Prestatyn railway station
Encyclopedia
Prestatyn railway station serves the town of Prestatyn
in North Wales
. It located on the North Wales Coast Line
and was opened in 1848. The coming of the railway is credited with bringing prosperity to the town, which was an aspiring resort. The station is managed by Arriva Trains Wales
and is served by their services from , and Manchester
to Holyhead
and Llandudno
; also by Virgin Trains
services to and from London Euston.
reached the town. Later, the line became part on the London & North Western Railway, who quadrupled it through the town in 1897 and built the current station as part of the widening scheme. Although threatened with closure in the 1960s as part of the Beeching
cuts, objections meant the station was reprieved. It has however reverted to double track operation, with the former fast line centre island platform
the only one still in use.
The station was also once the junction for a branch line to Dyserth
- this was opened by the LNWR in 1869, initially for mineral traffic only. A passenger service was instituted in 1905 but lasted only until 1930, when it was withdrawn by the LMS
. It remained open to serve a quarry at Dyserth until complete closure in 1973. Much of the old line is now used as a footpath.
On Sundays there is an hourly service each way from mid-morning (to Holyhead westbound and Crewe eastbound) plus two through trains to London.
Prestatyn
Prestatyn is a seaside resort, town and community in Denbighshire, North Wales. It is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the east of Rhyl. At the 2001 Census, Prestatyn had a population of 18,496.-Prehistory:...
in 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 located on the 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...
and was opened in 1848. The coming of the railway is credited with bringing prosperity to the town, which was an aspiring resort. 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...
and is served by their services from , and Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
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....
and Llandudno
Llandudno
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...
; also by 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...
services to and from London Euston.
History
The first railway station in Prestatyn opened in 1848, when the Chester and Holyhead RailwayChester and Holyhead Railway
The Chester and Holyhead Railway was incorporated out of a proposal to link Holyhead, the traditional port for the Irish Mail, with London by way of the existing Chester and Crewe Railway, and what is now the West Coast Main Line...
reached the town. Later, the line became part on the London & North Western Railway, who quadrupled it through the town in 1897 and built the current station as part of the widening scheme. Although threatened with closure in the 1960s as part of the Beeching
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...
cuts, objections meant the station was reprieved. It has however reverted to double track operation, with the former fast line centre 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...
the only one still in use.
The station was also once the junction for a branch line to Dyserth
Dyserth
Dyserth is a village in Denbighshire, Wales. Population : 2,566 . Its main features are the extensive quarrying remains, its waterfalls, railway line , and mountain ....
- this was opened by the LNWR in 1869, initially for mineral traffic only. A passenger service was instituted in 1905 but lasted only until 1930, when it was withdrawn by the LMS
London, 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...
. It remained open to serve a quarry at Dyserth until complete closure in 1973. Much of the old line is now used as a footpath.
Services
The hourly Manchester to Llandudno and Birmingham International/Cardiff to Holyhead services both call here, giving the station two trains each hour to Chester and Llandudno Junction. There are also six through trains each weekday (four on Saturdays) to and from London.On Sundays there is an hourly service each way from mid-morning (to Holyhead westbound and Crewe eastbound) plus two through trains to London.