During the mid-1840s, work commenced upon the construction of the South Wales Railway, which was being pursued with the goal of connecting Gloucester and the Great Western Railway to key sites throughout South Wales, especially the envisioned ferry traffic at Fishguard, Pembrokeshire. Headed by the noted civil engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the line initially opened during 1850 through to the city of Swansea, although construction activity continued on other sections for decades more. The arrival of the railway had the effect of eclipsed the Swansea Canal as the major transport artery in the region.
