Old railway bridge at Usk

Image: © John Winder Taken: 23 Mar 2019

The bridge once carried the Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Road (CMU&PR) line across the river. Usk station was just over the other side of the bridge. The line was built in order to carry the industrial products of the Forest of Dean to the South Wales ironworks, although this traffic was never as lucrative as had been hoped and by 1861, the CMU&PR leased their line to the West Midlands Railway which in turn was absorbed into the mighty Great Western Railway. The line was never busy and closure was considered (in the face of strong local opposition) as early as 1953, although British Railways were persuaded to trial an enhanced passenger service consisting of 11 trains each way per day which was about as busy as the line had ever been. However, this failed to provide the necessary stimulus to passenger numbers and the line reverted to its previous service levels of four trains per day in February 1955, finally closing to all traffic (other than a limited freight service to and from Usk) pre-Beeching in June of that year. The line was reopened in 1957 for one last special. A short section of the line was retained to serve the Royal Ordnance Factory at Glascoed until 1993.

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