Criccieth railway station

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
2019/20Decrease 23,954
2020/21Decrease 2,320
2021/22Increase 16,316
2022/23Increase 26,218
2023/24Decrease 25,666
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History

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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Goods services were withdrawn in 1964.[3] The line between Caernarvon and Afonwen was closed the same year.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

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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
  Cambrian Railways
Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway
  Black Rock Halt
Line open; station closed

References

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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. Archived from the original on 14 September 2019. 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

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  Media related to Criccieth railway station at Wikimedia Commons