Description
The Illustrated London News reports on the exciting opening of the South Wales Railway. Image credit: West Glamorgan Archive Service
Swansea Railway Station has undergone significant changes since it first opened in 1850. It was originally constructed by the South Wales Railway, which later merged with the Great Western Railway (GWR) in 1863. Initially, passengers traveling from Swansea to London had to change trains at Landore until at least 1879, since the station was not on the direct main line.
The Landore Viaduct Image courtesy: West Glamorgan Archive Service
Over the years, the station has seen several renovations and extensions, including major work in the 1880s, when the stone-built office block was added, and in the 1920s, when the platforms were lengthened. The 1934 frontage block facing Ivey Place was the last major addition to the station.
In terms of the station’s physical changes, the number of platforms was reduced from five to four in 1973, with the old platform 1 being eliminated. The station’s umbrella-type platform roofing, which replaced earlier train-sheds in the 1920s, is mostly intact, although platform 4’s canopy was shortened. The east side of the station once had a line that connected to coal tips at the North Dock, but this was closed and infilled in the 20th century.
There was also heavy competition among different railway companies in the 19th and early 20th centuries, with multiple stations operating in Swansea. By 1895, there were seven stations in the city, but today, only High Street remains operational in the city centre.
