Criccieth railway station

Summary

Criccieth railway station serves the seaside town of Criccieth on the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, Wales.

Criccieth

Welsh: Cricieth
National Rail
General information
LocationCriccieth, Gwynedd
Wales
Coordinates52°55′05″N 4°14′17″W / 52.918°N 4.238°W / 52.918; -4.238
Grid referenceSH496380
Managed byTransport for Wales
Platforms1
Other information
Station codeCCC
ClassificationDfT category F2
History
Original companyAberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway
Pre-groupingCambrian Railways
Post-groupingGreat Western Railway
Key dates
1867opened
Passengers
2018/19Increase 27,532
2019/20Decrease 23,954
2020/21Decrease 2,320
2021/22Increase 16,316
2022/23Increase 26,218
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History edit

The station was opened on 2 September 1867 by the Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway.[1][2]

Goods services were withdrawn in 1964.[3] The line between Caernarvon and Afonwen was closed the same year. Prior to this there was a through service in the summer between Criccieth and London and Birmingham.[4][5] Services included London Euston via Crewe, Chester, Llandudno Junction and Caernarvon; the Pwllheli portion was detached at Afonwen and the forward coaches proceeded to Portmadoc (the spellings are those used at the time). There was also a summer Saturday service between London Paddington and Pwllheli, via Birmingham Snow Hill, Shrewsbury and Machynlleth.[6][7]

The station originally had two platforms with a passing loop; this was taken out of use when the signal box closed on 16 October 1977, though the redundant track remained in place for several years. The station is now a single-platform, unstaffed halt.[8][9] The platform is accessible from the High Street, and there is a car park.[10] The main station building is in private use.[11]

Services edit

The station is on the Cambrian Coast Railway with passenger services to Pwllheli, Porthmadog, Harlech, Barmouth, Tywyn, and Machynlleth. Trains call every two hours each way on weekdays, with 5 trains each way on Sundays.[12]

From 1 September 2023 engineering work is taking place to finish restoration of the Barmouth Viaduct. Rail replacement buses will serve all stations from Pwllheli to Machynlleth until 1 December.[13]

Preceding station     National Rail   Following station
Penychain   Transport for Wales
Cambrian Coast Line
  Porthmadog
  Historical railways  
Afon Wen
Line open; station closed
  Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway
Cambrian Railways
  Black Rock Halt
Line open; station closed

References edit

Citations

  1. ^ Jenkins & Loader 2015, p. 276.
  2. ^ Butt 1995, p. 71.
  3. ^ Jenkins & Loader 2015, p. 277.
  4. ^ "LNWR Caernarfon - Afonwen". London & North Western Railway Society. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  5. ^ "Bangor to Caernarfon train driver says it was a mistake to close the line". North Wales Daily Post. 7 January 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  6. ^ Steele 2007, p. 67.
  7. ^ Cryer 2014, p. 141.
  8. ^ Mitchell & Smith 2010, Photos 81-3 & Map XXII.
  9. ^ Shannon & Hillmer 1999, pp. 28–29.
  10. ^ "Criccieth". National Rail. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  11. ^ "The Welsh train station that's being sold as a home - even though the platform is still in use". Wales Online. 6 March 2019.
  12. ^ Cambrian Timetable - May 2023 TfW; Retrieved 2023-10-17.
  13. ^ "Buses replace trains between Machynlleth and Pwllheli from Friday 1 September to Friday 1 December" National Rail; Retrieved 2023-10-17.

Sources

  • Jenkins, Stanley; Loader, Martin (2015). The Great Western Railway Volume Five Shrewsbury to Pwllheli. Amberley. ISBN 978-1-445-64299-4.
  • Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
  • Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC 22311137.
  • Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (2010). Bangor to Portmadoc: Including Three Llanberis Lines (Country Railway Routes). Midhurst: Middleton Press. ISBN 978 1 906008 72 7.
  • Shannon, Paul; Hillmer, John (1999). North Wales (British Railways Past & Present) Part 2. Kettering: Past & Present Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-85895-163-1. No 36.
  • Steele, Rod (2007). From Crewe to Euston: In the Golden Age of Steam. History Press Ltd. ISBN 978-0-750-94753-4.
  • Cryer, Geoff (2014). Shropshire Railways. Crowood. ISBN 978-1-847-97692-5.

External links edit

  Media related to Criccieth railway station at Wikimedia Commons

  • Train times and station information for Criccieth railway station from National Rail