Both the LNWR and the GWR had proposed railways into the interior, but both had withdrawn. [[[[Newtown, Powys|Newtown]] and [[Llanidloes]] were centres of [[flannel]] manufacture at the time, and in frustration promoted their own railway joining the towns. The [[Llanidloes and Newtown Railway]] was authorised in 1853 and opened in 1859. The L&NR was not connected to any other line, but encouraged by the development, another railway was locally promoted: the [[Oswestry and Newtown Railway]]. This was authorised in 1855 and opened in stages from 1860, connecting to the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway, and thence the developing English network, at Oswestry. [[File:River Severn, Penstrowed railway bridge - geograph.org.uk - 672197.jpg|thumb|The twin spans of Penstrowed bridge, by which the N&MR crossed the [[River Severn]].]]There was still a considerable expanse of undeveloped territory to the west and south of Newtown, and thoughts returned to railways covering longer distances. A line striking across Wales from the north-east to the south-west, possibly developing an Atlantic coast port seemed attractive, and this led to several ambitious schemes. Other routes were considered, and one joining Newtown to [[Aberystwyth]] was considered attractive. Avoiding the mountainous area surrounding [[Plynlimon]], the easiest and obvious route lay in a sweep north through [[Talerddig]] to [[Machynlleth]], an important market town. A solicitor based there, named David Howell, made energetic moves to form a railway scheme, beginning with a public meeting on 20 December 1856 at Machynlleth. There was support for a railway, and the engineer [[Benjamin Piercy]] prepared plans for a route. A 23-mile line from the Llanidloes and Newtown Railway near Caersws to Machynlleth was shown to be feasible. It involved a climb from 412 ft to a summit of 693 ft at Talerddig with a maximum gradient of 1 in 71, and an even steeper descent to near sea level at Machynlleth with four miles at 1 in 52/60. [[File:Railway Cutting at the summit of Talerddig bank - geograph.org.uk - 195516.jpg|thumb|The cutting at Talerddig summit]] The Newtown and Machynlleth Railway was incorporated by Act of 27 July 1857, with authorised capital of £150,000.