Ffestiniog railway station
Encyclopedia
Llan Ffestiniog railway station was a railway station in Llan Ffestiniog
, North Wales
. It opened as the terminus of the narrow gauge Festiniog and Blaenau Railway
on 29 May 1868. On 1 September 1882 the standard gauge Bala Ffestiniog Line
reached Llan Ffestiniog from the south. The standard gauge station was just to the north-east and some thirty feet above the narrow gauge terminus. Standard gauge station facilities included a loading shed for slate brought by road from Drum and other local quarries, loading facilities had previously been provided at the narrow gauge station, the slate travelling in FR wagons. The following year the narrow gauge line was converted to standard gauge but narrow gauge trains continued to run until 5 September 1883 using a third rail. Standard gauge trains first ran from Bala
to Blaenau Ffestiniog
on 10 September 1883.
The station closed to passenger services on 2 January 1960 and freight services a year later on 27 January 1961. The line was quickly reopened in 1964 for freight to Trawsfynydd
nuclear power station and was also used during the 1980s for freight traffic to a siding serving the explosives factory in Penrhyndeudraeth
.
,
Recently, there were at leat two attempts to preserve what remains of the line, though neither succeeded. However, it is still hoped that one day the surviving line could see future preservation once investigations are carried out to test the whole section towards Trawsfynydd for future tourism use.
Llan Ffestiniog
Llan Ffestiniog, also known as Ffestiniog or simply Llan is a village in Gwynedd , north Wales, lying south of Blaenau Ffestiniog....
, North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
. It opened as the terminus of the narrow gauge Festiniog and Blaenau Railway
Festiniog and Blaenau Railway
The Festiniog & Blaenau Railway was a narrow gauge railway built in 1868 to connect the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog with the slate quarries around Tanymanod and the smaller town of Llan Ffestiniog. At Blaenau Ffestiniog it made a direct connection with the Ffestiniog Railway with which it was...
on 29 May 1868. On 1 September 1882 the standard gauge Bala Ffestiniog Line
Bala Ffestiniog Line
The Bala and Ffestiniog Railway was a , standard gauge, railway backed by the Great Western Railway railway in North Wales which connected Bala with Blaenau Ffestiniog.- History :...
reached Llan Ffestiniog from the south. The standard gauge station was just to the north-east and some thirty feet above the narrow gauge terminus. Standard gauge station facilities included a loading shed for slate brought by road from Drum and other local quarries, loading facilities had previously been provided at the narrow gauge station, the slate travelling in FR wagons. The following year the narrow gauge line was converted to standard gauge but narrow gauge trains continued to run until 5 September 1883 using a third rail. Standard gauge trains first ran from Bala
Bala, Gwynedd
Bala is a market town and community in Gwynedd, Wales, and formerly an urban district of the historic county of Merionethshire. It lies at the north end of Bala Lake , 17 miles north-east of Dolgellau, with a population of 1,980...
to 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...
on 10 September 1883.
The station closed to passenger services on 2 January 1960 and freight services a year later on 27 January 1961. The line was quickly reopened in 1964 for freight to Trawsfynydd
Trawsfynydd
Trawsfynydd is a village in Gwynedd, North Wales, adjacent to the A470 north of Dolgellau near Blaenau Ffestiniog....
nuclear power station and was also used during the 1980s for freight traffic to a siding serving the explosives factory in Penrhyndeudraeth
Penrhyndeudraeth
Penrhyndeudraeth is a village and community in the Welsh county of Gwynedd. It is located between Traeth Mawr , the now largely reclaimed estuary of the Afon Glaslyn, and Traeth Bach , the estuary of the Afon Dwyryd. The village is close to the mouth of the Afon Dwyryd on the A487 from...
.
Station Site Today
As of 2011, The whole station site has been completely demolished, although the line (now currently mothballed) still exists and through the site to as far as TrawsfynyddTrawsfynydd
Trawsfynydd is a village in Gwynedd, North Wales, adjacent to the A470 north of Dolgellau near Blaenau Ffestiniog....
,
Recently, there were at leat two attempts to preserve what remains of the line, though neither succeeded. However, it is still hoped that one day the surviving line could see future preservation once investigations are carried out to test the whole section towards Trawsfynydd for future tourism use.