Conwy Valley Line

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Originally published on the North Wales Pioneer online by Patrick Glover, available at: http://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/16142903.Passenger_numbers_incr…

The popularity of Conwy Valley train services has increased according to Welsh Government statistics.

North Llanwrst station saw the biggest hike in passenger numbers recording an increase of 29.7 per cent with 1,582 commuters passing through in 2016/17 up from 1,220 in 2015/16.

While Llanwrst saw an extra 888 passengers, an increase of 6.4 per cent, in 2016/17.

Aberconwy Assembly Member Janet Finch-Saunders said the increase in numbers was excellent news for the line and businesses in the area.

She said: '(Taking out the northern stations - Llandudno, Deganwy and Llandudno Junction)The others along the Conwy Valley Line should be seen as having performed very well, with six of the 10 stations seeing increases.

The Conwy Valley Line is a social and economic lifeline and this latest setback is particularly frustrating given this line has been hit so hard by extreme weather over recent years. The Conwy Valley Line, which runs from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Llandudno in north Wales, will reopen on next week after Network Rail has completed £2.2M of work to better protect the railway from extreme weather and flooding. The former Blaenau Ffestiniog station was opened by the LNWR in 1881 to replace a temporary terminus. The station was renamed North in 1951, then back to Bla. The Conwy Valley line between Blaenau Ffestiniog and Llandudno Junction will be closed again for upgrading after damage caused by Storm Gareth in March.

“Interestingly, the stations with easy access to Snowdonia National Park have all, bar one, experienced higher use, indicating to the popularity of the line as a means to access our natural wonder.'

Mrs Finch-Saunders said this increase called for a direct rail service from Manchester Airport to Blaenau Ffestiniog which would help create 'a truly global gateway to Snowdonia, and direct connectivity with larger urban centres.' She said she would be in talks with the Welsh Government about this possibility.

Arriva Train Wales were also pleased with the numbers. Customer Services Director, Bethan Jelfs, said: “We are very pleased to see the number of customers using our services in the Conwy valley growing.

“Getting more people using public transport and being able to connect communities is at the core of our business.

“The line has faced some challenges in recent months with flooding and landslips causing problems, but we have done all we can to keep customers moving.

Valley Line Cabinets

'We hope that as we continue to work with our partners in Network Rail we will see numbers continue to rise for the benefit of the north Wales economy.”

A total of six stations along the Conwy Valley line saw increases, while seven reported decrease in passenger numbers.

Despite the positives through the Conwy Valley stations, the decrease in usage of the further north stations saw a decrease of 1.2 per cent on the line compared to 2015/16.

The Conwy Valley Line in North Wales, which runs from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Llandudno, is due to reopen on 28 September following a £2.2 million project by Network Rail that will help protect the railway from extreme weather and flooding.

Conwy Valley Line

Conwy Valley Line

Conwy valley line

Twice in the past two years, the line has been washed away because of flooding, which has meant lengthy closures for passengers and local communities while the railway has been repaired.

The improvements to help protect the line have been entirely designed and built by Network Rail and involve the installation of 16,000 tonnes of rock armour alongside almost 2km of railway between Tal y Cafn and Llanrwst. This will help improve the resilience of the railway during the ever more frequent flooding events in the valley.

Conwy Valley Line Train Simulator

This new rock armour slows the water down to prevent it carrying away the railway embankment and leaving the track suspended in the air, which leads to trains being stopped for significant periods.

The newly protection has already been tested as Storm Francis hit the area at the end of August, when heavy rain meant access to the site was flooded, but the railway itself was not damaged during the extreme weather.

Now the resilience work has been completed, Transport for Wales will carry out driver refresher training following the long closure of the line ahead of services restarting on 28 September.

Conwy Valley Line Flooding

Bill Kelly, Network Rail’s route director for Wales and Borders, said: “I am delighted that the Conwy Valley line is now better protected as extreme weather has forced it to be closed too often in recent years.

Conwy Valley Line Timetable

“We have worked around the clock in recent months to not just repair the line, but to make it more resilient so we can help to prevent these long closures in the future.”

Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris said: “The Conwy Valley line is a vital link for many local communities in north Wales, and this investment will improve the resilience of that crucial route during extreme weather.

“Upgrading the railway defences will help prevent lengthy closures for passengers, avoid frustrating rail replacement services, and deliver a more reliable timetable people can depend on.”