The local granite quarries are a major source of stone aggregate railway traffic,especially for road building and railway maintenance purposes. Transfer sidings for this traffic are next to the station and are controlled from the station signal box. This had to be relocated after a fatal accident at the station in August 1950. Six people were killed when a goods train that was shunting at the station in the early hours,hauled by the locomotive LMS Hughes Crab2-6-0 No. 42885,was inadvertently diverted onto the main line,where it collided with the fast-moving eastbound Irish Mail express from Holyhead,which was being hauled by LMS Rebuilt Royal Scot Class4-6-0 No. 46119 Lancashire Fusilier.[2][3] The poor view afforded of the sidings from the old box was cited as one of the contributory factors to the accident.
There was an earlier accident near Penmaenmawr on 12 January 1899 when an express freight train,hauled by LNWR DX Goods class0-6-0 No. 1418,was derailed because a storm had washed away the trackbed. Both locomotive crew were killed.[4]
Facilities
View west towards Llanfairfechan and Holyhead (June 2011)
The station is unstaffed,though it has kept its original Grade II listed buildings on the westbound platform;these are now used as private residential accommodation.[5] There is no ticket machine,so all tickets must be purchased before travel or on the train. There is a waiting shelter on the eastbound platform,whilst canopies provide a covered waiting area on the opposite side. Train running information is offered via telephone,digital CIS displays and timetable posters. No level access is available to either platform,as the approach ramps on both sides are steeply graded and the footbridge linking the platforms has steps.[6]
The Sunday service is infrequent (particularly in winter),with large gaps between trains. 9 services on a Sunday run to Holyhead,with 6 eastbound services. The first eastbound Sunday service runs to Manchester Piccadilly,the second Cardiff Central,with a five-hour gap before the remaining 4 services run to Crewe.
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