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Conwy Valley Line - Now Reopened

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krus_aragon

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Why are the buses starting at Dolgarrog if the train is running as far as North Llanrwst?
The station itself is on a cul-de-sac, since the A470 was diverted over the railway line via a bridge. The designated place for replacement bus services is on the main road, which isn't a suitable location for a bus to stand while waiting for a train. There's more room to do that at Dolgarrog.
 
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Why are the buses starting at Dolgarrog if the train is running as far as North Llanrwst?
I may be wrong, but I belive Dolgarrog station took a particuarly damaging hit in the storms.
TfW Journey Check reckons the station will remain closed until further notice, and a quick look at the passenger numbers (avg. 1000ish per year) shows why they're probably not in too much of a rush to rectify this.
 

33017

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I may be wrong, but I belive Dolgarrog station took a particuarly damaging hit in the storms.
TfW Journey Check reckons the station will remain closed until further notice, and a quick look at the passenger numbers (avg. 1000ish per year) shows why they're probably not in too much of a rush to rectify this.
The station currently has no platform...
 

Bletchleyite

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Well, unless this is an error it'd best get one sharpish otherwise connecting to the buses is going to be interesting!

Looking at Street View this has to be an error. It was Dolwyddellan I was thinking of that has a very convenient car park for a bus to turn in. There's no useful way of serving Dolgarrog with a bus - it's a single track road to a dead end, no car park.
 

Y Ddraig Coch

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That is why the buses continue to Dolgarog then.

As the train can't stop there.

Makes sense now
 

Y Ddraig Coch

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I would suggest fix it as it was only one of them thin platforms with a couple of brick supports and wood and asphalt platform covering. Literally a lean to of the platform world. So the cost in terms of usual station fixes will minuscule.

Closing anything on the Conwy valley will be fought from lots of corners there are some people who are very over protective of it, even though if you look at Dolgarrog ,the station is actually no where near the village it is on the opposite side of the river and serves nobody really. So closing it would not really be a loss as there is a regular bus service , but it would set precedent and the locals wont like that!
 

Bletchleyite

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I would suggest fix it as it was only one of them thin platforms with a couple of brick supports and wood and asphalt platform covering. Literally a lean to of the platform world. So the cost in terms of usual station fixes will minuscule.

Closing anything on the Conwy valley will be fought from lots of corners there are some people who are very over protective of it, even though if you look at Dolgarrog ,the station is actually no where near the village it is on the opposite side of the river and serves nobody really. So closing it would not really be a loss as there is a regular bus service , but it would set precedent and the locals wont like that!

FWIW there was actually a case, a week after the closure due to the storms, when I was going to be using that station as a genuine passenger had it not been closed!
 

Y Ddraig Coch

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FWIW there was actually a case, a week after the closure due to the storms, when I was going to be using that station as a genuine passenger had it not been closed!

Surely only to visit Plas Maenan or to take a walk? There really is nothing close or worth visiting and with 612 visitors per year at the last count, I think if the costs were higher than they probably will be there could be a genuine case for closure.

In all my times travelling up and down the valley (of which there have been many as a Conwy lad) I'm not sure we have ever stopped at Dolgarrog while I have been on board. If we did it was literally once or twice in 30 odd years.
 

Welshman

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Closing anything on the Conwy valley will be fought from lots of corners there are some people who are very over protective of it, even though if you look at Dolgarrog ,the station is actually no where near the village it is on the opposite side of the river and serves nobody really. So closing it would not really be a loss as there is a regular bus service , but it would set precedent and the locals wont like that!

The station itself is on a cul-de-sac, since the A470 was diverted over the railway line via a bridge. The designated place for replacement bus services is on the main road, which isn't a suitable location for a bus to stand while waiting for a train. There's more room to do that at Dolgarrog.

I appreciate your reasoning for why Dolgarrog station cannot be closed even though numbers using it are so small. But the planned interim bus arrangements mean that anyone travelling from there to Llandudno Junction and beyond must travel by bus via Llanrwst North, then back through the site of Dolgarrog by train, and vv. Surely anyone at all wishing to make this journey would use the regular direct bus service in the first place! And when the through train service is restored, will there be a minibus/taxi connection to and from Dolgarrog if the station has not been restored by then?

And concerning the replacement bus from North Llanrwst - while the designated stop for such is presently on the main road, surely when rail services are restored to Llanrwst North, the buses will stop outside that station, where there is room to turn, rather than expecting all passengers to walk up Station Rd to the main A470, and vv? Extending the buses to/from Dolgarrog then means the drivers having to make a difficult sharp turn at the junction of the Main Rd with Station Rd. And when they get to Dolgarrog, there may be room to stop, but is there adequate space to turn conveniently?

Maybe I'm being pernickety, but it seems being a rr bus driver could be rather interesting during this coming interim period!
 
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krus_aragon

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I appreciate your reasoning for why Dolgarrog station cannot be closed even though numbers using it are so small. But the planned interim bus arrangements mean that anyone travelling from there to Llandudno Junction and beyond must travel by bus via Llanrwst North, then back through the site of Dolgarrog by train, and vv. Surely anyone at all wishing to make this journey would use the regular direct bus service in the first place! And when the through train service is restored, will there be a minibus/taxi connection to and from Dolgarrog if the station has not been restored by then?

And concerning the replacement bus from North Llanrwst - while the designated stop for such is presently on the main road, surely when rail services are restored to Llanrwst North, the buses will stop outside that station, where there is room to turn, rather than expecting all passengers to walk up Station Rd to the main A470, and vv? Extending the buses to/from Dolgarrog then means the drivers having to make a difficult sharp turn at the junction of the Main Rd with Station Rd. And when they get to Dolgarrog, there may be room to stop, but is there adequate space to turn conveniently?

Maybe I'm being pernickety, but it seems being a rr bus driver could be rather interesting during this coming interim period!

I hadn't understood what state Dolgarrog is in when I made the above comment. I've just stopped by to grab a picture (leaning over the level crossing gate):
IMG_20190715_1809022.jpg

There's no way the station will be opened at the same time as the rest of the line, but with a foundation laid it hopefully won't take long for it to catch up.

Knowing that Dolgarrog will remain closed for the forseeable future, I now see the Llanrwst-Blaenau bus will cover Dolgarrog as well for the week or so that the line is half open, for economy's sake. Once the line opens to Blaenau, I agree that a minicab will be enough to serve Dolgarrog until the platform's back.
 
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TheSel

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Closing anything on the Conwy valley will be fought from lots of corners there are some people who are very over protective of it, even though if you look at Dolgarrog ,the station is actually no where near the village it is on the opposite side of the river and serves nobody really. So closing it would not really be a loss as there is a regular bus service , but it would set precedent and the locals wont like that!

How over protective of it would you prefer them to be?
 

Y Ddraig Coch

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You tell me? I live locally, understand the locality and community.

It's a station that was basically opened years ago for something that no longer exists.

The village isn't even the same side of the river. It isn't used .

You tell me??
 

Bletchleyite

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You tell me? I live locally, understand the locality and community.

It's a station that was basically opened years ago for something that no longer exists.

What was it opened for, out of interest?

(There are of course countries in which that pile of stones would be considered an entirely adequate platform :D )
 

krus_aragon

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For the benefit of people from outside the area, it was originally the standard gauge railhead for the aluminium works on the far side of the river, near Dolgarrog village. A small industrial line between the works and the standard gauge line was built during the Great War, and the LNWR opened a passenger halt next to the exchange sidings. The industrial line carried passengers until the 30s, and was closed in the 60s, leaving Dolgarrog station all alone on the east bank of the Conwy.

The aluminium works have since closed, and the site is now occupied by the Surf Snowdonia wave pool and surfing centre. I'm not aware that they've marketed the use of Dolgarrog station to visit the site: presumably a combination of infrequent service, a long walk, and little space to store your surfboard on the train. :p

There is a nascent preserved railway that is seeking to rebuild part of the industrial line, but they've suffered setbacks from flood damage over the years, just like the standard gauge line. Their website is https://dolgarrograilway.wixsite.com/dolgarrog-railway
 

Tomos y Tanc

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I don't know the area that well but I'm guessing the station was built for the Aluminium works. Isn't that where Surf Snowdonia is now? I would have thought that could generate some traffic. I'm happy to bow to people with more local knowledge.
 

Dai Corner

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You tell me? I live locally, understand the locality and community.

It's a station that was basically opened years ago for something that no longer exists.

The village isn't even the same side of the river. It isn't used .

You tell me??

As far as I can see from maps, to get from Dolgarrog station to Dolgarrog village you'd have to cross the Conwy adjacent to North Llanwrst or Tal-y-cafn stations?
 

Y Ddraig Coch

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[QUOTE
The station was built by the LNWR in 1916 to provide sidings and an interchange facility with a short standard gauge industrial line, built by the Aluminium Corporation to serve Dolgarrog village and the aluminium works that are about a mile from the station on the west bank of the river. The aluminium works closed in 2002, and is now the site of Surf Snowdonia, an inland surfing lagoon.

The industrial line crossed the river by a substantial girder bridge (still used as a footbridge, which is the only way to reach the station from the village of Dolgarrog). It was initially equipped with two locomotives, ten 12 ton wagons, and two passenger carriages. Morning and evening passenger services were free and operated from 1917 to 1932. Goods traffic, which was heavy during the war, continued but declined in the 1950s. The line closed in 1960 and was lifted in 1964.
[/QUOTE]

All my own work....
 

Bletchleyite

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As far as I can see from maps, to get from Dolgarrog station to Dolgarrog village you'd have to cross the Conwy adjacent to North Llanwrst or Tal-y-cafn stations?

No, there's a footpath/footbridge which I guess is on the old industrial line via the Dolgarrog level crossing. However it wouldn't surprise me if it was closed due to flood damage, though I've not been there to check.
 

Y Ddraig Coch

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No, there's a footpath/footbridge which I guess is on the old industrial line via the Dolgarrog level crossing. However it wouldn't surprise me if it was closed due to flood damage, though I've not been there to check.


Ah....but footpaths are nothing to do with h&s conscious network rail. So closed or not we can walk them.

As I do the mainline from Blaenau, had some amazing picture of the viaduct and track still on top form... mods had a different view :rolleyes:
 

AndrewE

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There may be no legal sanction for doing so (as it'd just be trespass) but if it's fallen down you might have a job :)
There are 2 public footpaths that converge on the west side of the bridge, (
53.186892, -3.833162
on https://www.bing.com/maps) and the 1977 two-and-a-half inch map shows the link onwards from the eastern end to the station marked as "FP."
It would be a good candidate for putting up to be formalised as a right-of-way under the current initiative https://www.ramblers.org.uk/get-involved/campaign-with-us/dont-lose-your-way-2026.aspx
 

Y Ddraig Coch

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So to answer the question about Dolgarrog. The (long) article below states they are replacing the platform.

They also mention they have upgraded a 30mph section close to Dolgarrrog and llanrwst to 45mph.

It also goes on to mention a steam special to celebrate the line being reopened from Chester to Blaenau on August 3rd.

So lots more gone on than we expected.

https://www.networkrailmediacentre....r-passengers-ahead-of-the-national-eisteddfod

Conwy Valley Line will reopen for passengers ahead of the National Eisteddfod
Region & Route:

Wales
Network Rail and its principal contractor, Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd, are working together to reopen the Conwy Valley Line for passengers ahead of the National Eisteddfod in Llanrwst.

Llandudno Junction to Llanrwst North will re-open for passengers on Thursday 18 July and the remainder of the line will reopen on Wednesday 24 July.

The line, which runs between Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog, was closed on 16 March due to significant flooding, caused by a combination of high tide and a low-pressure system following storm Gareth.

The extensive damage meant that six miles of track, Dolgarrog station, ten level crossings and nine culverts required significant repair.

Since the closure of the line, teams have removed washout materials, replaced ballast, refurbished level crossings, designed and installed flood culverts and constructed embankments, to safely restore the track.

Dolgarrog station will remain closed for the time being while the flood damaged platform is replaced.

As well as major restoration work, Network Rail has increased the line speed through Maenan, on the section of the line between Dolgarrog and Llanrwst North, from 30mph to 45mph.

During the closure, Network Rail took the opportunity to complete a range of maintenance and renewal activities, including reviewing this speed restriction, which has been in place following a washout in the 1980s. The line has now returned to 45mph, providing a more reliable service to passengers.

Despite it being emergency work, Network Rail and Griffiths committed to using local suppliers for everything from rebar and concrete to food suppliers, including having 9,500 tonnes of rock armour and 3,000 tonnes of ballast delivered from nearby quarries.

Sustainability was a priority for the project, with 91 per cent of the washout material removed from site during the project recycled and approx. 5,000 tonnes of topsoil reused on site.

All staff working on the project are within one-hour travel distance to the site and all vegetation and tree stumps have been given to a local recycling facility in the Valley to be turned in to biomass.

Bill Kelly, route director for Network Rail, Wales and Borders, said: “We would like to thank passengers and the local community for their patience while we worked to repair the extensive damage to the Conwy Valley Line.

“We recognise the importance of the National Eisteddfod to Wales and we are delighted to be able to reopen the line for passengers ahead of this fantastic event.

“We have worked closely with our partner, Griffiths, to complete this major repair work on the line and with Transport for Wales, to keep passengers moving with rail replacement buses during the closure.”

Shaun Thompson, Rail Director for Griffiths, said: “I am delighted our North Wales Rail Team has, once again, worked collaboratively with Network Rail to rebuild and reopen the Conwy Valley Line in time for the National Eisteddfod in Llanrwst.

“The works have been delivered in a safe and sustainable way. We have employed local people, utilised local suppliers and recycled over 90 per cent of the washout material.

“We would like to thank passengers and the local community for their patience during the works.”

Cllr Philip C Evans, Chair of the Conwy Valley Railway Partnership, said: “This is really excellent news which will be greatly welcomed by all rail users on the area.

“Network Rail, their professional staff and the contractors are to be congratulated on the magnificent job they have done to endure the line is open in good time for the Llanrwst Eisteddfod.”

Colin Lea, Customer Experience Director at Transport for Wales Rail Services said: “It’s fantastic news that the line is set to reopen after months of hard work by our partners in Network Rail and we are excited to be running services there again for our customers.

“The Conwy Valley line is an incredibly important part of our network so to lose it to flooding for four months has been a bitter blow.

“We are currently working on an extensive train plan for the National Eisteddfod to ensure transport to the event runs smoothly.”

To celebrate the reopening of the line, Network Rail and Transport for Wales Rail Services are hosting a steam train trip on Saturday 3 August. Tickets for the train, which will run from Chester to Blaenau Ffestiniog, will be available for the public to purchase on Monday 22 July. Details on how to purchase tickets will be available soon.
 

krus_aragon

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“We are currently working on an extensive train plan for the National Eisteddfod to ensure transport to the event runs smoothly.”
I'm glad to see that in writing, as I plan to be on several of those trains. :)

To celebrate the reopening of the line, Network Rail and Transport for Wales Rail Services are hosting a steam train trip on Saturday 3 August.
For context, that's the opening weekend of the National Eisteddfod. A busy day!
 

Y Ddraig Coch

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I'm glad to see that in writing, as I plan to be on several of those trains. :)


For context, that's the opening weekend of the National Eisteddfod. A busy day!

There is also a steam special heading up the north Wales coast to celebrate 150 years since the Irish Mail train started on the same day

It will run from London Euston to Holyhead following the original route I believe.

So yes a busy day along the coast and up the valley.
 
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Whilst not much has yet been confirmed, should it be of any interest, here is the timetable for the partial reopening of the line for tomorrow and Friday. E&OE etc, etc. :)
EDIT: Attachment deleted and reuploaded in later post correcting arrivals error ar Dolgarrog.
 
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Y Ddraig Coch

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Whilst not much has yet been confirmed, should it be of any interest, here is the timetable for the partial reopening of the line for tomorrow and Friday. E&OE etc, etc. :)


Not making a lot of sense, where is the train that meets the 9.55 bus from Dolgarrog at North Llanrwst at 10.00?
 
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