Criccieth railway station

Railway station in Gwynedd, Wales

52°55′05″N 4°14′17″W / 52.918°N 4.238°W / 52.918; -4.238Grid referenceSH496380Managed byTransport for WalesPlatforms1Other informationStation codeCCCClassificationDfT category F2HistoryOriginal companyAberystwith and Welsh Coast RailwayPre-groupingCambrian RailwaysPost-groupingGreat Western RailwayKey dates1867openedPassengers2018/19

27,5322019/20

23,9542020/21

2,3202021/22

16,3162022/23

26,218

Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

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

History

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Goods services were withdrawn in 1964.^[3] The line between Caernarvon and Afonwen was closed the same year.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

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

Citations

^ Jenkins & Loader 2015, p. 276.
^ Butt 1995, p. 71.
^ Jenkins & Loader 2015, p. 277.
^ "LNWR Caernarfon - Afonwen". London & North Western Railway Society. Archived from the original on 14 September 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
^ "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.
^ Steele 2007, p. 67.
^ Cryer 2014, p. 141.
^ Mitchell & Smith 2010, Photos 81-3 & Map XXII.
^ Shannon & Hillmer 1999, pp. 28–29.
^ "Criccieth". National Rail. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
^ "The Welsh train station that's being sold as a home - even though the platform is still in use". Wales Online. 6 March 2019.
^ Cambrian Timetable - May 2023 TfW; Retrieved 2023-10-17.
^ "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

Media related to Criccieth railway station at Wikimedia Commons

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

Railway stations in Gwynedd

Mainline

Cambrian Coast Line	Aberdovey Abererch Barmouth Criccieth Dyffryn Ardudwy Fairbourne Harlech Llanaber Llanbedr Llandanwg Llandecwyn Llwyngwril Minffordd Morfa Mawddach Penhelig Penrhyndeudraeth Pensarn Penychain Porthmadog Pwllheli Talsarnau Talybont Tonfanau Tygwyn Tywyn
Conwy Valley line	Blaenau Ffestiniog
North Wales Coast Line	Bangor

Heritage

Bala Lake Railway	Bala Lake Halt Llangower Llanuwchllyn Pentrepiod Halt
Corris Railway	Corris Maespoeth Junction
Fairbourne Railway	Barmouth Ferry Beach Halt Estuary Halt Fairbourne Golf Halt Loop Halt
Ffestiniog Railway	Blaenau Ffestiniog Boston Lodge Halt Campbell's Platform Dduallt Minffordd Penrhyn Plas Halt Porthmadog Harbour Tan-y-Bwlch Tanygrisiau
Llanberis Lake Railway	Cei Llydan Gilfach Ddu Llanberis Penllyn
Snowdon Mountain Railway	Clogwyn Halfway Hebron Llanberis Rocky Valley Halt Summit Waterfall
Talyllyn Railway	Abergynolwyn Brynglas Dolgoch Nant Gwernol Pendre Rhydyronen Tywyn Wharf
Welsh Highland Railway	Beddgelert Bontnewydd Caernarfon Dinas Meillionen Nantmor Plas-y-Nant Pont Croesor Porthmadog Harbour Rhyd Ddu Snowdon Ranger Tryfan Junction Waunfawr
Welsh Highland Heritage Railway	Gelerts Farm Halt Pen-y-Mount Junction Porthmadog