Carnarvonshire Railway
Encyclopedia
The Carnarvonshire Railway was a railway connecting Caernarvon railway station (terminus of the Bangor and Caernarvon Railway line from Bangor
) with Afon Wen
.
. At Afon Wen, a junction connected with the Cambrian Line
(GWR
) to Pwllheli
in one direction and to Porthmadog
in the other, with LNWR/LMS running rights to both. The line had two branches, one from Caernarfon
to Llanberis
, which was built by the Carnarvon and Llanberis Railway and the other from Penygroes to Talysarn (Nantlle
), which formed part of the narrow gauge Nantlle Railway
, which between Penygroes and Caernarvon had been incorporated into the Carnarvonshire Railway.
etc. continued until 1962). Likewise the Talysarn branch passenger service ceased early. The remaining lines and services were shut completely as part of the Beeching Axe
as follows:
as the first phase of the line, in 1997. Several miles of the trackbed southwards from Dinas have been used to improve the A487 road. Some original sections remain and have been used as part of National Cycle Route 8
.
The cycle route
(Lôn Eifion
) and the narrow gauge railway share the old trackbed south of Caernarvon to Dinas.
Bangor, Wales
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
) with Afon Wen
Afon Wen
Afon Wen is a small hamlet on the Llŷn peninsula in the Welsh principal area of Gwynedd.- Location :It is located at the mouth of the Afon Wen river, half a mile from the village of Chwilog and midway between Pwllheli and Cricieth.- History & Amenities :...
.
History
It was later operated by the LNWR then the LMSLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
. At Afon Wen, a junction connected with the Cambrian Line
Cambrian Line
The Cambrian Line is a railway from Shrewsbury to Welshpool, Aberystwyth and Pwllheli. The railway runs first through the central part of Wales and then along the coast of Cardigan Bay....
(GWR
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
) to Pwllheli
Pwllheli
Pwllheli is a community and the main market town of the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, north-western Wales. It has a population of 3,861, of which a large proportion, 81 per cent, are Welsh speaking. Pwllheli is the place where Plaid Cymru was founded. It is the birthplace of Albert Evans-Jones -...
in one direction and to Porthmadog
Porthmadog
Porthmadog , known locally as "Port", and historically rendered into English as Portmadoc, is a small coastal town and community in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd, in Wales. Prior to the Local Government Act 1972 it was in the administrative county of Caernarfonshire. The town lies east of...
in the other, with LNWR/LMS running rights to both. The line had two branches, one from Caernarfon
Caernarfon
Caernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast...
to Llanberis
Llanberis
Llanberis is a village in Gwynedd, North Wales, lying on the southern banks of Llyn Padarn in Snowdonia. It takes its name from Saint Peris, an early Welsh saint.According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, the population of Llanberis was 1,954...
, which was built by the Carnarvon and Llanberis Railway and the other from Penygroes to Talysarn (Nantlle
Nantlle
Nantlle is a small village in the slate quarrying Nantlle Valley in Gwynedd, Wales. It lies on the north shore of Llyn Nantlle Uchaf....
), which formed part of the narrow gauge Nantlle Railway
Nantlle Railway
The Nantlle Railway was a Welsh narrow gauge railway built to carry slate from several slate quarries in the Nantlle Valley to the harbour at Caernarfon for export by sea. The line received its Act of Parliament in 1825 and was constructed by Robert Stephenson, brother of George Stephenson. It...
, which between Penygroes and Caernarvon had been incorporated into the Carnarvonshire Railway.
Closure
Regular passenger service on the Llanberis branch ceased in the 1932 (but summer passenger excursions from LlandudnoLlandudno
Llandudno is a seaside resort and town in Conwy County Borough, Wales. In the 2001 UK census it had a population of 20,090 including that of Penrhyn Bay and Penrhynside, which are within the Llandudno Community...
etc. continued until 1962). Likewise the Talysarn branch passenger service ceased early. The remaining lines and services were shut completely as part of the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
as follows:
- Afon Wen to Caernarvon - December 1964
- Llanberis to Caernarvon - December 1964
Trackbed re-use
A section of the line, from Caernarvon to Dinas, was incorporated into the reopened narrow gauge Welsh Highland RailwayWelsh Highland Railway
The Welsh Highland Railway is a long restored narrow gauge heritage railway in North Wales, operating from Caernarfon to Porthmadog, and passing through a number of popular tourist destinations including Beddgelert and the Aberglaslyn Pass. At Porthmadog it connects with the Ffestiniog Railway...
as the first phase of the line, in 1997. Several miles of the trackbed southwards from Dinas have been used to improve the A487 road. Some original sections remain and have been used as part of National Cycle Route 8
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
.
The cycle route
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
(Lôn Eifion
Lôn Eifion
Lôn Eifion is part of Lôn Las Cymru, the Welsh National Cycle Route, which is about long.Lôn Eifion is the section which runs for from Caernarfon to Bryncir along most of the former Caernarfon to Afon Wen line. This line was that of the Carnarvonshire Railway , and joined with the Cambrian Coast...
) and the narrow gauge railway share the old trackbed south of Caernarvon to Dinas.