Mumbles Railway set to be reborn as a walking trail
A PROJECT to create a walking trail along the route of the Swansea & Mumbles Railway – which in 1807 ran the world’s first passenger trains – has been launched.
Originally built under an Act of Parliament of 1804 to move limestone from the quarries of Mumbles to Swansea and to the markets beyond, and initially known as the Oystermouth Railway, the line carried the world’s first fare-paying railway passengers in horse-drawn cabs.
It later introduced steam haulage and was finally converted to electric power, using the largest tramcars ever built for service in Britain, before it closed in January 1960,
The Mumbles Development Trust plans to set up the Mumbles Railway Trail along the original route, with replica signs at each station site containing a QR code detailing the history of the line and any historical information relating to each stop.
To start the project, an appeal for funds has been set up online at www.spacehive.com/mumbles-railway-trail – and more than £10,000 has already been donated towards it.
A high-quality badge of the Brush 106-seater tram that ran on the railway between 1929 and 1960 has also been produced to contribute to fundraising efforts. It can be bought at Mumbles Pier or by post for £5 plus £1.50 postage from Mumbles Development Trust, 71 West Cross Lane, West Cross, Swansea, SA3 5LU.