this station and Machynlleth, the longest distance between two intermediate stations in Wales.

History
The station was built by the Newtown and Machynlleth Railway of the Cambrian Railways in the 1863. Originally there was a passing loop, a goods shed, a water tower and a ticket office and a signal box - the latter remained in use until March 2011 as a gate box to supervise the station level crossing (this is now operated from Machynlleth).

The station was threatened with closure in 1964 along with all of the other wayside stops on the former Cambrian main line (as a consequence of the Beeching cuts), but reprieved by the Minister of Transport Tom Fraser in December that year to act as the notional railhead for the town of Llanidloes (following the demise of the Mid-Wales Railway that served it directly).

In February 2013, Caersws station won the "Wales’ Best Unstaffed Train Station" award, supported by Keep Wales Tidy.

Facilities
Though unstaffed, the station has a ticket machine installed. Train running information is offered via CIS displays, automated announcements, timetable poster boards and a customer help point. There is also payphone available. Step-free access is available from the entrance to the platform.

Services
There is a basic two-hourly service in each direction Mon-Sat, with some additional services in the morning and evening (most of which run between Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth only). Sundays also run every two hours, though there is only a limited service (one in winter, three in summer) along the Cambrian Coast line to Pwllheli.

Van Railway
An independent railway the Van Railway started /terminated at Caersws serving lead mines ran from 1871 until 1940. There was a separate station and yard about 100 yards south west of the Cambrian Railway station. Passenger services operated from 1873 until 1879.

The notable Welsh romantic poet John Ceiriog Hughes was employed as a station master and Manager of the Van Railway at Caersws railway station from 1868 until his death in 1887.

After closure the station building was sold and was used by various companies as offices. In 2024 the station building was still standing with a portion of the platform.