Caernarvon | |
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![]() The site of the station in 2013 | |
General information | |
Location | Caernarfon Wales |
Coordinates | 53°08′41″N4°16′17″W / 53.14461°N 4.27145°W |
Grid reference | SH 481 632 |
Platforms | 5 [1] |
Other information | |
Status | Disused |
History | |
Original company | Bangor and Carnarvon Railway |
Pre-grouping | London and North Western Railway |
Post-grouping | London, Midland and Scottish Railway |
Key dates | |
1 July 1852 | Opened as Carnarvon [2] [3] |
27 March 1926 | Renamed Caernarvon [2] [4] |
5 January 1970 | Closed [4] |
23 May 1970 | Temporarily reopened for freight |
30 January 1972 | closed for freight |
Carnarvonshire Railway | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Caernarvon railway station was a station on the former Bangor and Carnarvon Railway between Caernarfon, Gwynedd and Menai Suspension Bridge near Bangor. The station was closed to all traffic in January 1972. The station has since been demolished and the site redeveloped.
The station, which opened on 1 July 1852, was named "Carnarvon". [2] The town was originally the terminus of the branch line from Menai bridge, later becoming part of the Carnarvonshire Railway. In 1864 the Carnarvon and Llanberis Railway extended the branch line 8 miles (13 km) from Carnarvon station to Llanberis. A 300-yard (270 m) tunnel was constructed just south of the station to carry the new line. The tunnel was reopened in 1995 as a road tunnel.[ citation needed ]
By 1871 all three original companies were absorbed into the London and North Western Railway. The station was renamed "Caernarvon" on 27 March 1926. [2] [4] In 1964 the lines to Afon Wen and Llanberis were closed under the Beeching Axe. [5]
On 5 January 1970, Caernarvon was closed to all services. [4] However following a fire that destroyed the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Straits on 23 May 1970, the branch and goods yard were temporarily reopened for freight traffic until 30 January 1972. The branch line to Caernarvon station was finally closed with the resumption of rail services to Anglesey and Holyhead in February 1972. The track was removed and the station completely demolished. A Morrisons store now occupies the site, [6] having been built under Safeway in the late 80's and opened by the mayor of Caernarfon, and then absorbed into Morrisons after they acquired Safeway in 2004.
The Welsh Highland Railway (WHR) now operates from Caernarfon railway station which uses the original trackbed of the Carnarvonshire Railway just south of the tunnel on St Helen's Road beneath the high retaining walls of Segontium Terrace.
Caernarfon Council have a longer-term plan to reinstate the rail transport link to Bangor. After speculation that the WHR would at some point in time be extended to Bangor, the owner of the WHR (the Ffestiniog Railway) wrote to the council in January 2014 to confirm that they would not themselves be supportive of such a scheme in narrow gauge, but supported the reconnection of the town to the national rail network using standard gauge. [7]
Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
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Griffith's Crossing | London and North Western Railway Carnarvonshire Railway | Dinas Junction | ||
London and North Western Railway Carnarvon and Llanberis Railway | Pont Rug (Halt) |
Dinas is a station on the narrow gauge Welsh Highland Railway, which was built in 1877 as the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways Moel Tryfan Undertaking to carry dressed slate for trans-shipment to the LNWR. Passenger services ceased on 26 September 1936 until which time Dinas had been a joint station, known as Dinas Junction with the LNWR and later the LMS. In 1951, British Railways closed their part of the station but the line through the station remained open until the line from Caernarvon to Afon Wen was closed in 1964. The trackbed was subsequently developed as the Lôn Eifion tourist cycle route.
Caernarfon Station is the northern terminus of the narrow gauge Welsh Highland Railway, located in the town of Caernarfon. It was opened on 11 October 1997 when the line was constructed from Dinas.
Porthmadog railway station serves the town of Porthmadog on the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, Wales. The station is on the Cambrian Coast Railway with passenger services to Pwllheli, Harlech, Barmouth, Machynlleth, Shrewsbury and Birmingham.
Criccieth railway station serves the seaside town of Criccieth on the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, Wales.
The Carnarvonshire Railway was a railway connecting Caernarvon with Afon Wen.
Afon Wen was a railway station in Afon Wen, Gwynedd, Wales, four miles (6 km) west of Criccieth.
Chwilog railway station served the village of Chwilog, Gwynedd, Wales. It was opened in 1867 by the Carnarvonshire Railway, who were subsequently taken over by the LNWR, passing to the LMSR at the Grouping of 1923. The station came under the London Midland Region of British Railways from nationalisation in 1948.
Pontrhythallt was a railway station in the village of Pont Rhythallt, Gwynedd, Wales. This station opened in 1869 and closed for regular passenger services in 1930, but trains continued to pass through until the last goods train of all on 3 September 1964, which delivered a panel of lap fencing.
Brynkir railway station was opened by the Carnarvonshire Railway on the western edge of the village of Bryncir, Gwynedd, Wales.
Penygroes railway station was located in Penygroes, Gwynedd, Wales.
Groeslon railway station served the village of Groeslon, Gwynedd, Wales. It operated first as part of the Nantlle Tramway and afterwards as a railway under the auspices of several different companies. The station and line closed on 7 December 1964 as recommended in the Beeching Report.
Llanwnda railway station served the village of Llanwnda, Gwynedd, Wales.
Llanberis railway station was located in Llanberis, Gwynedd, Wales. It was a short walk from the Llanberis station of the Snowdon Mountain Railway. It opened 1 July 1869, and closed for regular passenger services in 1930. But it was still used by summer excursion trains until 7 September 1962 and freight services until 3 September 1964.
Cwm-y-Glo railway station served the village of Cwm-y-glo, Gwynedd, Wales, at the north-west end of Llyn Padarn. The station was closed for regular passenger services in 1930 but trains passed through until September 1964.
The Carnarvon and Llanberis Railway, built under the Caernarvon and Llanberis Railway Act 1864, was an eight-mile branch line from the Carnarvonshire Railway running from Caernarfon to Llanberis, via Pont Rhythallt, Cwm-y-Glo, and Padarn Halt.
The Bangor and Carnarvon Railway was a railway company promoted to build a branch railway connecting Caernarfon with the main line at Bangor, in north-west Wales. It opened in 1852 as far as Port Dinorwic and was extended to Caernarfon later in the same year.
Menai Bridge railway station was situated 2 mi (3.2 km) west of Bangor, Gwynedd in Wales.
Caernarvon (Morfa) was the temporary western terminus of the Carnarvon and Llanberis Railway, located on the southern fringe of Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales.
Nantlle was a railway station located in Talysarn, a neighbouring village to Nantlle, in Gwynedd, Wales.
Carnarvon Castle railway station was opened in 1856 by the narrow gauge Nantlle Railway near the foot of what is today the Allt Y Castell which slopes down to Caernarfon's harbour area. It was the line's northern terminus and was the closest of Caernarfon's ultimately five stations to the historic town centre.