Bridgend railway station () is a main line station serving the town of
Bridgend
Bridgend (; or just , meaning "the end of the bridge on the Ogmore") is a town in the Bridgend County Borough of Wales, west of Cardiff and east of Swansea. The town is named after the Old Bridge, Bridgend, medieval bridge over the River Og ...
, south Wales. It is located approximately halfway between and stations, at the point where the
Maesteg Line
The Maesteg Line is a commuter rail line in South Wales from Bridgend to Maesteg. Services usually operate hourly from Maesteg to via , using the South Wales Main Line, followed by the Ebbw Valley Railway.
Electrification by 2019 was annou ...
diverges from the
South Wales Main Line
The South Wales Main Line (), originally known as the London, Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway or simply as the Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway, is a branch of the Great Western Main Line in Great Britain. It diverges from the co ...
; it is also the western terminus of the
Vale of Glamorgan Line
The Vale of Glamorgan Line () is a commuter railway line in Wales, running through the Vale of Glamorgan from Barry to Bridgend, via Rhoose and Llantwit Major.
Route
The Barry branch starts at Cardiff West and runs to Barry Island with a ...
from Cardiff. It is measured from the zero point at
London Paddington, via Stroud.
It is the fifth-busiest station in Wales, after Cardiff Central,
Newport, Swansea and .
History
The station was opened on 18 June 1850, and both the main platform building and the 1877 pedestrian bridge are
Grade II listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
. The station was designed by
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel ( ; 9 April 1806 – 15 September 1859) was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who is considered "one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history", "one of the 19th-century engi ...
.
In
1945
1945 marked the end of World War II, the fall of Nazi Germany, and the Empire of Japan. It is also the year concentration camps were liberated and the only year in which atomic weapons have been used in combat.
Events
World War II will be ...
, German
Field Marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...
Gerd von Rundstedt
Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt (12 December 1875 – 24 February 1953) was a German ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (Field Marshal) in the ''German Army (1935–1945), Heer'' (Army) of Nazi Germany and OB West, ''Oberbefehlshaber West'' (Commande ...
arrived at the station when he was transferred to the
Island Farm
Island Farm, also called Camp 198, was a prisoner of war camp on the outskirts of the town of Bridgend, South Wales. It hosted a number of Axis Powers, Axis prisoners, mainly German, and was the scene of the largest escape attempt by German POWs ...
prisoner of war camp.
Services on both branch lines from the station were withdrawn for a time in the 1960s & early 1970s (trains on the Vale of Glamorgan line fell victim to the
Beeching cuts
The Beeching cuts, also colloquially referred to as the Beeching Axe, were a major series of route closures and service changes made as part of the restructuring of the nationalised railway system in Great Britain in the 1960s. They are named ...
in June 1964, whilst Maesteg trains were withdrawn in July 1970), but because the lines remained in-situ due to coal traffic for the
Aberthaw Power Station
Aberthaw Power Station refers to two decommissioned coal-fired and co-fired biomass power stations on the coast of South Wales, near Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan. They were located at Limpert Bay, near the villages of ...
, each one has since been reopened to passenger services.
Platform 3 was a full length platform running east-to-west until the 1970s when it was removed following the closure of the Maesteg line to passenger traffic. The cafe/waiting area of platform 2 now occupies land where the track used to sit.
Platform 1A was opened in June 2005 by
Andrew Davies to act as the terminus for the newly re-opened
Vale of Glamorgan Line
The Vale of Glamorgan Line () is a commuter railway line in Wales, running through the Vale of Glamorgan from Barry to Bridgend, via Rhoose and Llantwit Major.
Route
The Barry branch starts at Cardiff West and runs to Barry Island with a ...
, with trains now running through to and from
Aberdare
Aberdare ( ; ) is a town in the Cynon Valley area of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, at the confluence of the Rivers Dare (Dâr) and River Cynon, Cynon. Aberdare has a population of 39,550 (mid-2017 estimate). Aberdare is south-west of Merthyr Tydf ...
.
A second, and fully accessible footbridge, was built in 2012 at a cost of £2.4m and the main station ticket hall and entrance was refurbished in 2018 at a cost of £1.5million.
Facilities

The station is fully staffed throughout the week, with the ticket office on platform 1 open from early morning until mid-evening. A self-service ticket machine is also provided for use and for the collection of pre-paid tickets. There is a waiting room and photo booth in the main building on platform 1, whist the amenities on platform 2 include toilets and a coffee shop. Train running details are offered via CIS displays, automatic announcements and timetable posters. Step-free access is available to all platforms via lifts in the accessible footbridge at the northern end.
Services
Passenger services are operated by
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a History of rail transport in Great Britain, British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, ...
to and from
London Paddington and
Swansea
Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal City status in the United Kingdom, city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, second-largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of ...
, with some services extended to
Carmarthen
Carmarthen (, ; , 'Merlin's fort' or possibly 'Sea-town fort') is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community (Wales), community in Wales, lying on the River Towy north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. At the 2021 United Kingdom cen ...
; and by
Transport for Wales
Transport for Wales (TfW; ; ) is a not-for-profit company owned by the Welsh Government and managed at arms length by its appointed board. TfW oversees the Transport for Wales Group (TfW Group) consisting of itself and its subsidiaries: Trans ...
to destinations across Wales.
To the west, Transport for Wales trains run along the
South Wales Main Line
The South Wales Main Line (), originally known as the London, Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway or simply as the Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway, is a branch of the Great Western Main Line in Great Britain. It diverges from the co ...
and
West Wales Line
The West Wales lines () are a group of railway lines from Swansea through Carmarthenshire to Pembrokeshire, West Wales. The main part runs from Swansea to Carmarthen and Whitland, where it becomes three branches to Fishguard, Milford Haven and ...
to
Swansea
Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal City status in the United Kingdom, city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, second-largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of ...
and then to
Carmarthen
Carmarthen (, ; , 'Merlin's fort' or possibly 'Sea-town fort') is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community (Wales), community in Wales, lying on the River Towy north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. At the 2021 United Kingdom cen ...
,
Pembroke Dock
Pembroke Dock () is a town and a community in Pembrokeshire, South West Wales, northwest of Pembroke on the banks of the River Cleddau.
Originally Paterchurch, a small fishing village, Pembroke Dock town expanded rapidly following the constr ...
,
Milford Haven
Milford Haven ( ) is a town and community (Wales), community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, an estuary forming a natural harbour that has been used as a port since the Middle Ages.
The town was ...
or
Fishguard Harbour
Goodwick (; ) is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, immediately west of its twin town of Fishguard.
Fishguard and Goodwick form a community that wraps around Fishguard Bay. As well as the two towns, it consists of Dyffryn, Stop-and-Call, H ...
.
Mainline services to Swansea and London run hourly (with extra services at peak hours), whilst the regional trains to
Manchester Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly is the main railway station of the city of Manchester, in the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, England. Opened originally as Store Street in 1842, it was renamed Manchester London Road in 1847 and became Manchest ...
via and local trains to and over the
Vale of Glamorgan Line
The Vale of Glamorgan Line () is a commuter railway line in Wales, running through the Vale of Glamorgan from Barry to Bridgend, via Rhoose and Llantwit Major.
Route
The Barry branch starts at Cardiff West and runs to Barry Island with a ...
also run hourly; the Swanline local stopping trains to/from Swansea run every two hours.
Platforms
*Platform 1A
**
Transport for Wales
Transport for Wales (TfW; ; ) is a not-for-profit company owned by the Welsh Government and managed at arms length by its appointed board. TfW oversees the Transport for Wales Group (TfW Group) consisting of itself and its subsidiaries: Trans ...
:
*** via , and (some services terminate at Cardiff Central).
*** Terminating services from and . One morning service terminates here from
*Platform 1
**
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a History of rail transport in Great Britain, British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, ...
:
*** via and .
*** via .
**
Transport for Wales
Transport for Wales (TfW; ; ) is a not-for-profit company owned by the Welsh Government and managed at arms length by its appointed board. TfW oversees the Transport for Wales Group (TfW Group) consisting of itself and its subsidiaries: Trans ...
&
Swanline
Swanline is the name of the local rail service from to , on the South Wales Main Line.
History
The Swanline service was launched in June 1994, following the construction of five new stations at , , , and on the existing South Wales Main ...
:
*** via and .
*** via .
*** via from either or
*** via from either or
*** via from either or
*** via on the
Heart of Wales Line (limited service).

*Platform 2
**
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a History of rail transport in Great Britain, British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, ...
:
***
London Paddington via and .
**
Transport for Wales
Transport for Wales (TfW; ; ) is a not-for-profit company owned by the Welsh Government and managed at arms length by its appointed board. TfW oversees the Transport for Wales Group (TfW Group) consisting of itself and its subsidiaries: Trans ...
&
Swanline
Swanline is the name of the local rail service from to , on the South Wales Main Line.
History
The Swanline service was launched in June 1994, following the construction of five new stations at , , , and on the existing South Wales Main ...
:
*** services that start at .
*** via .
*** via & from .

*Platform 3
**
Transport for Wales
Transport for Wales (TfW; ; ) is a not-for-profit company owned by the Welsh Government and managed at arms length by its appointed board. TfW oversees the Transport for Wales Group (TfW Group) consisting of itself and its subsidiaries: Trans ...
:
*** via .
*** Terminating services from .
Platforms 1 and 2 are full length platforms used for all long distance services on the
South Wales Main Line
The South Wales Main Line (), originally known as the London, Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway or simply as the Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway, is a branch of the Great Western Main Line in Great Britain. It diverges from the co ...
.
Platform 1A was opened in 2005 and is a bay platform which acts as the terminus for the
Vale of Glamorgan Line
The Vale of Glamorgan Line () is a commuter railway line in Wales, running through the Vale of Glamorgan from Barry to Bridgend, via Rhoose and Llantwit Major.
Route
The Barry branch starts at Cardiff West and runs to Barry Island with a ...
.
Platform 3 was briefly recommissioned in the early 2000s as an overflow bay platform facing west (it was previously the through outer face of an
island platform
An island platform (also center platform (American English) or centre platform (British English)) is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway inte ...
until removal in the mid-1970s), and was used for services from , although has since fallen into non-use.
Accidents and incidents
*In December 1965 a fatal collision occurred with a derailed
Class 47, D1671, and D6983 travelling to Swansea, as the result of a landslip. The damage was so severe, D6983 was the
first EE Type 3 to be withdrawn and as a result, the only locomotive in the entire class not to receive a
TOPS
Total Operations Processing System (TOPS) is a computer system for managing railway locomotives and rolling stock, known for many years of use in the United Kingdom.
TOPS was originally developed between the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP), ...
number. The wreckage blocked the South Wales mainline and the Vale of Glamorgan line. Trains had to be diverted via the Vale of Neath line until unluckily a landslip blocked that route also. After the lines reopened, the remains of both locomotives were sold to local scrap merchants R.S. Hayes and cut up the following year.
*On 5 May 2012, a dead body was found on the railway, near the station. The death was treated as
unexplained.
References
External links
"Pembroke Coast Express - photos of the station in 1973, 1981 and 2015"
{{Brunel
Bridgend
Railway stations in Bridgend County Borough
DfT Category C2 stations
Former Great Western Railway stations
South Wales Main Line
Railway stations served by Transport for Wales Rail
Railway stations served by Great Western Railway
Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1850
Grade II listed railway stations in Wales
Grade II listed buildings in Bridgend County Borough