Barry Tourist Railway

This article's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. The reason given is: it seems to be shut down and mostly gone but the article hardly mentions this. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (December 2024)

Barry Tourist Railway (formerly Barry Island Railway)
Barry Tourist Railway
Locale	Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales
Terminus	Barry Island Railway Station
Commercial operations
Name	Barry Island Branch
Built by	Barry Railway Company
Original gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preserved operations
Operated by	1997–2008 – Vale of Glamorgan Railway Company 2009–present – Cambrian Transport
Stations	5
Length	2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) + 0.8 kilometres (0.50 mi) branch
Preserved gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Commercial history
Opened	1885
Closed	Pier station 5 July 1976
Preservation history
1994	Vale of Glamorgan Railway Company (VGR) formed
1996	Butetown Historic Railway Society officially becomes the VGR
June 1997	New base opened at Plymouth Road
April 1998	First operations commenced
2002	First operations across the Causeway
2005	New high level line to Woodham Halt opened
Sep 2005	Marketing name changed to Barry Island Railway
Aug 2007	Extension to Gladstone Bridge complete
Mar 2008	First passenger train to Gladstone Bridge
Nov 2008	VoGC ceases VoGRC lease, chooses new operator (Cambrian Transport) by sealed bid process
Jan 2009	December 2009 Cambrian Transport lease starts
August 2015	Railway Gets 1st Owned Operational Steam Locomotive, Susan
2022	Railway Ceases Operating Trains and Transport for Wales takes over land
Website
barrytouristrailway.co.uk

v t e Barry Tourist Railway
Legend
Vale of Glamorgan Line to Bridgend Barry ( 149 yd 136 m ) Barry Island Viaduct Barry Shed Paget Road Bridge Waterfront Barry Island connection to Network Rail Woodham Halt Plymouth Road Gladstone Bridge Plymouth Road Shed possible extension possible extension Barry Docks ( 180 yd 165 m ) Barry Island Tunnel Vale of Glamorgan Line to Cardiff Central Barry Pier

The Barry Tourist Railway (formerly the Barry Island Railway) was a railway developed to attract visitors to Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. It was a key element of the Barry Rail Centre which also includes engineering and training facilities.

An unusual aspect of the railway was that for several hundred yards across the Causeway from Barry to Barry Island, the trackbed used was directly alongside the Network Rail track which uses the original up line, with the Barry Tourist Railway using the down line. This continues from Barry to cross the Causeway and 149-yard (136 m) Barry Island viaduct after which the two lines diverge into separate platforms at Barry Island. The Railway does not consider itself a line but more of a network as it has two different routes. This is demonstrated in the map below, with Network Rail shown in red.

In November 2008, the landowner the Vale of Glamorgan Council, undertook a commercial tender exercise, which terminated the lease of previous operator the Vale of Glamorgan Railway in favour of a private operator, Cambrian Transport, under a 20-year-long lease.^[1] Operations commenced in December 2009 and a full year's programme of services operated during 2010. Details are shown on the Council website.^[2] Services have been operated by IRIS II DMU (Class 101 twin-set), Class 26 No. 26 038, Class 73s 73 118 & 73 133 with a former Gatwick Express coaching stock set in push-pull mode, Class 20 20 228, Class 08 08 503, 0-6-0 Pannier Tank locomotive No. 9466, Great Western Steam Rail Motor No.93, Metropolitan Tank No.1, Hunslet 0-6-0T Jessie and an 8F tender loco.