Conwy Valley Line - Now Reopened

[krus_aragon]

Here's my guess at a timetable.

I've written in ten minutes layover/passing time at North Llanrwst, but that could be increased, at the expense of recovery time at either end of the line.
Diagram 1 starts and finishes the day on the same workings as the current timetable.
The timetable could be worked with two diagrams if through working to Llandudno Town were ditched, with diagrams 1 and 2 picking up diagram 3's work after a 10 minute turnaround at Llandudno Jn.

 

[krus_aragon]

TfW's website now carries some timings for the Conwy Quest steam special this weekend:

Chester Depart 0934 Pl4
Llandudno Junction 1038 Pl1
Blaenau Ffestiniog Arrive 1310 Pl1

Blaenau Ffestiniog Depart 1600 Pl1
Llandudno Junction 1727 Pl1
Chester Arrive 1915 Pl4

The LLJ times are presumably arrival times. No sign of the train on RTT yet, though.

 

[GCRS]

The local newspaper's website now says that Dolgarrog Station is closed due to flooding which is odd for a station that isn't actually open.

 

[PHILIPE]

The local newspaper's website now says that Dolgarrog Station is closed due to flooding which is odd for a station that isn't actually open.

It's closed as a knock on effect of the flooding.

 

[krus_aragon]

It's closed as a knock on effect of the flooding.

But the article implied it was due to the rain and thunderstorms in the area today!

 

[PHILIPE]

But the article implied it was due to the rain and thunderstorms in the area today!

At least, the information is correcr now

 

[splashoutradio]

Just noticed this on TfW's Journey Check page. Looks like they have arranged ticket acceptance on local busses. Probably cheaper than running thier own to a lightly used station. Seems like a good idea to me

Dolgarrog: Station Closed
Dolgarrog station will be closed from now until further notice due to flooding.
Additional Information
Valid Rail tickets will be accepted on 19/X19 bus service operated by Llew Jones International.
Last Updated:30/07/2019 17:36

 

[krus_aragon]

Just noticed this on TfW's Journey Check page. Looks like they have arranged ticket acceptance on local busses. Probably cheaper than running thier own to a lightly used station. Seems like a good idea to me

Dolgarrog: Station Closed
Dolgarrog station will be closed from now until further notice due to flooding.
Additional Information
Valid Rail tickets will be accepted on 19/X19 bus service operated by Llew Jones International.
Last Updated:30/07/2019 17:36

Agreed.

It wasn't there yesterday morning:

None at all. In fact, there's no mention of the station being closed on JourneyCheck either.

As there was so little mention made of the fact that Dolgarrog didn't open along with Llanrwst, it's possible they've laid a replacement platform and reopened it without any fanfare. The foundation had been laid when I visited two weeks ago, and the PIS was fully working.

I'll keep an eye out the window for you next week when I'm passing, if nobody else happens to be in the area beforehand.

Edit: now listed as closed on TfW JourneyCheck again: "Valid Rail tickets will be accepted on 19/X19 bus service operated by Llew Jones International."

I think the sudden appearance of that message caused the Daily Post to think it was related to yesterday's weather:

The local newspaper's website now says that Dolgarrog Station is closed due to flooding which is odd for a station that isn't actually open.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

There's just time for it to clear up before the weekend, but conditions at the Eisteddfod site and approaches can't be too good after all the rain (still teeming down).
Network Rail must also be watching the river closely.

 

[krus_aragon]

There's just time for it to clear up before the weekend, but conditions at the Eisteddfod site and approaches can't be too good after all the rain (still teeming down).
Network Rail must also be watching the river closely.

At this point, two days before the opening concert, virtually all the ground-guard roadways will have been laid down for road traffic on the site, so things shouldn't be too churned up on the Maes itself. Heavy rain a few weeks beforehand (before the roadways are laid) has made a mess in the past.

The parking areas (with limited roadways) may be more vulnerable, but the Eisteddfod should have good memory of the events at the 2017 Eisteddfod (heavy rain on the opening weekend turned the fields for parking into an impassable bog) and how they dealt with it (parking relocated to the disused airfield at Mona, with shuttle buses). But I'm not planning on driving this year, any way.

No flood alerts or warnings in Wales at the moment. (Crosses fingers.)

 

[AndrewE]

There's just time for it to clear up before the weekend, but conditions at the Eisteddfod site and approaches can't be too good after all the rain (still teeming down).
Network Rail must also be watching the river closely.

You are unlucky: not much of N Wales is wet at the moment! Rainfall radar image (If it will copy)

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Note the other "blob" over Blaenau Ffestiniog!
Looks worse over the Pennines though.

 

[krus_aragon]

The times are starting to show up on RTT: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/NLR/2019/08/03/0200-0159?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt
Saturday the 3rd looks pretty complete, the rest of the week is currently a work in progress.

Contrary to my guesswork, they're sticking with the three-hourly service to Blaenau, and adding shuttles around that service. It's relatively clockface in the afternoon, but there are some holes in the morning and lunchtime (no arrival from LLJ between 0826 and 1054, for example).

The additional shuttle diagram is working through to/from Bangor for the morning of the 3rd, and appears to turn around at the Junction for the afternoon and evening.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Note the other "blob" over Blaenau Ffestiniog!
Looks worse over the Pennines though.

Indeed so, it was fortunate that the amount of rainfall that fell in the areas of Cheshire, Lancashire and Greater Manchester that we visited on Wednesday (yesterday) did not replicate itself over the Conwy Valley.

Perhaps a member of the Royal Family with a large bottle of Welsh spring water may attend a hoped-for event, saying...." I name this station, Dolgarrog"...

 

[175001]

The Blaenau branch getting its best Sunday service in decades this weekend.

Plenty of additional in the week too, starting and ending the day from Holyhead

 

[krus_aragon]

The Blaenau branch getting its best Sunday service in decades this weekend.

I think it might be the best ever: Looking at http://www.2d53.co.uk/graph/GRLJBFall.htm, the best timetabled Sunday service from 1959 to 1992 was five trains a day (but only to Betws-y-Coed) in 1961. The 1947 LMS timetable available online shows no Sunday trains at all, and my 1898 LNWR timetable only shows one (at a glance).

 

[PHILIPE]

Good TFW advert today for any passengers travelling from that direction to the Eisteddfod saying that the toilets at Llandudno are out of order.

 

[splashoutradio]

Good TFW advert today for any passengers travelling from that direction to the Eisteddfod saying that the toilets at Llandudno are out of order.

The accuracy of timetable data for the week is also a little worrying, if they want people to use the additional trains. Use TfWs journey planner, and non of the additional journeys for tomorrow (Sunday) are shown...

 

[PHILIPE]

The accuracy of timetable data for the week is also a little worrying, if they want people to use the additional trains. Use TfWs journey planner, and non of the additional journeys for tomorrow (Sunday) are shown...

Everything seems to have been rushed at the last minute. Not just TFW, Journey Planner is on the NRE site so how much are Network Rail involved also ?

 

[Llandudno]

Good TFW advert today for any passengers travelling from that direction to the Eisteddfod saying that the toilets at Llandudno are out of order.

The enclosed waiting area, toilets and booking office normally close at 3pm, not much use for day trippers returning from a day at the seaside

Crazy really considering the amount of money spent on refurbishing the station, looks good though when peering through the locked glass doors!

 

[krus_aragon]

They seem to be showing on RTT: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/NLR/2019/08/04/0200-0159?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

Three regular service trains to Blaenau, and eight extras to North Llanrwst.

 

[krus_aragon]

The enclosed waiting area, toilets and booking office normally close at 3pm, not much use for day trippers returning from a day at the seaside

Crazy really considering the amount of money spent on refurbishing the station, looks good though when peering through the locked glass doors!

That's been the case for many years, even before the refurbishment. The station's only staffed with a single shift, so closes early in the afternoon.

 

[AndrewE]

That's been the case for many years, even before the refurbishment. The station's only staffed with a single shift, so closes early in the afternoon.

Wouldn't you think that, being a resort close the the Eisteddfod with lots of accommodation and a much-enhanced train service, Llandudno station would be open all hours - and that they would have made sure that all the facilities were functioning properly?

 

[krus_aragon]

Wouldn't you think that, being a resort close the the Eisteddfod with lots of accommodation and a much-enhanced train service, Llandudno station would be open all hours - and that they would have made sure that all the facilities were functioning properly?

There's only two or three extra services that run to Llandudno town itself, most of the extras are running to Bangor or the Junction.

I agree that Llandudno Town station ought to have longer opening hours, at least in the summer, but consider it to be an issue unrelated to this week's extra services.

 

[AndrewE]

There's only two or three extra services that run to Llandudno town itself, most of the extras are running to Bangor or the Junction.

I agree that Llandudno Town station ought to have longer opening hours, at least in the summer, but consider it to be an issue unrelated to this week's extra services.

Not a lot of hotels at the Junction. In Llandudno, on the other hand...

 

[splashoutradio]

They seem to be showing on RTT: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/NLR/2019/08/04/0200-0159?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

Three regular service trains to Blaenau, and eight extras to North Llanrwst.

They've been uploaded but only with WTT times and no public timings, so RTT will show them, but anyone using journey planners won't be made aware of thier existence.

 

[6Gman]

At this point, two days before the opening concert, virtually all the ground-guard roadways will have been laid down for road traffic on the site, so things shouldn't be too churned up on the Maes itself. Heavy rain a few weeks beforehand (before the roadways are laid) has made a mess in the past.

The parking areas (with limited roadways) may be more vulnerable, but the Eisteddfod should have good memory of the events at the 2017 Eisteddfod (heavy rain on the opening weekend turned the fields for parking into an impassable bog) and how they dealt with it (parking relocated to the disused airfield at Mona, with shuttle buses). But I'm not planning on driving this year, any way.

No flood alerts or warnings in Wales at the moment. (Crosses fingers.)

A muddy Eisteddfod is something of a tradition.

Been to a few myself.

 

[Tomos y Tanc]

Not a lot of hotels at the Junction. In Llandudno, on the other hand...

Yeah, you try booking one in August though!

 

[krus_aragon]

A muddy Eisteddfod is something of a tradition.

Been to a few myself.

Yeup. Though the wet and muddy ones seem to blend together in my memory: the ones that stand out to me are the "lunar" landscapes of Felindre (2006) and Ebbw Vale (2010), where there was no grass or mud in sight!

Either way, my wife's dug out her boots, and I've gotten the big-wheeled "Eisteddfod Pram" out of the loft, so we're ready for our visit.

 

[krus_aragon]

They've been uploaded but only with WTT times and no public timings, so RTT will show them, but anyone using journey planners won't be made aware of thier existence.

That deserves a firm headslap.