Llandudno Junction railway station
Encyclopedia
Llandudno Junction railway station is on the Crewe
to Holyhead
North Wales Coast Line
. The station is managed by Arriva Trains Wales
, although Virgin Trains
also serves it.
As a junction for trains to Llandudno
and the Conwy Valley Line
, Llandudno Junction is the busiest station in North Wales, in terms of the frequency of services.
. Built by the St. George's Harbour and Railway Company in 1858, this branch line heads north through Deganwy
before terminating in the town. Prior to the completion of the junction station, the branch line trains from Llandudno ran through to Conwy
.
This was followed by the opening of a second branch line in 1863 - the Conwy Valley Line
- which headed south and was built by the Conway and Llanrwst Railway, and became part of the LNWR in 1867. It follows the valley of the River Conwy
to Llanrwst
(where it originally terminated) and Betws-y-Coed
(a later terminus in 1869), then follows the Lledr Valley and a two mile long tunnel to terminate at Blaenau Ffestiniog
, where passengers can join the Ffestiniog Railway
.
Initially the Conwy Valley line ran into a separate platform on the south side of the station, and a refreshment room was built in 1864. However, the station needed to enlarge in order to cope with both mainline and branch-line traffic, and on 1 October 1897 the present station was opened on a much larger site, the two island platforms offering six through lines with two bays at each end. The opening of the new station allowed for the demolition of the former station, but also entailed a diverting of the Conwy Valley branch, which now joined the mainline some half a mile further east. The old formation was used to store locomotives.
Three of the platforms on the southern side (both bays and the down loop) were taken out of use in 1968 when the easternmost of the two signal boxes was closed and the track layout altered. In 1983 the branch junction was again moved slightly eastwards to allow for a new freight terminal (now disused) to be built to replace the original goods yard and another at nearby Colwyn Bay that had been closed down prior to the start of the A55 road
widening scheme the previous year.
The station was also remodelled once more & resignalled at this time and in 1985 a new power signal box was commissioned at the western end, which now controls the station area & junctions along with the main line between Colwyn Bay & Conwy and the northern end of the Conwy Valley branch (using the Electric Token
system). The token machine for the branch is located at the station rather than in the signal box for operational convenience, allowing drivers to collect or return their token (with the cooperation of the signaller) whilst station work is undertaken rather than having to make an additional stop at the box to make the exchange.
The station was also formerly the site of the 6G motive power depot (which closed in 1966). This and the former adjoining goods yard now have been redeveloped, but the new flyover road across the site bears the name 6G.
The station currently has four operational platforms:
A bus shelter in the station car park is numbered as platform 5, and is used for local bus services as well as rail replacement services when the railway is closed for engineering work.
On Sundays services run hourly to Holyhead and Crewe on the main line, along with a half-hourly shuttle to Llandudno (summer only) and there are three trains to London. There are also three trains each way on the Blaenau Ffestiniog branch between May and early September (a thrice daily rail-replacement bus service runs for the remainder of the year).
Crewe
Crewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...
to Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
North Wales Coast Line
North Wales Coast Line
The North Wales Coast Line is the railway line from Crewe to Holyhead. Virgin Trains consider their services along it to be a spur of the West Coast Main Line. The first section from Crewe to Chester was built by the Chester and Crewe Railway and absorbed by the Grand Junction Railway shortly...
. The station is managed by Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
, although Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...
also serves it.
As a junction for trains to Llandudno
Llandudno railway station
Llandudno railway station serves the town of Llandudno and is the terminus of a branch line from Llandudno Junction on the Crewe to Holyhead North Wales Coast Line. It is managed by Arriva Trains Wales....
and the Conwy Valley Line
Conwy Valley Line
The Conwy Valley Line is a railway line in north Wales. It runs from Llandudno via Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog, and was originally part of the London and North Western Railway, being opened in stages to 1879...
, Llandudno Junction is the busiest station in North Wales, in terms of the frequency of services.
History
The original station (located to the west of the current station) was opened on 1 October 1858 and served the branch line to 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...
. Built by the St. George's Harbour and Railway Company in 1858, this branch line heads north through Deganwy
Deganwy
Deganwy is a village in Conwy County Borough in Wales with a population of 3,700. It is in a more English-speaking region of North Wales, with only 1 in 4 residents speaking Welsh as a first language...
before terminating in the town. Prior to the completion of the junction station, the branch line trains from Llandudno ran through to Conwy
Conwy railway station
Conwy railway station serves the ancient walled town of Conwy and is located on the Crewe to Holyhead North Wales Coast Line. There are through services to Chester via Colwyn Bay, Rhyl, Prestatyn and Flint in one direction and to Bangor & Holyhead in the other. After arrival at Chester, most trains...
.
This was followed by the opening of a second branch line in 1863 - the Conwy Valley Line
Conwy Valley Line
The Conwy Valley Line is a railway line in north Wales. It runs from Llandudno via Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog, and was originally part of the London and North Western Railway, being opened in stages to 1879...
- which headed south and was built by the Conway and Llanrwst Railway, and became part of the LNWR in 1867. It follows the valley of the River Conwy
River Conwy
The River Conwy is a river in north Wales. From its source to its discharge in Conwy Bay it is a little over long. "Conwy" is sometimes Anglicized as "Conway."...
to Llanrwst
Llanrwst
Llanrwst is a small town and community on the A470 road and the River Conwy in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It takes its name from the 5th century to 6th century Saint Grwst, and the original parish church in Cae Llan was replaced by the 12th-century church....
(where it originally terminated) and Betws-y-Coed
Betws-y-Coed
Betws-y-Coed is a village and community in the Conwy valley in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It has a population of 534. The name Betws or Bettws is generally thought to be derived from the Anglo-Saxon Old English 'bed-hus' - i.e. a bead-house - a house of prayer, or oratory...
(a later terminus in 1869), then follows the Lledr Valley and a two mile long tunnel to terminate at Blaenau Ffestiniog
Blaenau Ffestiniog
Blaenau Ffestiniog is a town in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It has a population of 5,000, including Llan Ffestiniog, which makes it the third largest town in Gwynedd, behind Caernarfon & Porthmadog. Although the population reached 12,000 at the peak of the slate industry, the population fell due to...
, where passengers can join the Ffestiniog Railway
Ffestiniog Railway
The Ffestiniog Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway, located in Gwynedd, Wales. It is a major tourist attraction located mainly within the Snowdonia National Park....
.
Initially the Conwy Valley line ran into a separate platform on the south side of the station, and a refreshment room was built in 1864. However, the station needed to enlarge in order to cope with both mainline and branch-line traffic, and on 1 October 1897 the present station was opened on a much larger site, the two island platforms offering six through lines with two bays at each end. The opening of the new station allowed for the demolition of the former station, but also entailed a diverting of the Conwy Valley branch, which now joined the mainline some half a mile further east. The old formation was used to store locomotives.
Three of the platforms on the southern side (both bays and the down loop) were taken out of use in 1968 when the easternmost of the two signal boxes was closed and the track layout altered. In 1983 the branch junction was again moved slightly eastwards to allow for a new freight terminal (now disused) to be built to replace the original goods yard and another at nearby Colwyn Bay that had been closed down prior to the start of the A55 road
A55 road
The A55, also known as the North Wales Expressway, is a major road in Britain. Its entire length is a dual carriageway primary route, with the exception of the point where it crosses the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Strait. All junctions are grade separated except for two roundabouts — one...
widening scheme the previous year.
The station was also remodelled once more & resignalled at this time and in 1985 a new power signal box was commissioned at the western end, which now controls the station area & junctions along with the main line between Colwyn Bay & Conwy and the northern end of the Conwy Valley branch (using the Electric Token
Token (railway signalling)
In railway signalling, a token is a physical object which a locomotive driver is required to have or see before entering onto a particular section of single track. The token is clearly endorsed with the name of the section it belongs to...
system). The token machine for the branch is located at the station rather than in the signal box for operational convenience, allowing drivers to collect or return their token (with the cooperation of the signaller) whilst station work is undertaken rather than having to make an additional stop at the box to make the exchange.
The station was also formerly the site of the 6G motive power depot (which closed in 1966). This and the former adjoining goods yard now have been redeveloped, but the new flyover road across the site bears the name 6G.
Layout
| North Wales Coast Line North Wales Coast Line The North Wales Coast Line is the railway line from Crewe to Holyhead. Virgin Trains consider their services along it to be a spur of the West Coast Main Line. The first section from Crewe to Chester was built by the Chester and Crewe Railway and absorbed by the Grand Junction Railway shortly... towards , , and Conwy Valley Line Conwy Valley Line The Conwy Valley Line is a railway line in north Wales. It runs from Llandudno via Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog, and was originally part of the London and North Western Railway, being opened in stages to 1879... to Through services to |
|
| Services to |
|
Island Platform Island platform An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange... Platform 2 |
|
 Shuttle services to Llandudno Llandudno railway station Llandudno railway station serves the town of Llandudno and is the terminus of a branch line from Llandudno Junction on the Crewe to Holyhead North Wales Coast Line. It is managed by Arriva Trains Wales.... |
|
| North Wales Coast Line North Wales Coast Line The North Wales Coast Line is the railway line from Crewe to Holyhead. Virgin Trains consider their services along it to be a spur of the West Coast Main Line. The first section from Crewe to Chester was built by the Chester and Crewe Railway and absorbed by the Grand Junction Railway shortly... to , , , , , and Conwy Valley Line Conwy Valley Line The Conwy Valley Line is a railway line in north Wales. It runs from Llandudno via Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog, and was originally part of the London and North Western Railway, being opened in stages to 1879... to |
|
Island Platform Island platform An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange... Platform 4 |
|
| North Wales Coast Line North Wales Coast Line The North Wales Coast Line is the railway line from Crewe to Holyhead. Virgin Trains consider their services along it to be a spur of the West Coast Main Line. The first section from Crewe to Chester was built by the Chester and Crewe Railway and absorbed by the Grand Junction Railway shortly... to , , Conwy Valley Line Conwy Valley Line The Conwy Valley Line is a railway line in north Wales. It runs from Llandudno via Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog, and was originally part of the London and North Western Railway, being opened in stages to 1879... to |
|
| Services to and |
|
The station currently has four operational platforms:
- Platform 1 is used by eastbound trains to Chester, Crewe, Birmingham New Street, Cardiff Central, London Euston and Blaenau Ffestiniog. It is also signalled for use by trains to Llandudno.
- Platform 2 is a bay platform used by the hourly shuttle service to Llandudno. It is also used for stabling trains overnight.
- Platform 3 is a bidirectional platform which can be used by all services. It is mainly used for westbound trains, but at busy periods can be used for eastbound trains as well.
- Platform 4 is used by services to Bangor, Holyhead and Llandudno. It is also signalled for trains to Blaenau Ffestiniog.
A bus shelter in the station car park is numbered as platform 5, and is used for local bus services as well as rail replacement services when the railway is closed for engineering work.
Services
- Arriva Trains WalesArriva Trains WalesArriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
provides an hourly service from either Birmingham InternationalBirmingham International railway stationBirmingham International railway station is located in the borough of Solihull, just east of the city of Birmingham in England.The station is on the Rugby-Birmingham-Stafford Line 14 km east of Birmingham New Street and serves both Birmingham International Airport and the National Exhibition...
or Cardiff CentralCardiff Central railway stationCardiff Central railway station is a major railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Wales and one of the major stations of the British rail network, the tenth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London , based on 2007/08...
to HolyheadHolyheadHolyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
via ShrewsburyShrewsbury railway stationShrewsbury railway station is the railway station serving Shrewsbury, county town of Shropshire, England. It is the only remaining railway station in the town; Shrewsbury Abbey, as well as other small stations around the town, having long closed. The station was built in 1848 and has been extended...
, ChesterChester railway stationChester railway station is a railway station in Newtown in the city of Chester, England. It is currently operated by Arriva Trains Wales, although Merseyrail, Northern Rail and Virgin Trains also run services from the station. It is situated to the north-east of the city centre...
and BangorBangor railway stationBangor railway station may refer to:*Bangor railway station, Northern Ireland*Bangor railway station...
. - Arriva Trains Wales provide an hourly service from Manchester Piccadilly to Llandudno. A shuttle service also operates giving the Llandudno branch a half hourly service throughout most of the day.
- Arriva Trains Wales operate six trains per day each way on the Conwy Valley Line to Blaenau Ffestiniog.
- Arriva Trains Wales operate one daily limited-stop Premier service between HolyheadHolyhead railway stationHolyhead railway station serves the town of Holyhead on Holy Island, Anglesey. It is the western terminus of the North Wales Coast Line and is managed by Arriva Trains Wales, although Virgin Trains also serves it....
and Cardiff CentralCardiff Central railway stationCardiff Central railway station is a major railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Wales and one of the major stations of the British rail network, the tenth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London , based on 2007/08...
. - Virgin TrainsVirgin TrainsVirgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...
operate a number of services from London Euston to Bangor and Holyhead (seven Mon-Fri and five on Saturdays).
On Sundays services run hourly to Holyhead and Crewe on the main line, along with a half-hourly shuttle to Llandudno (summer only) and there are three trains to London. There are also three trains each way on the Blaenau Ffestiniog branch between May and early September (a thrice daily rail-replacement bus service runs for the remainder of the year).
External links
- Greatorme.org.uk, Llandudno Junction and North Wales Train Services 1947 and 2003.
- 6G Llandudno Junction, Loco shed 6G
- Fotopic.net, model Railway