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LINE PLAN   Chester   Wrexham General   Wrexham Central   Ruabon   Chirk   Gobowen (for Oswestry)   Shrewsbury   Church Stretton   Craven Arms   Ludlow   Leominster   Hereford   Abergavenny   Pontypool & New Inn   Cwmbran   Newport   Cardiff

Mid-afternoon - and plenty of passengers expecting trains at Chester station. Wheels: ChCa. If you're on wheels, see our Easy Access page for explanation. Ch is towards Chester, Ca is towards Cardiff. A full list of routes covered is at the bottom of this page.

CHESTER GENERAL is (sadly) an architectural mess. Its italianate frontage of 1848 is excellent, and its overbridge staircases are obviously of the same wonderful heritage. But a lot of re-roofing and replacement of canopies has taken place in an ugly mix of styles that collectively made us wince, and the mid-track shrubbery doesn't help. Chester scores better in other respects, though. The station is just north east of the city ring road, and easy to find once you pick up the signing. It is easy-access, with a modern ticket office (short on staff when we passed), a newsagents, hot food and coffee areas, waiting rooms, lifts, plenty of overhead shelter, and video train information. One query, though: why is there no seating at all under all the canopy space at the east end of the station? Platform numbering is sensible, with longer platforms given 'a' and 'b' suffixes to allow two trains to share them. Note that the bay platform next to platform 1 is used but not numbered, and may therefore not be for passenger use. Outside the door is short term parking and a taxi rank, and short term parking is also allowed in City Road. Finally, the station's east car park is through a gateway promising "Carriages & Post-Horses for Hire". You have to love it! Wheels: ChCa Chester also serves the Chester-Llandudno line. Click here to transfer to our guide for that line.

WREXHAM GENERAL was originally built as part of the Shrewsbury & Chester Railway in 1846, soon absorbed by the Great Western Railway, who provided the present buildings in 1909-12. These were attractively restored in 1998 and retain their long passenger-friendly canopies. The station has four platforms, not counting the bays which are now obviously out of use, though you could be forgiven for not finding platform 4 as the scenery hides it superbly. But it is signed on the overbridge, and while there are only steps down to it, it can also be reached by a ramp from Mold Road. Accommodation there is a bus shelter, so the overbridge probably gets crowded on wet days! The other platforms have lifts as well as stairs. Station facilities include a ticket office and disabled toilets on platform 1, and a waiting room on platform 2/3. Video train information is provided on all platforms. Outside, the access road to the station is a well-signed fork off Mold Road and includes a parking area (pay at the station). The pavement is smooth from the fork down to the station, making it simple for prams and wheelchairs. Wheels: 1/2/3/4.

WREXHAM CENTRAL (Wrecsam Canolog in Welsh) is one of the smallest town stations we've ever visited. It sits in one corner of the modern shopping centre, approached by Pentre Felin, and comprises a large, fully enclosed waiting room and a platform for a 2-coach shuttle train. A 2-minute journey will get you to platform 4 at Wrexham General, where the world becomes your oyster. Pay-and-display parking is available in the shopping centre car park. Wheels: ChCa.

RUABON Ruabon station lies just south of the town centre, off the B5605, and is clearly signed from it. Entry is along Station Road, which has been formed into a one-way traffic island round a private building. The road takes you to a free car park with room for about 25 cars including 3 disabled spaces. The station building itself is in commercial use, and the spaces there are probably reserved for the users of it. There is no ticket office, and no canopy along the platform side of the building. Ruabon was once a larger station with at least one more platform, probably two, but dense shrubbery has almost totally enveloped this, and the only evidence now is the curtailed passenger bridge. This is the only way across the tracks that we noted, and the only other facilities were two bus shelters. There is a bus link from Ruabon to Llangollen. Wheels: ChCa.

CHIRK station is about 400 yards east of the town centre, on the road to Chirk castle (Station Avenue), and is adequately signed to get you there. If you go right at the mini-roundabout, the road will take you down to a free car park with roughly 30 spaces, and there is a direct access from there to the Shrewsbury platform. Both sides have stone-build shelters with wooden seats for about 10, plus standing room, and the shelters have small canopies outside. The overbridge is hard up against the road bridge, with an access from the road closs to the mini-roundabout. If there was a footboard crossing we missed it, and there is certainly no other means of wheelchair access to the Chester platform. Wheels: ChCa.

GOBOWEN (for OSWESTRY) Oswestry, a once-bustling railway town, had its station judged uneconomic in the Beeching years and closed in 1971. Gobowen was also threatened but survived and is now Oswestry's nearest rail point (about 3 miles away, with a linking bus service). It, too, was busy in its day and the imposing building on the Chester platform was once the station building, but a more modest yellow-brick building on the Shrewsbury side now provides a ticket office and waiting room. Both platforms have long canopies to give shelter from the rain, if not from the other elements. Parking is extensive - about 100 spaces including 7 disabled slots near the station building. There is easy access for wheelchair users up the platfom end ramps. Wheels: ChCa.

SHREWSBURY Like many stations, Shrewsbury has seen grander days, but most of its grandeur is still intact. Built as a combined station and hotel, it is a big, imposing building, with crenellations in mimicry of its close neighbour, Shrewsbury Castle. It is located at the edge of the main shopping area, though you have to trek uphill to the shops (this is standard for Shrewsbury as the town centre sits on top of a hill and everything is down or up). Its forecourt allows limited parking only, with a set-down area. The entrance is canopied in front of a ticket office and separate information area on opposite sides of a short, level subway. This leads to steps and a lift up to the main platform, which has four numbers: 4 and 7 are the main faces, while 5 and 6 lie in a bay at the southern end. (Platforms 1 and 2 have disappeared, and platform 3, just above the station entrance is now only used in special circumstances.) The main platform offers toilets (by the bay) and refreshments. Behind the station is a pay-and-display parking area, though you have to drive round and under the station, then up Howard Street to reach it. Once on foot, there is a level, roofed overbridge (by a sign that says The Dana) that will take you directly to the station building - the quick way down involves 35 steps, but staying on the sloping path gives wheelchairs (etc.) a longer-winded but easier route. Wheels: ChCa. Shrewsbury also serves the Wolverhampton-Shrewsbury line, and some trains from Chester turn along that line, calling at Wellington, Telford Central, Wolverhampton, and Birmingham New Street. Click here to transfer to our guide for that line.

CHURCH STRETTON station is at the bottom of the central shopping street, down to the right side of the overbridge (the old station was to the left but is now private property). This is the Shrewsbury platform; the Hereford platform is reached either by a modern steel overbridge, or by road from the A49 Church Stretton by-pass along Crossways. Entrances to both platforms are close to the overbridge, bench seats are at the foot of the bridge, and there is a modern stone open-fronted shelter on each platform, but no ticket office. There is parking for about a dozen cars. Wheels: ChCa.

CRAVEN ARMS station lies north of the centre of Craven Arms, just off the A49 Shrewsbury Road, on the west side. Facilities are basic: two shelters and an overbridge with no apparent alternative for the wheel-borne. There is no ticket office, but parking is provided for about 30 cars. Wheels: ChCa. Craven Arms is the junction point for this line and the Shrewsbury Llandrindod line.

LUDLOW station lies near a supermarket on Station Road, an eastern branch off Corve Street, Ludlow's main north- south street. The line curves against the shoulder of a hill through the station then disappears into a short tunnel at its southern end. The photo shows the tunnel, the open fronted shelter provided on both platforms, the passenger overbridge, and beyond the overbridge, one of the two access ramps. Behind the camera lies a new ticket office, adjacent to a pay and display parking area. The wheelchair route takes you to a road over the tunnel entrance, then down a footpath on the Hereford side to reach the ramp itself. The footpath is tarmac, and quite manageable with prams, but looks hard work for an unassisted wheelchair. We'd also guess that most prams will get struggled over the passenger bridge instead going round. Wheels: ChCa.

LEOMINSTER is best found by accident. Certainly deliberate seeking may serve you ill. You'll gather we would have liked more signing. It's to the east of the town centre in Worcester Road (use Etnam Street from the centre), and Leominster station is just off the east side of this with just a small amount of forecourt parking. (Worcester Road continues on to a roundabout junction with the A49, which will be an easier access for some. The station itself once had four tracks through it, but some have disappeared, and what was platform 3 is now fenced off. It is still the old station building on platform one, with a decent canopy cover and refreshments available as well. But the footbridge is the only link to the other side. Wheels: ChCa.

HEREFORD is a fine example of a traditional station that looks well cared for. It was freshly painted when we were there, with plenty of flowers also in evidence. There are three major platforms plus a bay, with canopied areas for shelter. The main station building includes a ticket office and refreshments, and a passenger overbridge links the platforms. Hereford's main buildings are easy access, and wheelchair users can presumably ask for assistance to cross to the opposite platform via the boarded parcel crossing.

Outside the station, a large level area provides substantial short stay and pay-and-display parking. As you'll gather, we liked this station. Wheels: ChCa. Hereford also serves the Worcester-Hereford line. Click here to transfer to our guide for that line.

ABERGAVENNY (Y Fenni) station is on the hill out of town, climbing Monmouth Road (A40) and turning left into Station Road. Almost all parking in the station vicinity is either banned or pay-and-display, with not a lot available in total. The main station building is traditional (though rather nondescript) stone, and contains a ticket office. The station was bigger once, and has lost at least one platform face, but the second platform still has a proper building and both sides have canopy shelter. The passenger bridge between the platforms also serves as a footpath to the A465 major road beyond. There is no lift, but a footboard allows wheeled passengers across the line with staff help. This station has been proposed for refurbishment. Wheels: ChCa.

PONTYPOOL & NEW INN (Pontypwl) But for the assistance of a friendly local, we probably would never have found this station. The signing is abysmal. For the record, it’s on the east side of the town, just off a road called The Highway, almost where it crosses the A472. It was once a fairly substantial station, but its original buildings have been razed and now it’s just an oversized island platform with two planted areas set tidily in old railway sleepers. In between these stands a substantial bus shelter in decent condition with seating for 4 (plus a bench in the open for another 4). The platform is reached by a short tunnel and stairs from the access road, where there is parking for about 20 cars. There is no easy access to the platform. Given that Cwmbran is just down the road, it’s perhaps understandable why the access hasn’t been improved. Wheels: ChCa.

CWMBRAN Our first view at Cwmbran was of a young, slender couple standing in the sunshine by the flowerbed just outside the 1990s station, and we could immediately envisage how the architect had probably sketched it on his drawing board. It’s a simple two-platform station linked by a footbridge. Shelter is provided by a bus shelter on the Cardiff side, and both sides have wrap-over aluminium canopies. Bench seating is set out at intervals, under the canopies and out in the open. The free car park is reached from Somerset Road and has spaces for about 80 cars. It directly adjoins the ticket office building which opens for commuter hours - i.e. early morning until lunchtime. Crossing the line for wheeled users is via the Edlogan Way road overbridge at the south end of the station - longwinded, but practical. Summary: clean, simple and effective - and 5 minutes walk from the shopping centre and bus station. Interestingly, the previous station here was closed for many years. This one was built for the re-opening, and better buildings have already been proposed for it. Wheels: ChCa. Cwmbran also serves the line through the Severn Tunnel to Bristol Temple Meads. Click here to transfer to our guide for that line.

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. Newport also serves the Cardiff-Cheltenham Spa line. Click here to transfer to our guide for that line.

CARDIFF CENTRAL (Caerdydd Canolog) Our own visit to Cardiff station didn't allow note-taking or photography, but David Draper kindly sent enough material for a description. Cardiff Central is a major station with multiple platforms. Its concourse has a large train departures board and range of services - ticket machines, news, snacks, etc. The platforms are reached through level-access underpasses which have ticket barriers, attractive tiled signs along the way, and stairs and lifts to train level. There are toilets and traditional waiting rooms on the platforms, and we are told that the canopy arrangement is much like Newport (see top of this page). There is a bus station outside the main entrance, and a pay and display car park near the southern entrance (Tresillian Way). Wheels: ChCa. Our wheels rating is assumed from the above, though we would welcome confirmation or correction. Wheels: ChCa?? .

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.

Routes and Resources Table: Front Information Page Birmingham All-Stations Map   Central Region Routes Map Full Routes Scroll Map Stations A-Z       Birmingham New Street Station Birmingham - Cheltenham & Bristol Birmingham - Coventry & London Euston Birmingham - Derby & Nottingham Birmingham - Kidderminster & Worcester Birmingham - Leamington Spa Birmingham - Leicester Birmingham - Lichfield Birmingham - Redditch & Worcester Birmingham - Rugeley Birmingham - Stratford-upon-Avon Bristol - Exeter Cheltenham Spa - Cardiff Chester - Hereford & Cardiff Chester - Llandudno Crewe - Shrewsbury Crewe & Stoke - Wolverhampton & Birmingham Derby & Nottingham - Bedford & London Ipswich - Cambridge & Norwich Leamington Spa - London Leamington Spa - Oxford Leicester - Cambridge Lowestoft - Ipswich Manchester - Crewe via M. Airport Manchester - Crewe via Stockport Norwich - Cambridge Norwich - Great Yarmouth Norwich - Lowestoft Norwich - Sheringham Nottingham - Grantham Oxford - Bicester Shrewsbury - Llandrindod Stafford - Rugby via Trent Valley Stoke-on-Trent - Derby       Walsall - Shrewsbury Worcester - Hereford Worcester - Oxford

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