General information | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Location | Rhyl, Denbighshire Wales | ||||
Coordinates | 53°19′05″N3°29′20″W / 53.318°N 3.489°W | ||||
Grid reference | SJ009811 | ||||
Managed by | Transport for Wales | ||||
Platforms | 2 | ||||
Other information | |||||
Station code | RHL | ||||
Classification | DfT category D | ||||
History | |||||
Opened | 1848 | ||||
Passengers | |||||
2019/20 | 0.504 million | ||||
2020/21 | 0.152 million | ||||
2021/22 | 0.411 million | ||||
2022/23 | 0.483 million | ||||
2023/24 | 0.567 million | ||||
Listed Building –Grade II | |||||
Feature | Rhyl Railway Station,Main Building | ||||
Designated | 11 January 1993 | ||||
Reference no. | 1526 [1] | ||||
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Rhyl railway station is on the Crewe to Holyhead North Wales Coast Line and serves the holiday resort of Rhyl,Wales.
The station was opened to traffic on 1 May 1848,being one of the original intermediate stations on the Chester and Holyhead Railway main line along the coast. [2] Trains could run between Chester and Bangor from the day the station opened,but it would be a further two years before the completion of the Britannia Bridge across the Menai Straits allowed through running to and from Holyhead. A two-platform station was provided by the C&HR,with a main two-storey building on the eastbound (north) side. A decade later,it became a junction with the opening of a branch line to Denbigh (the Vale of Clwyd Railway) on 5 October 1858. [3] The C&HR was taken over by the London and North Western Railway a few months later,with the Vale of Clwyd also being leased (and later absorbed) by the LNWR in 1867 to prevent the rival Great Western Railway acquiring it and thus gaining access to the area.
Under LNWR auspices the coast line became one of the company's major trunk routes,serving several popular holiday resorts in addition to the port of Holyhead. The rapid increase in traffic led the company to quadruple most of the section between Chester and Llandudno Junction in the 1890s to provide extra capacity. This included the Prestatyn to Abergele stretch in 1897 and the station at Rhyl was remodelled and enlarged as a result. The westbound platform was re-located and widened into an island with an extra loop line on the south side,new bay platforms added (along with new carriage sidings and a large goods yard) and a pair of non-platform lines laid in the centre of the station for use by non-stop trains. A covered footbridge was provided to link the platforms,along with extensive awnings to shelter passengers and two large brick and timber signal boxes built to control the new layout. [4] These were all completed and the new layout commissioned in 1900. [5]
Rhyl would remain a popular holiday destination throughout the 20th century,though after World War II and nationalisation of the railway system in 1948 the Denbigh branch would see its service reduced;the line eventually closing to passenger traffic in September 1955. [3] Excursions and goods traffic would continue until the line's eventual closure to all traffic in March 1965. The 1960s and 70s would also see the main line gradually lose much of the additional infrastructure added by the LNWR as road competition and changing holiday habits led to a decline in summer passenger numbers (along with the Beeching closures of many of the line's intermediate stations). By 1976 both slow lines towards Abergele had been lifted,along with west-end bays at the station and the up slow eastwards to Prestatyn,whilst the down loop platform saw use only on summer weekends. [4] The remaining down slow from Prestatyn,goods sidings and platform 3 line at the station survived until 1990,when they were also lifted (along with the up fast line through the station) and Rhyl No2 signal box closed. [5] Though the latter still survives (though boarded up,it is a listed building),the site of the old platform 3 and goods yard has been redeveloped (now a supermarket and associated car park). [2]
Only the two through platforms remain in use in 2016,along with the down through line and a pair of engineers sidings. These were formerly supervised from the former No.1 signal box,but this was made redundant in March 2018,when a new modular colour light signalling system controlled from the South Wales Rail Operating Centre was brought into use between Shotton and Colwyn Bay as part of a £50 million route upgrade project. [6]
Ticket barriers are in operation at the station;the ticket office on platform 1 is staffed throughout the week. A ticket machine is also available for use and for collecting pre-paid tickets purchased online or via telephone. There are also toilets,a cafe,retail units and waiting room in the main building. Platform 2 (westbound) has a waiting shelter and canopies,but the remaining buildings there are not in rail use. The platforms are linked by a footbridge with integrated lift,so both are fully accessible for disabled passengers. Train running information is offered via digital display screens,automated announcements and timetable poster boards. [7]
Monday to Saturday:
On Sundays,there is an hourly service each way - westbound to Holyhead and eastbound to Crewe. There are also three trains each way to London Euston,operated by Avanti West Coast,who also operate one northbound train from Crewe to Holyhead. There are a limited number of services to Manchester,Birmingham and Cardiff. [8] [ needs update ]
Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Prestatyn | Transport for Wales North Wales Coast Line | Abergele &Pensarn | ||
Flint | Transport for Wales Premier Service | Colwyn Bay | ||
Prestatyn | Avanti West Coast Holyhead/Bangor–London Euston | Colwyn Bay | ||
Disused railways | ||||
Terminus | London and North Western Railway Vale of Clwyd Railway | Rhuddlan |
Crewe railway station serves the railway town of Crewe,in Cheshire,England. It opened in 1837 and is one of the most historically significant railway stations in the world.
The North Wales Main Line,also known as the North Wales Coast Line,is a major railway line in the north of Wales and Cheshire,England,running from Crewe on the West Coast Main Line to Holyhead on the Isle of Anglesey. The line has 19 stations,with all except two,Chester and Crewe,being in Wales.
Bangor railway station serves the city of Bangor,Gwynedd;it is operated by Transport for Wales. The station,which is 24+3⁄4 miles (40 km) east of Holyhead,is the last mainland station on the North Wales Coast line between Crewe and Holyhead. It is the busiest in terms of passenger numbers in North Wales,as it serves the community around Caernarfon and further west. It is close to the Snowdonia National Park and Bangor University,and has an interchange with bus services to the various towns and villages of north-west Gwynedd and Anglesey.
Shrewsbury railway station serves the town of Shrewsbury,in Shropshire,England. Built in 1848,it was designated a grade II listed building in 1969.
Llandudno Junction is a station serving the village of Llandudno Junction on the North Wales Main Line between Crewe and Holyhead. The station is managed by Transport for Wales Rail,although Avanti West Coast services also stop there. It is a junction for trains to Llandudno and the Conwy Valley line.
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Abergele &Pensarn railway station is a stop on the North Wales Coast Line,which serves both the town of Abergele and suburb of Pensarn in Conwy County Borough,Wales.
Llandudno railway station serves the seaside town of Llandudno in North Wales. It is the terminus of a 3 miles (4.8 km) long branch line from Llandudno Junction on the North Wales Coast Line,between Crewe and Holyhead. The station is managed by Transport for Wales Rail,who operate all trains serving it. Llandudno Victoria station,the lower terminus of the Great Orme Tramway,is a 15-minute walk from the main station.
Deganwy railway station serves the town of Deganwy,Wales,and is the only intermediate station located on the Llandudno branch line from Llandudno Junction to Llandudno.
Conwy railway station serves the town of Conwy,north Wales,and is located on the North Wales Main Line,between Crewe and Holyhead. It is served by Transport for Wales,on services from Holyhead to South Wales and Birmingham International.
Llanfairfechan railway station serves the town of Llanfairfechan,Wales,and is located on the Crewe to Holyhead North Wales Coast Line 51+1⁄4 miles (82.5 km) west of Chester.
Penmaenmawr railway station serves the town of Penmaenmawr,Wales,and is located on the North Wales Coast Line between Crewe and Holyhead,49+1⁄4 miles (79.3 km) west of Chester.
Colwyn Bay railway station is on the Crewe to Holyhead North Wales Coast Line serving the seaside town of Colwyn Bay in North Wales.
Prestatyn railway station on the North Wales Coast Line serves the town of Prestatyn in North Wales.
Wrexham General is the main railway station serving the city of Wrexham,north-east Wales,and one of the two serving the city,alongside Wrexham Central. It is currently operated and mostly served by Transport for Wales,with some additional services provided by Avanti West Coast to London Euston.
Holyhead railway station serves the Welsh town of Holyhead on Holy Island,Anglesey. The station is the western terminus of the North Wales Main Line 105+1⁄2 miles (170 km) west of Crewe and is managed by Transport for Wales Rail. It connects with the Port of Holyhead ferry terminal. The station is connected to the town centre by a stainless steel pedestrian/cycle bridge named The Celtic Gateway.
The Chester and Holyhead Railway was an early railway company conceived to improve transmission of Government dispatches between London and Ireland,as well as ordinary railway objectives. Its construction was hugely expensive,chiefly due to the cost of building the Britannia Tubular Bridge over the Menai Strait. The company had relied on Government support in facilitating the ferry service,and this proved to be uncertain. The company opened its main line throughout in 1850. It relied on the co-operation of other railways to reach London,and in 1859 it was absorbed by the London and North Western Railway.
The Denbigh,Ruthin and Corwen Railway was a standard gauge railway line that connected Corwen with Denbigh via Ruthin in North Wales.
Media related to Rhyl railway station at Wikimedia Commons