Llandudno Junction railway station

Llandudno Junction
Cyffordd Llandudno
Llandudno Junction railway station showing the main eastbound (left) and westbound (right) lines
Location
Place	Llandudno Junction
Local authority	Conwy
Operations
Station code	LLJ
Managed by	Arriva Trains Wales
Platforms in use	4
Live arrivals/departures and station information from National Rail
Annual rail passenger usage
2004/05 *	0.236 million
2005/06 *	0.243 million
2006/07 *	0.250 million
2007/08 *	0.268 million
History
Opened November 1858 (November 1858)
National Rail - UK railway stations
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
* Annual passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Llandudno Junction from Office of Rail Regulation statistics.
UK Railways Portal

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.

As a junction for trains to Llandudno and the Conwy Valley Line, Llandudno Junction is the busiest station in North Wales, in terms of the frequency of services.

History

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.

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.

Layout

Llandudno Junction and branches
Legend North Wales Coast Line to Chester Conwy Valley Line to Blaenau Ffestiniog Llandudno Junction Branch line to Deganwy and Llandudno North Wales Coast Line to Holyhead

The station currently has four operational platforms:

• Platform 1 is used by eastbound trains to Chester, Crewe, Birmingham New Street, Cardiff Central, London Euston and Blaenau Ffestiniog. It is also signalled for use by trains to Llandudno.

• Platform 2 is a bay platform used by a limited number of local services to Bangor, Holyhead and Llandudno. It is also used for stabling trains overnight.

• Platform 3 is a bidirectional platform which can be used by all services. It is mainly used for westbound trains, but at busy periods can be used for eastbound trains as well.

• Platform 4 is used by services to Bangor, Holyhead and Llandudno. It is also signalled for trains to Blaenau Ffestiniog.

A bus shelter in the station car park is numbered as platform 5, and is used for local bus services as well as rail replacement services when the railway is closed for engineering work.

Services

• Arriva Trains Wales provides an hourly service from either Birmingham International or Cardiff Central railway station to Holyhead via Shrewsbury, Chester and Bangor.

• Arriva Trains Wales provide an hourly service from Manchester Piccadilly to Llandudno. A shuttle service also operates giving the Llandudno branch a half hourly service throughout most of the day.

• Arriva Trains Wales operate six trains per day each way on the Conwy Valley Line to Blaenau Ffestiniog.

• Virgin Trains operate a number of services from London Euston to Bangor and Holyhead (seven Mon-Fri and five on Saturdays).

On Sundays services run two-hourly on the two main routes and there are three 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

• Llandudno Junction and North Wales Train Services 1947 and 2003
• Loco shed 6G
• Model Railway

• Train times and station information for Llandudno Junction railway station from National Rail

Coordinates: 53°17′02″N 3°48′32″W / 53.284°N 3.809°W / 53.284; -3.809