This is the quietest train station in Wales (Image: Adrian White)
As the quaint two-carriage train departs from Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire on a chilly December morning, the Heart of Wales line offers an awe-inspiring journey through the Welsh countryside.
The picturesque rural town quickly gives way to stunning fields and hills that provide a captivating backdrop to this nostalgic journey.
The historic Heart of Wales Line, over 150 years old, spans 121 miles from Swansea to Shrewsbury, passing through a myriad of fascinating locations such as Llanwrda, Llangammarch, Llandrindod, Llangynllo, Knucklas, Hopton Heath and Broome.
Among these intriguing stops, one tiny station stands out for its sheer obscurity – the little Welsh station of Sugar Loaf.
This enchanting station is so elusive that the train only stops there if you request it in advance. In fact, between April 2020 and March 2021, not a single passenger boarded or alighted at Sugar Loaf station.
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The station is only occasionally used by ramblers (Image: Adrian White)
A few years ago, there was a surge in interest when an impressive 1,846 passengers used the station between April 2017 and March 2018.
This has been attributed to tourists eager to claim they’ve visited the most remote train station in Wales, and one of the most isolated in the UK, reports Wales Online.
However, the following year saw a significant drop, with the number of visitors halving, but still welcoming over 700 passengers. Since then, sightings of people at Sugar Loaf have become increasingly rare.
Between April 2019 and March 2020, only 156 passengers were recorded, averaging just three per week. To be fair, the station was closed from July 2020 to August 2021 due to Covid-19 safety measures implemented by Transport for Wales.
Yet, even in the three months prior to closure, no one alighted at the station. In contrast, Cardiff Central – the busiest train station in Wales – had nearly two million entries and exits in 2020-21, despite many people refraining from travel due to the pandemic.
Rob Harries paid a visit to the remote train station (Image: Media Wales)
When reporter Rob Harries stepped off the train at Sugar Loaf station, he felt like he was “entering a different world – one of utter tranquillity and isolation.” The intrepid reported added: “The excitement I felt was akin to being granted access to an airplane’s cockpit.”
Rob continued: “My initial nerves about having to flag down the return train were quickly soothed by the conductor’s assurance that he’d be accompanying me back.
“After a 37-minute journey, I found myself alone on a silent platform, with no other souls in sight. Surrounded by nothing but the Welsh winter’s chill, there was no wi-fi, no bustling coffee shop, no CCTV, no public conveniences, and barely a whisper of phone signal.
“The absence of traffic noise underscored the remoteness of my location.”
“You’re the first person I’ve ever seen get off the train for years” (Image: Media Wales)
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The quiet solitude was broken when Rob eventually heard a voice, bringing a welcome relief from the cold wait.
“Wow, I’ve got to say I’ve been coming here for god knows how many years and you’re the first person I’ve ever seen get off the train,” remarked Andrew Jones from Integral, who was there for annual maintenance.
“I’m shocked,” he confessed. His colleague Dave Williams shared his astonishment. Rob said: “Despite their regular visits since 2008, my arrival was a novel event for them.”
“When I saw someone get off I couldn’t believe it,” Dave commented. “There’s nothing here. You can’t even get a cup of tea.”
They went on to reveal that even the steps leading from the station were a relatively new addition, replacing an old wooden staircase that once provided the only route to the main road.
Passengers have to request to alight at the tiny station (Image: Media Wales)
The station, which was completely closed in 1965 before reopening nearly two decades later in 1984, was originally built to provide railway workers living in local cottages with access to public transport. Nowadays, it seems the only people who disembark here are ramblers.
There are stairs that lead to a small car park covered in chippings and then onto the road connecting Cynghordy and Llanwrtyd. A nearby lay-by once housed a burger van, but zero passengers doesn’t exactly make for a thriving business model.
Rob said: “My hopes of a warm cup of tea are dashed, despite Andrew the maintenance man kindly offering to drive me to the nearest village some three miles away.
“With no internet and limited phone signal, waiting takes on a different quality, one we’re not accustomed to anymore. There’s nothing to do but soak up the surroundings – the countryside, the scent of the forest, the hush of the December air, and the occasional baa from a sheep.”
Back in the relative hustle and bustle of Llandeilo, a curious fellow passenger asked Rob: “Did you get on at Sugar Loaf? What was it like?”
“Quiet,”he replied “But a pleasant kind of quiet, and beautiful too.”
