page_title: Whitland and Cardigan Railway
section_title: Decline and closure
hierarchical_section_title: Whitland and Cardigan Railway / Decline and closure
caption_attribution_description: English: Ex-GW 2-6-2T on goods at Cardigan. View eastward, towards Whitland from the terminal station of the branch (closed to passengers 10/9/62, goods 27/5/63). The locomotive is Collett '4575' class 2-6-2T No. 5520 (built 12/27, withdrawn 9/62).
context_page_description: The Whitland & Cardigan Railway was a 27.5 miles long railway branch line in West Wales. It was built in two stages, at first as the Whitland and Taf Vale Railway from quarries at Glogue to Whitland on the South Wales Main Line, opening in 1873, at first for goods and minerals only but later for passengers too. The line was extended to Cardigan, opening in 1886, and the company name changed to reflect that.
  Although a dividend was paid, the Company was always short of cash and huge borrowings made it unable to pay its way; it was taken over by the Great Western Railway in 1886. Still considerably loss-making, it closed to passengers in 1962 and completely in 1963.
context_section_description: The rural nature of the landscape, and particularly the very low population density made it difficult for the railway to earn income; the quarrying business too declined. Proposals for closure were prepared, and the line was closed to passenger traffic on 10 September 1962; the last passenger train was the 5.45pm Cardigan Mail on 8 September. Goods traffic continued, but closure to that too followed on 27 May 1963.
caption: Cardigan station in 1962 looking east
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