Heart of Wales Line, Swansea to Shrewsbury
The Heart of Wales Line is a scenic rail route showing off the beauty of the Welsh countryside, stretching 121 miles from the coastal city of Swansea to the market town of Shrewsbury. It’s loved by day-trippers, walkers and locals alike, providing a vital link between the rural communities and towns of Mid Wales and the Border.
Having just celebrated its 150th anniversary, the rail route serves 30 stations, and highlights include the impressive viaducts at Cynghordy and Knucklas, Welsh marshes, historic castles and chocolate box villages. The train is operated by Transport for Wales and runs 24 journeys a day, seven days a week, taking a total of 3hours, 22minutes.
Prices from: £39
Departing from: Swansea, Shrewsbury
Journey length: 1hour40mins
The train runs between Swansea… 
and Shrewsbury
Heart of Wales railway route
The Heart of Wales railway route runs almost the entire length of Wales, from Swansea on the south coast northbound and over the border to Shrewsbury. The entire journey takes 3 hours,22minutes and stops at 30 stations, crosses two viaducts and goes through six tunnels, one being the run up to Sugar Loaf. Passengers can ride the entire route and just look out at the luscious green vista, or indeed hop on and off the train to explore the mountains, forest, rivers, towns and ruined castles across City and County of Swansea, Carmarthenshire, Powys and Shropshire. Most stations are rural with low footfall and can often boast local enterprises like shops and tea rooms. The train also runs southbound from Shrewsbury to Swansea.
Heart of Wales train
The rail route is due to undergo improvement in 2022/23.
What we love
Scenic vistas, stunning Welsh countryside and a really handy link between buzzing coastal Swansea and historic Shrewsbury. Tourists and day-trippers can also combine a trip on the railway with a walking trail along the Heart of Wales Line Trail – just head to the Heart of Wales website for inspiration.