THE old photo of Cwmbran station is actually on Victoria Street. It still stands but is now a health clinic. It was built in 1880.

The original station was across the road by a pub. It closed in 1880 as the new station opened.

The original owners were the Monmouthshire Railway and then it was bought out by GWR.

The now station is in Somerset Road and was opened in May, 1986.

At the same time they named a loco Cwmbran. It was an English Electric Type 3 37 Class. I wonder if any readers know the whereabouts of it now.

Idris Hitchings, Pontypool

The Now and Then photographs show Cwmbran railway station.

The Then photo shows the old station constructed by the Great Western Railway on the Pontypool Road to Newport line – a line built in competition with the alternative route, which was more direct, from Pontypool to the old Newport Mill Street and Dock Street stations and the Docks.

The GWR route is still in operation today but from Cwmbran it sweeps around in a big semi-circle through Llantarnam, Ponthir and Caerleon, all of which had stations, then through Maindee to join up with the London (Paddington) to Newport (High Street).

Cwmbran was a very busy station with main line trains from Hereford to Newport and Cardiff and main-line trains from Crewe to Bristol which bypassed Newport Station by taking the Eastern arm of the Maindee Triangle (the Loop).

There were also local trains between Newport and Blaenavon and Newport to Hereford.

The station was demolished in the early 1960s when the Newport to Blaenavon trains were taken off.

The Now photo shows the new Cwmbran station, built after rail privatisation.

In the background is the main repair depot for Stagecoach South East Wales.

The railway is not as busy as it was 50 years ago because the Blaenavon line is closed but there are still local and long distance trains. This line is part of the North and West route.

The old line from Pontypool to Newport Dock was built by the Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company, this company and the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Company were taken over by the West Midland Railway which was itself taken over by the Great Western Railway.

Brian JJ Jelf, Newport