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The Ruabon and Barmouth Railway: Its years of usefulness
In its heyday, the Ruabon and Barmouth Railway played an important part in the Welsh tourist industry, particularly in the late nineteenth century.
The Ruabon and Barmouth Railway was built in four stages. The first section of the railway to be built was the Vale of Llangollen line with the second section being the Llangollen & Corwen Railway. The next two sections were called the Corwen & Bala Railway and the Dolgellau & Barmouth Railway. The Vale of Llangollen was first used by freight services in 1861 and passenger in 1862. The freight that passed through was made up of local goods including slate, coal and lime.
Each year in the summer before the world war’s, holiday makers would travel on the main line train from London Paddington to Ruabon on the Birkenhead main line before changing to the Ruabon & Barmouth Railway to travel onwards to the famous holiday resorts of Llangollen, Bala, Dolgellau and Barmouth. Also the railway brought more customers and tourists to the places mentioned already and it provided a direct link to the main line that went between London Paddington and Birkenhead. To people it was a revelation to travel by train because before the railway was built or even thought of, they had to spend days travelling by coach or by horse on the uneven roads.
Between the world war’s there was an intensive service was run. By now the journey times had improved so much that it took only six hours by train to Barmouth from Paddington. During World War 2, the Sunday services were stopped and they were never started again. Meanwhile the timetable on the Ruabon & Barmouth Railway was simplified. Unfortunately, the whole railway was closed by the Beeching axe in 1965 after severe flooding the year before causing all services to be suspended.
About seven years later, part of the railway between Dolgellau and Bala reopened as a heritage rail-way which was (and still is) run by volunteers. The heritage railway was soon known as the Bala Lake Railway. At the time of opening, the railway was only 15 miles long, though after four years the rail-way had been extended up to its current length of 4 and a half miles long. At the moment the railway has been buying plots of land so that it can be extended into Bala’s town centre
Meanwhile in 1981, another part of the old railway was reopened to the public. This was the Llangollen Heritage Railway. The first trains didn’t start running until March 1986, when the line was opened as far as Berwyn. By May 1996, the railway had been reopened to Carrog. In 2011, work started on reopening the next 2.5 miles up to Corwen where in October 2014 Corwen East station opened. At the moment, work is still going on to bring the railway into Corwen Central where it will terminate.
In the Spring/Summer time many tourists still come and enjoy the Welsh heritage railways at Llangollen and Bala. The route of the old railway between Dolgellau and Barmouth is now known as the Mawddach Trail which stretches for nine miles between the two towns. Many people cycle on it today.
In the Spring/Summer time many tourists still come and enjoy the Welsh Heritage Railways at Llangollen and Bala. The route of the old railway between Dolgellau and Barmouth is now known as the Mawddach Trail which stretches for nine miles between the two towns. Many people cycle along it today.
In its heyday, the Ruabon and Barmouth Railway played an important part in the Welsh tourist industry, particularly in the late nineteenth century.
The Ruabon and Barmouth Railway was built in four stages. The first section of the railway to be built was the Vale of Llangollen line with the second section being the Llangollen & Corwen Railway. The next two sections were called the Corwen & Bala Railway and the Dolgellau & Barmouth Railway. The Vale of Llangollen was first used by freight services in 1861 and passenger in 1862. The freight that passed through was made up of local goods including slate, coal and lime.
Each year in the summer before the world war’s, holiday makers would travel on the main line train from London Paddington to Ruabon on the Birkenhead main line before changing to the Ruabon & Barmouth Railway to travel onwards to the famous holiday resorts of Llangollen, Bala, Dolgellau and Barmouth. Also the railway brought more customers and tourists to the places mentioned already and it provided a direct link to the main line that went between London Paddington and Birkenhead. To people it was a revelation to travel by train because before the railway was built or even thought of, they had to spend days travelling by coach or by horse on the uneven roads.
Between the world war’s there was an intensive service was run. By now the journey times had improved so much that it took only six hours by train to Barmouth from Paddington. During World War 2, the Sunday services were stopped and they were never started again. Meanwhile the timetable on the Ruabon & Barmouth Railway was simplified. Unfortunately, the whole railway was closed by the Beeching axe in 1965 after severe flooding the year before causing all services to be suspended.
About seven years later, part of the railway between Dolgellau and Bala reopened as a heritage rail-way which was (and still is) run by volunteers. The heritage railway was soon known as the Bala Lake Railway. At the time of opening, the railway was only 15 miles long, though after four years the rail-way had been extended up to its current length of 4 and a half miles long. At the moment the railway has been buying plots of land so that it can be extended into Bala’s town centre
Meanwhile in 1981, another part of the old railway was reopened to the public. This was the Llangollen Heritage Railway. The first trains didn’t start running until March 1986, when the line was opened as far as Berwyn. By May 1996, the railway had been reopened to Carrog. In 2011, work started on reopening the next 2.5 miles up to Corwen where in October 2014 Corwen East station opened. At the moment, work is still going on to bring the railway into Corwen Central where it will terminate.
In the Spring/Summer time many tourists still come and enjoy the Welsh heritage railways at Llangollen and Bala. The route of the old railway between Dolgellau and Barmouth is now known as the Mawddach Trail which stretches for nine miles between the two towns. Many people cycle on it today.
In the Spring/Summer time many tourists still come and enjoy the Welsh Heritage Railways at Llangollen and Bala. The route of the old railway between Dolgellau and Barmouth is now known as the Mawddach Trail which stretches for nine miles between the two towns. Many people cycle along it today.