Severn Tunnel Junction railway station

Severn Tunnel Junction
Welsh: Cyffordd Twnnel Hafren
Severn Tunnel Junction station before the restoration of a fourth line and platform in January 2010
Location
Place	Rogiet
Local authority	Monmouthshire
Coordinates	51.5842°N 2.7771°W / 51.5842; -2.7771
Grid reference	ST462875
Operations
Station code	STJ
Managed by	Arriva Trains Wales
Number of platforms	4
Live arrivals/departures and station information from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2004/05	0.118 million
2005/06	0.120 million
2006/07	0.135 million
2007/08	0.140 million
2008/09	0.149 million
2009/10	0.170 million
2010/11	0.177 million
2011/12	0.189 million
History
Original company	Great Western Railway
Pre-grouping	Great Western Railway
Post-grouping	Great Western Railway
1 December 1886	Station opened
National Rail – UK railway stations
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Severn Tunnel Junction from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Severn Tunnel Junction railway station (Welsh: Cyffordd Twnnel Hafren) is a minor railway station on the western side of the Severn Tunnel serving the area of Rogiet, Monmouthshire, Wales. It lies at the junction of the South Wales Main Line from London and the Gloucester to Newport Line.

The next station to the west is Newport. The next stations to the east are at Pilning in South Gloucestershire (through the tunnel) and nearby Caldicot (on the Gloucester line).

History

Severn Tunnel Junction Up (Eastbound) main line in 1961

Severn Tunnel Junction Locomotive Depot in 1951

The South Wales Main Line was opened through the village of Rogiet in 1850. At this time Rogiet was little more than a church and a farm, and the expansion of the village did not begin until after the opening of the station in 1886.

During construction of the Severn Tunnel, several maps were printed that labelled the new junction as Rogiet Station, although the station was always named Severn Tunnel Junction from the time that it opened to the public on 1 December 1886.

The junction system consisted of a five-platform station (four through, and an up facing bay), a railway depot, and a major goods yard. The purpose of the yard was to sort coal coming from the South Wales Coalfield to the London and the Midlands; while in reverse, it sorted goods from the rest of the UK to South Wales.

The goods yard was bombed during World War II, due to the large goods yard facility. From 1924 to 1966 Severn Tunnel Junction was the terminus of a car transport service through the tunnel to Pilning. The service was made redundant by the opening of the Severn Bridge in 1966.

As a result of reduced coal and industrial production from the mid-1980s from South Wales, and increases in fixed goods formations, Severn Tunnel Junction goods yard and locomotive depot were closed from 12 October 1987 with residual marshalling moving to Newport railway station. After the tracks were lifted in the early 1990s, part of the site of the former goods yard was used for the toll booths for the Second Severn Crossing.^{citation needed}

Current developments

Network Rail is currently remodelling the track layout at Severn Tunnel Junction in conjunction with resignalling work, due to be completed by 2014. This will provide improved operational flexibility, reduce maintenance costs and re-instate a fourth through platform. SEWTA intends use the opportunity to improve passenger facilities at the station.

Since 4 January 2010 the new track configuration is in use. The South Wales Main Line now uses platforms 3 and 4 and Gloucester to Newport Line platforms 1 and 2. There are no rail connections between the platforms east of the station as high-speed (70 mph) crossovers have been provided to the west.

Services

Severn Tunnel Junction
Legend South Wales Main Line to Newport Severn Tunnel Junction Caldicot South Wales Main Line to Bristol (in tunnel) freight line to Caerwent Training Area Gloucester to Newport Line

Gloucester to Newport Line

Legend Cross Country Route Gloucester River Severn Ledbury and Gloucester Railway Oakle Street Grange Court Hereford, Ross & Gloucester Railway Westbury-on-Severn Halt Newnham Ruddle Road Halt Severn and Wye Railway Awre for Blakeney Forest of Dean Central Railway Severn Railway Bridge Severn Bridge Sharpness Branch Line Lydney Junction / Lydney Lydney Harbour Branch Dean Forest Railway Woolaston Wye Valley Railway Tutshill Halt Chepstow East River Wye(Chepstow Railway Bridge) Chepstow M48 Severn Bridge Portskewett South Wales Main Line Sudbrook Tunnel Pumps Caerwent training area Severn Tunnel Caldicot Severn Tunnel Junction M4 Second Severn Crossing Undy Halt Magor River Severn Steel works Llanwern Uskmouth Power Station Welsh Marches Line River Usk Monmouthshire Railway Newport South Wales Main Line

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Newport		Arriva Trains Wales Maesteg / Cardiff Central - Cheltenham Spa		Caldicot
Newport		CrossCountry Cardiff Central - Birmingham New Street / Nottingham (Mondays to Saturdays only, limited service)		Caldicot
		CrossCountry Cardiff Central - Manchester Piccadilly via Bristol Temple Meads (Mondays to Saturdays only, limited service)		Patchway
Newport		First Great Western Cardiff Central - Taunton (Mondays to Saturdays only)		Patchway or Pilning
		First Great Western Cardiff Central - Portsmouth Harbour / Brighton (Mondays to Saturdays, morning and evening peak only and Sundays)		Filton Abbey Wood

See also

• List of all UK railway stations

External links

• Train times for Severn Tunnel Junction from National Rail
• Map and aerial photos of Severn Tunnel Junction
• Historic pictures of Severn Tunnel Junction