The line was built with the hope of becoming part of a through trunk route between Bristol and the industrial Midlands, a development which never took place.

Although tourism provided some new passenger business in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods, the line's income was always weak.

[7] Coleford was considered the capital of the Forest of Dean[6] and it was the mineral production of the immediate area that encouraged railway access.

The Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway was authorised in 1853, intended to convey iron ore output by a shorter route than hitherto, to the ironworks of Nantyglo, Dowlais and Ebbw Vale.

Reaching Coleford, the primary object of building the line, required a crossing of the River Wye, and conversion of the Monmouth Railway.

As well as relaying all of its permanent way, this would have involved considerable realignment to smooth out the worst of the sharp tramroad curves, and opening out the tunnel profile.

After taking stock of the situation, and achieving a partial financial recovery, the CMU&PR set about building the bridge and viaduct to cross the River Wye at Monmouth, and extend its line as far as a mineral depot[note 3] at Wyesham, one mile (1.6 km) from Monmouth.

[10] The route was to follow the River Wye but the watercourse was extremely sinuous, and for much of its course it was hemmed in by steep hills.

The 1865 projected route was submitted to Parliament in the 1866 session; the line was to be called the Wye Valley Railway.

Extremely optimistic forecasts were circulated by the promoters, including the assertion that the line would form part of an artery to the North of England from Bristol, when the Severn Tunnel was opened.

Tourism was becoming an important factor, and the natural beauty of the Wye Valley was expected to encourage revenue from that source.

Confidence was intended to be inspired by the assurance that the Great Western Railway were to work the line, guaranteeing (it was claimed) 6% on capital for five years.

The line lay dormant until the early 1880s when the Abbey Wire and Tinplate Company established a business there, but this ceased trading in 1901.

It was announced in the press in April 1876 that "it has been decided to open the reach of the Wye Valley Railway, from Monmouth (Troy), to Redbrook, for goods traffic, this week.

"[18] On 8 June 1876 a train ran to Redbrook: "On Thursday a Great Western Railway Company's goods train ran from Monmouth to Redbrook and back, thereby opening up this portion of the Wye Valley line to goods traffic... An effort is being made to open the line for goods traffic through, from Monmouth to Redbrook and Tintern...[19] On 29 September 1876 the line was inspected by Colonel Rich of the Board of Trade.

The newspaper reports, no doubt fed by the company, insisted that this was "establishing a route of great importance for through traffic between Bristol and the West of England, and Birmingham, Liverpool and other towns in the north...

[1] New preference stock was issued soon after the line's opening: the Morning Post reported that the company was "issuing £105,000 [of] 5% preference stock ... for the completion of ... the new wharves at Chepstow; branches to tinplate-works and other works and mills on the line, about one mile (1.6 km) in length; the Brockweir bridge and enlarged sidings, made at the request of the Great Western Railway Company.

[note 7] Efforts were made to improve the line's financial position, but these were unsuccessful and the company went into receivership for a second time in 1889.

[7][8] In 1907, soon after purchasing the line, the Great Western Railway implemented an electric token signalling system in order to allow more frequent trains.

In addition, an electric train tablet system was installed, enabling long section working at quiet periods.

[1] The scenic beauty of the lower Wye Valley was utilised by the GWR in campaigns to encourage tourism, and this traffic provided a sizeable proportion of the line's income.

[25]The diesel railcars represented an attempt to carry light passenger traffic at lower cost, but from the interwar period onwards competition from road transport increasingly undercut the line's income; goods traffic began to be transported by motor lorry and omnibuses reduced passenger income.

The line left the station in an easterly direction, and immediately crossed the River Wye and adjacent low-lying ground by a viaduct.

There was a halt at Whitebrook, and the next station was Bigsweir, adjacent to a road bridge over the Wye, but with little population nearby.

[note 8][26][7] South of Brockweir the river makes a considerable westward loop, and a railway alignment directly serving Tintern would have been challenging.

It served the tinplate works at Abbey Hill and had its own substantial bridge of 69 yards (63 m) span, crossing the Wye.

Tintern Quarry was located some distance further south, and after that point the railway diverged from the River, passing through Tidenham Tunnel, 1,190 yards (1,090 m), to Netherhope Halt.

From there minor undulations followed for some distance until just before Tintern, where the line climbed at 1 in 80 and then 1 in 100 to the southern end of Tidenham Tunnel.

The three former railway bridges across the River Wye are still standing: Penallt Viaduct, which now carries a footpath between Redbrook and Penallt, the Wireworks Branch bridge, also in use as a footpath, and the impressive 21-arch viaduct at Monmouth, although the central metal section above the river has been removed.

Tintern station was purchased by the local county council and has operated as a visitor centre, cafe and museum since 1975.