Welsh Highland Railway progress

[whole diary]

[willc]

The first train from the Ffestiniog Railway's Porthmadog Harbour station on to the Welsh Highland line for 70 years ran on Thursday morning.

There's a short video here, including a photostop at the flat crossing with the Cambrian Line to Pwllheli http://www.welshhighlandrailway.net/news.asp?dismode=article&artid=274

Passenger train services from Porthmadog apparently won't start until the end of the summer season, although trains from Caernarfon will run through the Aberglaslyn Pass to Hen Hafod, south of Beddgelert, from May.

[John R]

I'm not terribly impressed with this. It's not much good to start through running after the end of the summer season, especially for those (including ouselves) who have booked a holiday in the area partly because of the opening of the railway.

It would appear that a government agency didn't pay the railway ^250,000 for work done on the road network in a timely manner, and that has caused the delay. So two questions. First,  when it becamse clear the delay in payment would result in a delay in opening wasn't the railway kicking up merry hell with the press, MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament), AM's etc to get the payment made. And now why can't they pull the stops out to complete the work given the importance of the opening to the local tourist trade (I suspect many who haven't booked accommodation will now leave it until next year.) 

It's a disappointing end to what should have been one of the most remarkable railway reopening projects of modern times.

[eightf48544]

It's a disappointing end to what should have been one of the most remarkable railway reopening projects of modern times.

I agree I've been watching teh progress of the WHR during the rebuild and in Novemebr did a tour from Waunfawr to Porthmadoc to see the extension. As far as I could see it was complete apart from a very short section of track by Porthmadoc station to link to Ffestiniog and either side of road crossing in Porthmadoc where the tramtype rail in the roadway had still to be joined to the normal rail on the reservered route.

It is going to be very interesting to see what the timetable is going to be when the whole route from Caernarfon to Ffestiniog is open whether there will actually be through trains (return journey in a day?) and in particular what the fare will be.

I can see that Mr & Mrs plus 2 are not going want to sit on a train for  the time it will take for a through journey let alone try and do a return journey (if possible). I think most tourists joining at Porthmadoc will opt for a journey to Beddgellart rather than up the Ffestiniog. It's got the gorge, Beddgellart is more atractive than Ffestiniog particularly on a wet day and the journey is shorter and cheaper.

Will history repeat itself the Ffestinog railway was all but bankrupted when it took over the WHR in the 30s?

But I agree it's a splendid achievement I just hope the economics is right. Now if we could just reopen Bourne End to High Wycombe!

[Btline]

What will happen to the short stretch of WH line from adjacent to Portmdoc's BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) station?

[John R]

It is going to be very interesting to see what the timetable is going to be when the whole route from Caernarfon to Ffestiniog is open whether there will actually be through trains (return journey in a day?) and in particular what the fare will be.

I can see that Mr & Mrs plus 2 are not going want to sit on a train for  the time it will take for a through journey let alone try and do a return journey (if possible). I think most tourists joining at Porthmadoc will opt for a journey to Beddgellart rather than up the Ffestiniog. It's got the gorge, Beddgellart is more atractive than Ffestiniog particularly on a wet day and the journey is shorter and cheaper.

Agree, it'll be a very long journey each way. If they could promote a round trip via the Ffestiniog, Conway Valley line, etc (including a bus from Bangor to Caernavon), that might be more appealin than a 5 hr out and back trip on the WHR

[willc]

While I agree it's disappointing that the through route won't be open for the summer season, there are still hoops they have to jump through, not least getting full Railway Inspectorate approval, which isn't a formality, especially with something on this scale and complexity, eg several new road level crossings, a flat crossing on a Network Rail route and a stretch of street running in Porthmadog.

Journey time-wise, I think you might be surprised. The timetable for the coming summer shows a running time between Caernarfon and Hen Hafod of 1hr 50min with steam power. From Hen Hafod onwards, the line is on the flat almost all of the way to Porthmadog, so trains should make good progress over the remaining 13 miles. So 2hr 30mins seems a reasonable target time to travel the full route. And they bought some big South African Beyer-Garratt locos for one reason - the pulling power to keep speeds up and journey times down.

A day trip out and back would be feasible if that's what people want to do (and rather less of an endurance test than that suggested circular trip, which has 'hardened enthusiasts only' written all over it), but I'm sure a lot of people will, as suggested, only do part of the run, though that would be no different than the Ffestiniog line itself, where many people travelling from the coast get off at the stops before the tunnel and the extension on to Blaenau.

Welsh Highland Heritage Railway, as it is now billed, will carry on operating, though not sure how far their trains will run in future but their members have relaid part of the line north of Porthmadog for the project. They are also rebuilding Russell, one of the old WHR locos, which is due back in steam in a month or so, with the aim of it returning to its old stamping ground.

[Tim]

Disappointing yes, but you have just provided me with an excuse to to spend a week in Porthmadoc with my in laws ("lets do it next summer when the railway is open") Thanks

[Chris from Nailsea]

Video report, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Welsh Highland Railway train reaches Porthmadog

The first passenger train on the rebuilt Welsh Highland Railway has arrived in Porthmadog.

The train was the first to cover the whole 25-mile length of the railway from Caernarfon to Porthmadog, but was delayed slightly when a lorry blocked the line outside the town.

It is the UK^▸ (United Kingdom)'s longest narrow gauge railway and when linked with the Ffestiniog Railway, tourists will be able to travel by steam for almost 40 miles through Snowdonia.

Elwyn Jones, a director of the Welsh Highland Railway Society, told BBC Wales Today it was an important day for the area.

The line has cost ^28m to complete and will create an estimated 350 jobs.

[eightf48544]

UKRailtours are running trips from Euston to Llanduno Junction and/or Bangor with coaches to Ffestingniog and Caernavon for through trips. Crossing at Beddgellerart.

You're too late for the 19th March but they are running a second on the 26th I'm booked on that. Hurry up though I imagine it's filling up quickly.

http://www.ukrailtours.com/

[rogerw]

You should remember also that the Festiniog and Welsh Highland will be run as separate railways.  Through workings will normally be special trains only so that the Uk Railtours trips are fairly unique.  I will be travelling on the 19th. On both dates there will be no other services operating on the two lines. Bookings for the 26th are advised to be by telephone only.