Johnston railway station

Johnston (Pembs) railway station is an unstaffed railway station in the village of Johnston in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It opened in 1856 as part of the final section of the South Wales Railway main line from Haverfordwest to Neyland. It has gone by various names and is now operated by Transport for Wales Rail. Train stops are made at the station by request only.

Johnston
National Rail
Johnston station in 2018.
General information
LocationJohnston, Pembrokeshire
Wales
Coordinates51°45′25″N 4°59′46″W / 51.757°N 4.996°W / 51.757; -4.996
Grid referenceSM932106
Managed byTransport for Wales Rail
Platforms1
Other information
Station codeJOH
ClassificationDfT category F2
History
Opened15 April 1856 (1856-04-15)
Key dates
15 April 1856Opened as Johnston
November 1859Renamed Milford Road
7 September 1863Renamed Johnston
18 June 1928Renamed Johnston (Pembroke)
3 May 1976Renamed Johnston (Dyfed)
?Renamed Johnston
Passengers
2019/20Decrease 7,916
2020/21Decrease 1,246
2021/22Increase 5,498
2022/23Increase 6,208
2023/24Increase 6,956
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

The station was the junction for trains to Neyland and also the branch line to Milford Haven. Johnston is the penultimate stop on the West Wales Line before Milford Haven.

History

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The station was opened with the final section of the South Wales Railway main line, from Haverfordwest to Neyland, on 15 April 1856.[1][2] Originally named Johnston, it has been renamed several times: to Milford Road in November 1859; to Johnston on 7 September 1863; to Johnston (Pembroke) on 18 June 1928; to Johnston (Dyfed) on 3 May 1976,[2] before finally resuming its original name. The station served as the junction for trains to Neyland and also the branch line to Milford Haven (the main line since the closure of the Neyland route in 1964).

Milford passengers would here make a connection to services eastwards to Haverfordwest and beyond.[3] A station building was situated on the upside, and a waiting shelter on the downside. A pedestrian bridge connected the two platforms. A goods shed survived until the 1930s.[3]

At a short distance north of the station, the line was connected to the railway line serving the anthracite trade at Hook. The route north of here was double track until the late 1980s, with the station signal box controlling access to the private sidings serving the oil refineries at Robeston and Waterston as well as the single line portion through to the terminus at Milford Haven. Both it and the neighbouring box at Haverfordwest were closed in 1988 when the line was re-signalled and singled south of Clarbeston Road (the former southbound platform went out of use as a result, all trains thenceforth using the former northbound platform).

Services

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InterCity 125 services to/from London Paddington ran through Johnston to Milford Haven until the early 1990s, ending in 1994.[4]

The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by Transport for Wales Rail. Trains stop here by request only. The usual service pattern is one train every two hours in each direction, westwards to Milford Haven railway station and eastwards to Manchester Piccadilly via Carmarthen, Swansea and Cardiff Central.

Preceding station   National Rail Following station
Haverfordwest   Transport for Wales Rail
Fishguard Harbour or Swansea - Milford Haven
  Milford Haven
Disused railways
Haverfordwest
Line and station open
  Great Western Railway
South Wales Railway
  Neyland
Line and station closed

Facilities

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The station is unstaffed, so tickets must be bought on the train or prior to travel. There is small covered shelter available, along with a customer help point, timetable information boards and a digital CIS display to offer train running details. A free car park is located opposite the platform, with capacity for 8 vehicles.[5]

References

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  1. ^ MacDermot, E.T. (1927). History of the Great Western Railway, vol. I: 1833-1863. Paddington: Great Western Railway. p. 577.
  2. ^ a b Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. pp. 129, 160. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
  3. ^ a b Parker, Richard Neyland: A Great Western Outpost, KRB Publications, 2002. ISBN 0-9542035-3-4
  4. ^ Intercity Magazine Network Map 1993. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
  5. ^ "National Rail Enquiries – Johnston Station". Retrieved 27 June 2012.
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  Media related to Johnston railway station at Wikimedia Commons