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A full list of routes covered by Dudley Mall appears at the bottom of this page. Wheels: ChCa. If you're on wheels, see our Easy Access page for explanation. Ch is Cheltenham-bound, Ca is Cardiff-bound. |
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 A general view of Newport station. The width between the platforms is due to the station being originally laid out to suit Brunel's seven foot gauge track. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CHELTENHAM SPA station lies in the corner of Gloucester Road (B4633)
and Queens Road. There is access from both sides, with the main building and extensive pay-and-display parking
on the Queens Road side. Both entrances are higher than the rest of the station, level with the twin passenger
overbridges. The ticket office is also at this level. There are covered steps down to both
platforms, while outside (open air) ramps go down to entrances at platform level. The station is traditional
with canopies for most of its length and plenty of seats. Both sides have waiting rooms, with the
Bristol platform also offering snacks. Both are served with video train information and a pleasant clear-voiced
announcing system. Wheels: BBr Cheltenham also serves the Birmingham-Bristol line. Click here to transfer to our guide for that line.
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GLOUCESTER station is generally well-signed, though we did go
amiss at one point. But the high level track is easily followed either to a new directional clue or to
the station itself. When you get there, Gloucester station itself is obvious and has a pay-and-display parking
area for 100-120 cars, with a few bays for 20-minute short stay calls. There is a traffic island arrangement
in front of the station building, and the building itself has a ticket office and a reasonable-sized cafe/newspaper
area. It also has an office for the railway police if you should need them. Note that the main platform has 3 faces,
separately numbered. Only platform 4 is across the tracks, and only the footbridge will get you there - but prominent
signs tell you to ask any station staff for help if necessary. Although it collected quite a number of passengers
while we were there, platform 4 has little seating and no rooms off it but there is plenty of canopy shelter. There
is video train information and the same pleasant clear-voiced announcing system noted at Cheltenham. Take care when
leaving the station as the exit is traffic-light-controlled. Wheels:
ChCa. |
LYDNEY Lydney Station is on the south edge of the town, just a short distance from the A48. There are two level crossings in quick succession: the first is for the Forest of Dean preserved railway; the second is at the station itself. The station is short and simple, with ramps to the platforms from each side of the level crossing.   There are stone shelters with seats for about 3 on the Cardiff side and 6 on the Cheltenham side. A free car park with spaces for about 22 vehicles is attached to the Cheltenham side, with a level access from it to the platform. Wheels: ChCa. |
CHEPSTOW (Cas-gwent) Chepstow station is on Station Road, which comes
off Mount Pleasant, (the A48) just before the latter launches itself northbound across the water.
The station is well signed. Station Road ends in a funnel shape with limited parking (as it also
serves a commercial access) but there is a free car park nearby with 50-60 spaces. It isn’t clear
whether this is railway or general use. The station buildings are traditional stone and timber-built,
but the main building is now in commercial use. There are seats on both platforms, with quite
reasonable canopied shelter on the Cheltenham side but there is only a small stone shelter on the
Cardiff side. The only link between the two platforms is a passenger overbridge (actually built by
E. Finch of Chepstow in 1892, instead of being assembled from a kit of parts sent out from Swindon)
and there is no foot-board at the end of the platforms. Wheels: ChCa. |
CALDICOT
station is on the southern edge of the town, reached
by Station Road, a turnoff from Caldicot By-pass (B4245). It is signed, but somewhat shyly - and don’t
overshoot Station Road’s swing southwards. The road goes under a very low bridge, so keep your eyes open
if driving at night. To cope with higher vehicles (and probably flooding at times) there is also ramping
up to a gated crossing over the line. The station is on the west side of this - simple, short platforms
each with a bus shelter and about 6 seats inside. Sloping ramps make wheeled access an effort but still
quite feasible. There is no adjacent parking, but you might get street parking not far away.Wheels: ChCa. 
This south-side photo just shows (from left to right) the end of a platform shelter, the access ramp, then the gated crossing for large vehicles, and the low bridge for cars, etc. The black post is a cyclists' milepost. |
SEVERN TUNNEL JUNCTION (Cyffordd Twnel Hafren) This station
is at the west end of Rogiet, reached by Station Road, which is a southbound turning from the B4245
Caldicot Road. It is signed and not difficult to find. Severn Tunnel Junction has its place in
history, servicing the northern end of the Severn Tunnel, a magnificent but difficult piece of 1860s
engineering. But currently the station just looks bleak and forlorn. All previous buildings have been
swept away and just a couple of bus shelters provide about half a dozen seats each. However, the
office controlling the charged-for parking is an indicator of its value for commuting, and new buildings
have been proposed for this station. In the meantime, though, it’s for the agile only as the overbridge is
the only link to the platforms. Wheels: ChCa. |
 NEWPORT (Casnewydd) Newport is still a major station with
traditional stone buildings and long canopies for shelter. The main building on platform 1 has a large
booking hall/waiting area, and a newsagent/bookshop alongside. Across on platform 2/3 there is a café,
waiting room and toilets. The platforms are linked by an overbridge that also leads to the main station
car park, and there are passenger lifts from the platforms to the bridge. At the far side of the station
is platform 4, but this now appears to be defunct for passenger services and hence is inaccessible.In front of the station is a tight, marked-out area for short term parking which is free for 20 minutes, but charged for longer stays. You must display a ticket even if using it free, which is a head-scratcher when you first read the machine’s instructions. Just press the button.  If you decide to park elsewhere, be warned that the roads near the station are designed for high-volume non-stop traffic which may not
have much patience if you are struggling with signs, etc. Wheels: ChCa. The photo shows the enduring Great Western Railway heritage. Two grey-headed friends sit on a bench that's about twice their age. The empty bench is a mere youngster - about 70 years old. Mind you, the wood has probably been replaced once or twice! See the top of this page for a general view of the station. Newport also serves the Chester-Hereford-Newport line. Click here to transfer to our guide for that line.
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CARDIFF CENTRAL (Caerdydd Canolog) [Not yet visited] |
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Wheels: Not known
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| Please note: the notes and sketches are intended only to give a general impression, and should not be relied upon for more than that. Dudley Mall accepts no liability for errors, but will correct any significant ones notified to us through dudleymall@dudleymall.co.uk or by post to Dudley Mall, 62 Gervase Drive, Dudley, West Midlands DY1 4AT. |
Copyright © 2005 Dudley Mall.
