 The initial 1861 route survey (which had parliamentary approval) and a later 1864 route were locally controversial.The unbuilt section between Strata Florida and the railhead of the Llangurig branch would have been through very mountainous terrain, although only in length as the crow flies.The line closed in two stages – the northern section closed prematurely in December 1964 when a section of the line one mile east of Llanilar was damaged by floods from the adjacent River Ystwyth.