Now Wales lifts lockdown on its heritage lines
FOLLOWING the announcement by Welsh Government First Minister Mark Drakeford that outdoor attractions and hospitality venues in the principality can reopen from April 26, several of the country’s heritage railways have announced restart dates.
The Ffesiniog & Welsh Highland Railways has announced a set of four new services for spring and summer, and will restart some passenger trains on May 1.
The timetable will begin with basic services and then, as restrictions are eased, further trains will be announced.
‘Woodland Wanderer’ is a heritage carriage service running between one and six times a day on similar lines to a service operated in 2020. The destination from Porthmagog Harbour is Tan-y-Bwlch, where there is a tearoom and woodland walks.
An extended version will be ‘Mountain Prince’, which will start on May 1 and run up to five times a day, and will head to Dduallt and around the spiral to Barn Cutting, offering spectacular views. There will be a heritage diesel added to the back of the train from Tan-y-Bwlch, where the train stops on the return journey to allow time for refreshments.
The second of two trains to start on May 1, the ‘Gelert Explorer’ , will run four days a week on the Welsh Highland Railway from Caernarfon to Beddgelert. Complete with its hamper service and time to explore the village, it offers a day out.
Perspex screens have been installed between seating bays and the train will have a Pullman observation carriage on each end for the first time.
The ‘Glaslyn Venturer’ is a Welsh Highland Railway trip running later in the year from Porthmadog to Beddgelert, using modern carriages and an observation carriage at each end. It will also have Perspex dividers.
The line’s catering outlets at Spooner’s, Tan-y-Bwlch and Caffi De Winton will reopen when train services resume, but probably as takeaway-only service at first. Harbour station’s shop will remain closed until lockdown restrictions are further eased, but the line’s online shop is open.
A Ff&WHR statement said: “With spring on its way, we are moving forward with renewed hope that 2021 will be a brighter year for our railway.”
Resumption
As outlined on pages 24-25, the Talyllyn Railway will also start public services on May 1, with a special event to mark the 70th anniversary of its first train run by volunteers on May 14 being planned.
Its café at Tywyn Wharf station will open with outdoor seating on April 26.
May 1 has also been named as the restart date for the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway (WLLR), the Bala Lake Railway and the Ponypool & Blaenavon Railway.
A Bala Lake statement said: “Our shop at Llanuwchllyn will reopen at the same time, as will our café for takeaway. Customers can use a new covered picnic area to consume their own meals or purchased food.
“The heritage centre will remain closed until the Welsh Government lifts restrictions on indoor attractions, which is expected to be towards the end of May.”
On various days of the week, the WLLR will be offering a selection of one-hour trips from Llanfair Caereinion to Castle Caereinion and a two-hour trip to Welshpool (Raven Square), with the opportunity to travel on both trains first class in the 1961-built Sierra Leone Railways Independence Coach. May 4 will see the first one-hour breakfast train which will run on selected dates in the month.
Visiting Austrian U class 0-6-2T No. 2 Zillertal will be in operation on all trains.
Running steam
The Snowdon Mountain Railway will restart with steam trains running from Llanberis from May 7 until September, and diesel services every 30 minutes from 9am until October 31. However, for 2021, the trains will run to Clogwyn station, the three-quarters point on the line, for a 30-minute stopover.
There are no facilities at Clogwyn or on-board the services, and passengers must return on the same train. The stopover does not allow enough time to walk to the summit and back and travel down on a return ticket, and single tickets down from Clogwyn are only available on a standby basis at the station.
The first of the Welsh lines to recommence public services will be the Fairbourne Railway, on April 27. As with last year, passengers do not need to book beforehand.
The Corris Railway aims to restart passenger services on Sunday, May 30.