Llandudno Junction railway station

Infobox UK station
name = Llandudno Junction
"Cyffordd Llandudno"
code = LLJ


caption = Llandudno Junction railway station showing the main eastbound (left) and westbound (right) lines
manager = Arriva Trains Wales
locale = Llandudno Junction
borough = Conwy
start = November 1858
platforms = 4
usage0405 = 0.236
usage0506 = 0.243
usage0607 = 0.250

Llandudno Junction railway station (Welsh: "Cyffordd Llandudno") is on the Crewe to Holyhead North Wales Coast Line. The station is managed by Arriva Trains Wales, although Virgin Trains also serves it. There are frequent services to Chester via Colwyn Bay, Rhyl, Prestatyn and Flint, as well as to Bangor and across Anglesey to Holyhead. There are also through services to London Euston, Cardiff Central, Crewe and Manchester Piccadilly.

The original station (located to the west of the current station) was built in 1858 and served the branch line to Llandudno. Built by the St. George's Harbour and Railway Company in 1858, this branch line heads north through Deganwy before terminating in the town. Prior to the completion of the junction station, the branch line trains from Llandudno ran through to Conwy.

This was followed by the opening of a second branch line in 1863 - the Conwy Valley Line - which headed south and was built by the Conway and Llanrwst Railway, and became part of the LNWR in 1867. It follows the valley of the River Conwy to Llanrwst (where it originally terminated) and Betws-y-Coed (later the terminus), then follows the Lledr Valley and a two mile long tunnel to terminate at Blaenau Ffestiniog, where passengers can join the Ffestiniog Railway.

Initially the Conwy Valley line ran into a separate platform on the south side of the station, and a refreshment room was built in 1864. However, the station needed to enlarge in order to cope with both mainline and branch-line traffic, and in 1897 the present station was opened on a much larger site, offering six through lines with two bays at each end. The opening of the new station allowed for the demolition of the former station, but also entailed a diverting of the Conwy Valley branch, which now joined the mainline some half a mile further east. The old formation was used to store locomotives. In 1984 the branch was again moved slightly eastwards to allow for a new freight terminal.

Trains from Holyhead, Bangor or Llandudno normally use Platform 1 on a track to the extreme left of the picture (not visible). The track to the left of picture with terminal buffers is Platform 2 used only by starting or terminating trains on Bangor and Llandudno local services. Platforms 3 and 4 (right) are used by trains from Chester (and beyond) or from Blaenau Ffestiniog. Platform 3 is particularly suited to operation in either direction and is also used by most trains from Holyhead to Chester and beyond. Platform 1 is also signalled for use by trains to Llandudno.

The station was also formerly the site of the 6G motive power depot (which closed in 1966). This, and the former adjoining goods yard, now have been redeveloped, but the new flyover road across the site bears the name 6G.

ervices

The station is served hourly on weekdays and Saturdays by the Crewe/Cardiff to Holyhead, and Llandudno to Manchester Piccadilly trains; there are also six trains per day on the Conwy Valley line to Blaenau Ffestiniog. Virgin Trains run five through trains to and from London Euston (four on Saturdays), including one to and from Llandudno.

On Sundays services run two-hourly on the two main routes and there are two trains to London, but trains only run to Blaenau Ffestiniog from May to early September (a rail-replacement bus service running the rest of the year).

References

"The Conwy Valley Line" by W.G.Rear, Foxline Publishing, 1991

External links

* [http://www.greatorme.org.uk/Arrivatrains.html Llandudno Junction and North Wales Train Services 1947 and 2003]
* [http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/llandudnoshed6g/index.html Loco shed 6G]
* [http://www.llandudnojunction.fotopic.net/ Model Railway]

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