WHR reopens to Pont Croesor

[Mvann]

There's no problem running to Pen-y-Mount if the trackbed is brought up to standard, but its hardly a suitable terminus.

Chris

As far as I know, there is nothing to stop trains using the 64 co station if the fr wants to and the 64 co let's them. As far as I know, the original paperwork for the transport act stated that the trains would be vac braked. 64 co stock is air braked. But as the original paperwork said that motive power would be either diesel or oil fired steam locos, and the john Cochran loco is coal fired, and that originaly trains were not to terminate at bedgelert and this has now happened. Things have changed. The problems are probably more to do with the safety management case than safety. Presumably as railtours can access preserved lines and the nymr run to Whitby, there is nothing other than the relevant paper work that can legally stop the 64 co using fr lines and vice versa.
As you haven't stated your connection to the fr, I shall have to ask the whrs guys when they come to see me tommorow.

 

[Chris125]

As you haven't stated your connection to the fr, I shall have to ask the whrs guys when they come to see me tommorow.

I have no 'connection' to the FR, i am merely an interested spectator whose been following the project for the last decade.

With regards to using the WHHR's Pen-y-Mount station, the problems are the same as with using the Tremadog Road terminus (paperwork, politics, insufficient loop length etc) but without the benefit of any facilities like cafe, shop, toilets, road access, large carpark etc. Confused passengers for Port would hardly be impressed by having to change trains onto a much smaller and already busy WHHR service, especially if they had to pay seperately.

Chris





...turns out this is all academic anyway

(From the Unofficial WHR construction site)

Paul Bradshaw: In the past few days the decision has been made by the FR and WHRCL to complete the works needed to obtain HMRI approval of the remaining section of the new WHR. By mid-September we need to have the section from Pont Croesor to Harbour Station brought up to the standard required for a passenger service. It is expected that with HMRI approval granted it will be possible to run occasional trains from Harbour Station over the WHR later this year and, it is hoped, a timetabled service over the winter.

Chris

 

[4SRKT]

In the summer I'm planning to do a round trip from Caernarvon to Blaenau Ffestiniog using the WHR and FR. Is there a public footpath from Pont Croesor into Porthmadog or will I have to walk along the roadside?

 

[Chris125]

In the summer I'm planning to do a round trip from Caernarvon to Blaenau Ffestiniog using the WHR and FR. Is there a public footpath from Pont Croesor into Porthmadog or will I have to walk along the roadside?

If you go here, zoom in and from the 'road' pull down menu select 'ordnance survey', you should see a footpath from a level crossing near the WHR/NR crossing that goes through the WHHR's yard and then along the trackbed until it branches off towards Prenteg. Follow this, and then from Prenteg its a short roadside walk to Pont Croesor.

Alternatively, there may be a bus connection provided by Express Motors but its probably worth ringing up the railway about that as i cant find any info at present.


Chris

 

[4SRKT]

If you go here, zoom in and from the 'road' pull down menu select 'ordnance survey', you should see a footpath from a level crossing near the WHR/NR crossing that goes through the WHHR's yard and then along the trackbed until it branches off towards Prenteg. Follow this, and then from Prenteg its a short roadside walk to Pont Croesor.

Alternatively, there may be a bus connection provided by Express Motors but its probably worth ringing up the railway about that as i cant find any info at present.


Chris

Brilliant, that's just the job! I'm looking forward to this one I must say. It's years since I've been on the Ffestiniog, and I've never had anything to do with either of the two WHR factions. It's going to be a great couple of days in fact. Plan is that I'm in Ireland for the Steam Enterprise on 1st August, then on the evening of the 2nd August getting the late boat to Holyhead. An unfortunate 5 hour fester for the WAG train and a drop of loco haulage to Llandudno Junction, before a leisurely meander down to Caernarvon by bus for the train to Pont Croesor. Walk into Porthmadog for lunch and the Fessy up to Blaenau, then take the train to the Junction and home to West Yorkshire after that.

I don't suppose it's possible for would-be walkers between PC and Porthmadog to get a through WHR/FR single ticket from Caernarvon to Blaenau is it?

 

[Chris125]

I don't suppose it's possible for would-be walkers between PC and Porthmadog to get a through WHR/FR single ticket from Caernarvon to Blaenau is it?

I dont think so, but its worth seeing if there's a discount for travelling on both lines - it might also be worth looking at the various rovers which allow travel on the FR, like Ffestiniog Round Robin; they could save you some money even if they dont include travel on the WHR as well.

There's some good info on north wales travel including rovers here, i'd also suggest emailing the webmaster to see if he has any advice.

Chris

 

[Mvann]

You can get single tickets from Caernarfon to pont croseor. You used to be able to get freedom tickets that combined bus and train for both whr and fr, but these were 3days in 5 tickets, which may not be worth while for a one day use as they were aimed at the holiday Market. As I said earlier in the thread, I left nort Wales in 2001, and various things have changed since I left.
Just had a quick check. Gwynedd county council are still doing a flexi pass that covers 8 days bus and 4 days rail travel including both fr and whr travel as far as I can tell. Price maybe a bit expensive for one days use, but if you are in north Wales for longer than one day, it is probably worth it.

 

[4SRKT]

Shame as I will only be around for the day (will have to be back at work in Leeds the following day). Still, I'm quite happy to pay the two single fares if need be. In my youth the WHR was nothing more than something I read about as an interesting episode in history, and I'm incredibly impressed that such a line has been resurrected. Ideally of course I'd wait until it's open to Porthmadog, but given that I'll be passing through North Wales and can either (a) just through and get home in time for lunch, or (b) get some serious narrow gauge (and a bit of class 57) action, it seems a no-brainer to me

 

[Chris125]

Shame as I will only be around for the day (will have to be back at work in Leeds the following day). Still, I'm quite happy to pay the two single fares if need be. In my youth the WHR was nothing more than something I read about as an interesting episode in history, and I'm incredibly impressed that such a line has been resurrected. Ideally of course I'd wait until it's open to Porthmadog, but given that I'll be passing through North Wales and can either (a) just through and get home in time for lunch, or (b) get some serious narrow gauge (and a bit of class 57) action, it seems a no-brainer to me

My apologies - apparently the footpath between the NR crossing and the WHHR's loop at Pen-y-mount is closed due to the bypass work. It should be possible though to divert to the east and use the lane past the football ground, but worth checking nearer the time.

CHris
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
There's some interesting info on busses in the second story down - http://www.nwrail.org.uk/nw1006a.htm

 

[TheExmoorBeast]

I see now that they're going to make a push to properly complete the Pont Croesor to Porthmadog section before the end of September because of the new ROGS or Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations 2006 as it's known come into force on October 1.

It seems that they've had a derogation on these for a while, but now there cannot be any further extension to that, so they MUST get the section ready for passenger use before that date or they're going to be in the brown smelly stuff.

 

[Chris125]

If anyone's interested the timetable has been finalised for the open-top service connecting Port with Pont Croesor, designed with the railway in mind.

http://www.gwynedd.gov.uk/upload/public/attachments/1035/Amserlen_Sherpa_haf_20101.pdf

 

[4SRKT]

If anyone's interested the timetable has been finalised for the open-top service connecting Port with Pont Croesor, designed with the railway in mind.

http://www.gwynedd.gov.uk/upload/public/attachments/1035/Amserlen_Sherpa_haf_20101.pdf

Excellent! Will the Gwynnedd day tickets be valid on this? It says 'Red Rover not valid' but I don't know what a Red Rover is.

I can delete the thread I started on this very subject a few days ago now (which nobody's posted on )

 

[Greenback]

Excellent! Will the Gwynnedd day tickets be valid on this? It says 'Red Rover not valid' but I don't know what a Red Rover is.

I can delete the thread I started on this very subject a few days ago now (which nobody's posted on )

It's the all day bus ticket - valid on almost all buses in Gwynedd, except these, apparently!

 

[4SRKT]

It's the all day bus ticket - valid on almost all buses in Gwynedd, except these, apparently!

Is that the same as the £12 bus/train ticket we were discussing on the other thread? It's a crap connection anyway. The train from Caernarfon gets in at 12:00, and the bus doesn't leave until 12:30, getting into Porthmadog 9 minutes later. I could have walked most of the way in 39 minutes and saved the bus fare.

Does anyone know what the fare is BTW?

 

[Greenback]

Sorry for the delay, we've been out walking the dog for hours!

No, the Red Rover is a different ticket entirely. It's limited to Gwynedd and doesn't include any trains. (I did a lot of research before we went on holiday ther elast year!)

 

[4SRKT]

Sorry for the delay, we've been out walking the dog for hours!

No, the Red Rover is a different ticket entirely. It's limited to Gwynedd and doesn't include any trains. (I did a lot of research before we went on holiday ther elast year!)

Ah! Do you think that means that the £12 3 zone day rover ticket is valid on this open top bus then?

 

[Greenback]

I don't know - it wasn't running last year so we got the Snowdon Sherpa to Beddgelert from Porthmadog/ The Red Rover and the North Wales Rover are definitely valid on routes numbered 1-99 and those with the 'S' prefix (ie Snowdon Sherpa).

If it;s not clear from the Gwynedd website, you could email them to check.

 

[Chris125]

Regarding tickets allowed on the FR/WHR, i thought i might re-post some info from the WHR Forum


'Freedom of Wales Flexipass' and 'North and Mid Wales FlexiRover' BOTH include FR and WHR - despite what it says on National Rail website…

In addition -

The ‘All Line Rover’ 14 Day or 7 Day ticket includes both FR and WHR - again, despite what it says on National Rail website…

The ‘Ffestiniog Round Robin’ includes a single FR journey (Port to Blaenau or vice-versa)

Holders of the ‘All Zone’ 'North Wales Rover' (Tocyn Taith) are entitled to a 50% discount on travel on the FR & WHR

Holders of valid Cambrian Coast line tickets are entitled to a 20% discount on the FR & WHR

Holders of BritRail passes are entitled to a 20% discount on both railways - as long as their pass was issued outside of the UK

Holders of 'Red Rover' bus tickets are entitled to a £1 discount on both railways

…in all cases - First Class excess fare applies; No free child allowance…

Hope this is a help to anyone considering a trip to North Wales this year.


Chris

 

[Greenback]

Very useful Chris, thanks! I certainly didn;t know about the £1 off for day bus tickets!