Aberdovey railway station explained

Aberdovey
Native Name:Welsh: Aberdyfi
Symbol Location:gb
Symbol:rail
Borough:Aberdyfi, Gwynedd
Country:Wales
Coordinates:52.5444°N -4.0564°W
Grid Name:Grid reference
Manager:Transport for Wales
Platforms:1
Code:AVY
Classification:DfT category F2
Footnotes:Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Aberdovey railway station (Welsh: Aberdyfi) serves the seaside resort of Welsh: [[Aberdyfi]]|italic=no in Welsh: [[Gwynedd]]|italic=no, Wales. The station is on the Cambrian Coast Railway with passenger services every two hours (weekday daytimes) calling at all stations between Welsh: [[Machynlleth railway station|Machynlleth]]|italic=no and Welsh: [[Pwllheli railway station|Pwllheli]]|italic=no, including Welsh: [[Tywyn railway station|Tywyn]]|italic=no,, Welsh: [[Harlech railway station|Harlech]]|italic=no and Welsh: [[Porthmadog railway station|Porthmadog]]|italic=no. Passengers can connect at Welsh: Machynlleth|italic=no for trains to or,, and .

History

The first station opened 24 October 1863 near the harbour on a short branch line south of the present station. It closed when the present station was opened in 1867 by the Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway, then run by the Cambrian Railways. It later became part of the Great Western Railway and then passed on to the London Midland Region of British Railways on nationalisation in 1948. When Sectorisation was introduced, the station was served by Regional Railways until the Privatisation of British Railways. Until the 1960s there was a summer service between and Welsh: Pwllheli|italic=no, via, Shrewsbury and Welsh: Machynlleth|italic=no.

The original station building is in use as a private residence. It is located next to a static caravan park which is all that lies between the station and the stretch of coastline between Welsh: Aberdyfi|italic=no and Welsh: [[Tywyn]]|italic=no, and next to the Aberdovey Golf Club.[1]

The station was host to a GWR camp coach in 1939.[2] At least one camping coach was positioned here by the Western Region from 1952 to 1962, there were two from 1957 to 1958 and three from 1959 to 1962 when the London Midland Region took over responsibility for the coaches, they had three here from 1963 to 1971.[3]

Facilities

Originally a two-platform station with a short branch line (only a few hundred yards long) to the harbour, the station is now a single-platform, unstaffed halt. Like many stations in Wales and the North of England, the station was constructed before standard platform heights were established and is very low. Aberdovey was the third UK railway station to receive a specially designed raised section - a Harrington Hump - to improve accessibility for passengers. This was funded by the Welsh Government.[4] [5] [6] There are no ticketing facilities at the station, and there is also no waiting room. There is a free car park with 25 spaces.[7]

Passenger volume

Passenger Volume at Aberdovey[8] !!2019-20!2020-21!2021-22!2022-23
Entries and exits36,5605,3962288634,208

Services

Transport for Wales run a two-hourly service each way on the Cambrian Coast Line from Welsh: Machynlleth|italic=no - where the route connects to the main Cambrian Line - to Welsh: Pwllheli|italic=no through Welsh: Aberdyfi|italic=no. Most services in the May 2016 timetable run to/from Birmingham International via Shrewsbury.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Contact Us/Contact Details . Aberdovey Golf . 24 June 2019 . 31 October 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191031140559/http://aberdoveygolf.co.uk/page.aspx?pid=59942 . dead .
  2. Book: McRae, Andrew. British Railway Camping Coach Holidays: The 1930s & British Railways (London Midland Region) . Scenes from the Past: 30 (Part One) . Foxline . 1997 . 1-870119-48-7. 31.
  3. Book: McRae, Andrew . British Railways Camping Coach Holidays: A Tour of Britain in the 1950s and 1960s . Scenes from the Past: 30 (Part Two) . Foxline . 1998 . 1-870119-53-3. 112, 118–119.
  4. Web site: Transport Topic. 2021-07-20. GOV.WALES. en.
  5. News: Station hump helps train access . . . 3 December 2009 . 5 December 2009.
  6. News: UK Rail Station Installs Harrington Hump . 5 December 2011. Railway-Technology.com. Verdict Media . 13 August 2009.
  7. Web site: Station Facilities . 13 December 2020. National Rail Enquiries. National Rail . 13 December 2020.
  8. Web site: Estimates of station usage ORR Data Portal . 31 Jul 2024 . dataportal.orr.gov.uk.