Penmaenmawr railway station explained

Penmaenmawr
Symbol Location:gb
Symbol:rail
Borough:Penmaenmawr, Conwy
Country:Wales
Coordinates:53.27°N -3.924°W
Grid Name:Grid reference
Manager:Transport for Wales Rail
Platforms:2
Code:PMW
Classification:DfT category F1
Opened:1849
Footnotes:Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road
Embedded:
Embed:yes
Designation1:Grade II
Designation1 Feature:Penmaenmawr Railway Station
Designation1 Date:3 November 1995
Designation1 Number:16520

Penmaenmawr railway station serves the town of Penmaenmawr, Wales, and is located on the North Wales Coast Line between and, NaNmiles west of Chester.

History

The local granite quarries are a major source of stone aggregate railway traffic, especially for road building and railway maintenance purposes. Transfer sidings for this traffic are next to the station and are controlled from the station signal box. This had to be relocated after a fatal accident at the station in August 1950. Six people were killed when a goods train that was shunting at the station in the early hours, hauled by the locomotive LMS Hughes Crab 2-6-0 No. 42885, was inadvertently diverted onto the main line, where it collided with the fast-moving eastbound Irish Mail express from Holyhead, which was being hauled by LMS Rebuilt Royal Scot Class 4-6-0 No. 46119 Lancashire Fusilier.[1] [2] The poor view afforded of the sidings from the old box was cited as one of the contributory factors to the accident.

There was an earlier accident near Penmaenmawr on 12 January 1899 when an express freight train, hauled by LNWR DX Goods class 0-6-0 No. 1418, was derailed because a storm had washed away the trackbed. Both locomotive crew were killed.[3]

Facilities

The station is unstaffed, though it has kept its original Grade II listed buildings on the westbound platform; these are now used as private residential accommodation.[4] There is no ticket machine, so all tickets must be purchased prior to travel or on the train. There is a waiting shelter on the eastbound platform, whilst canopies provide a covered waiting area on the opposite side. Train running information is offered via telephone, digital CIS displays and timetable posters. No level access is available to either platform, as the approach ramps on both sides are steeply graded and the footbridge linking the platforms has steps.[5]

Services

Penmaenmawr is served only by Transport for Wales Rail services.

On weekdays, westbound trains run to, while eastbound services run via and to or . The first eastbound service instead runs to, while two evening services terminate at .[6] [7]

The Sunday service is infrequent (particularly in winter), with large gaps between trains. 9 services on a Sunday run to Holyhead, with 6 eastbound services. The first eastbound Sunday service runs to, the second, with a five hour gap before the remaining 4 services run to Crewe.

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. http://www.gtj.org.uk/index.php?id=4851 Penmaenmawr Train Crash 1950
  2. http://www.signalbox.org/gallery/lm/penmaenmawr.php Penmaenmawr Signal Box
  3. Book: Trevena, Arthur . Trains in Trouble: Vol. 2. . 1981 . Atlantic Books . Redruth . 0-906899-03-6 . 15–16 .
  4. News: Hughes . Owen . Fancy living in your very own train station? . 10 November 2020 . North Wales Live . 3 April 2017.
  5. http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/PMW/details.html Penmaenmawr station facilities
  6. Web site: Train times Holyhead - Cardiff Central 10 December 2023 - 01 June 2024. Transport for Wales. 10 February 2024.
  7. Web site: National Rail Timetable 077 Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Birmingham and Crewe to Chester, Llandudno, Bangor, Holyhead and Dublin.pdf. Network Rail.