Background
The Welsh railway network was built by a series of small railway companies, which by the time of grouping in 1923 had all became part of the Great Western Railway. In 1845, a broad gauge scheme had been proposed to connect industrialised Northwest England and Manchester to the deep water port of Milford Haven, giving an alternative to access North America than the dominant Port of Liverpool. However, the Manchester and Milford Railway did not gain approval until 1859, when the London and North Western Railway backed a standard gauge proposal. However, by that time Parliament had authorised a second railway between Llanidloes and Aberystwyth, authorising the Mid-Wales Railway in 1860.
By 1861 both railways were fast approaching Llanidloes, the M&MR from Llangurig in the west, the MWR from Builth Wells in the south. After fierce clashes between engineers and navies building the two schemes, in 1864 Parliament approved the construction of a joint line, the Llanidloes and Newtown Railway. This would extend southwards of Llanidloes with 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of double track to Penpontbren Junction, where the M&MR's Llangurig branch for Strata Florida, and MWR mainline for Builth Wells would diverge.
The M&MR and MWR were to pay 5% per anum on construction costs and maintenance. Also the three companies were to pay equal shares of interest and running costs for the new Llanidloes railway station. These charges were eventually to prove crippling for the M&MR.
Read more about this topic: Llanidloes And Newtown Railway
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