Caldicot | |
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Welsh: Cil-y-coed | |
Looking east towards Gloucester
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Location | |
Place | Caldicot |
Local authority | Monmouthshire |
Grid reference | ST474875 |
Operations | |
Station code | CDT |
Managed by | Arriva Trains Wales |
Number of platforms | 2 |
DfT category | F2 |
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries |
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Annual rail passenger usage* | |
2011/12 | 85,426 |
2012/13 | 87,750 |
2013/14 | 93,068 |
2014/15 | 96,324 |
2015/16 | 96,856 |
History | |
12 September 1932 | Opened as Caldicot Halt |
5 May 1969 | Renamed Caldicot |
National Rail – UK railway stations | |
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Caldicot from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year. | |
Caldicot railway station is a part of the British railway system owned by Network Rail and is operated by Arriva Trains Wales.Caldicot is a small town in Monmouthshire, south Wales. It is located between Chepstow and the city of Newport on the Gloucester line; the line to Bristol via the Severn Tunnel runs just to the north but there are no platforms here; however, Severn Tunnel Junction station is within walking distance for those wanting to travel to Bristol.
The railway line through Caldicot was built as the broad gauge South Wales Railway in 1850, although the nearest station was at Portskewett, two miles to the east. In 1861 a private siding was opened to serve the Caldicot Iron & Wire Works, from 1880 the Severn Tinplate Works, on what is now the industrial estate on the Sudbrook road, south of the castle. In typical broad gauge fashion, these works lines used two short hand-worked turntables to move wagons between the lines, rather than points.
In 1872, the South Wales Railway was re-gauged from broad gauge to standard gauge. By 1875 the wire works was also served by a level crossing and a crossover between the two running lines, controlled by a signal box. It is likely that this relaying was carried out earlier, as part of the re-gauging work.
In 1878, a branch line was laid to Sudbrook, to support the works for construction of the new Severn Tunnel. One of the main tasks of this line was to deliver coal for the pumping engines needed to drain the tunnel workings. Even after the long-delayed tunnel opened in 1886, on the South Wales Main Line, this coal traffic remained the major reason for keeping this branch in service. By 1925, the busier traffic on the main line had led to an expansion of the junction with a head siding. Further sidings were provided to the north of the running lines, on the town side. These were well to the east of where the station is today.