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The main highlight of the weekend will undoubtedly be the ‘200 Wheels on the Cob’ spectacle, which will take place on Sunday, 22nd of June. This will be a cavalcade of Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway engines throughout the years, lining up in formation across the iconic Cob embankment. This will be a historic occasion, highlighting all the work that has been undertaken over the decades to make this spectacle possible.
I thought it was quite expensive, but unless youre a member of both societies it quite often is on the FFWHR. It's not too bad at £49 for members, roughly equal to the NYMR steam gala for instance.
The KWVR Steam Gala is half the price for the 3 days, but it is an "ordinary" event so one might expect Porthmadog to be charging a premium on top of their already high prices.
I thought it was quite expensive, but unless youre a member of both societies it quite often is on the FFWHR. It's not too bad at £49 for members, roughly equal to the NYMR steam gala for instance.
The standard ticket prices are a little steep as it is!
I've been planning to visit the Welsh Highland Railway for some a few years now, we was camping in North Wales last summer and looked into doing it, for two adults and a child the return ticket was, from memory, around £150, that's before you factor in parking, food/drink etc, you're probably talking £200 for a ride on a stream train... Sorry, but no, just no, we had a ride on the Llanberis Lake Railway for £30 instead!
The standard ticket prices are a little steep as it is!
I've been planning to visit the Welsh Highland Railway for some a few years now, we was camping in North Wales last summer and looked into doing it, for two adults and a child the return ticket was, from memory, around £150, that's before you factor in parking, food/drink etc, you're probably talking £200 for a ride on a stream train... Sorry, but no, just no, we had a ride on the Llanberis Lake Railway for £30 instead!
Or email; when I did last year, they said single fares were £20 for Porthmadog Harbour to Snowdon Ranger, £22 for Porthmadog Harbour to Waunfawr, £15 for Snowdon Ranger to Caernarfon and £12.50 for Waunfawr to Caernarfon. I'm not entirely sure if they sell Porthmadog to Caernarfon singles, but I don't think that journey should be more than £40 as part of a circular journey or getting a bus in one direction. I suppose if you only plan on visiting a railway once a year or less frequently it's comparable to the price of the NYMR rover / annual pass (I think £50 last year), although that itself might be a bit steep if only going once.
Or email; when I did last year, they said single fares were £20 for Porthmadog Harbour to Snowdon Ranger, £22 for Porthmadog Harbour to Waunfawr, £15 for Snowdon Ranger to Caernarfon and £12.50 for Waunfawr to Caernarfon. I'm not entirely sure if they sell Porthmadog to Caernarfon singles, but I don't think that journey should be more than £40 as part of a circular journey or getting a bus in one direction. I suppose if you only plan on visiting a railway once a year or less frequently it's comparable to the price of the NYMR rover / annual pass (I think £50 last year), although that itself might be a bit steep if only going once.
Are they actually doing hop on hop off tickets yet? It's a lovely railway, but last time I checked they were the only one I was aware of still using the Covid-style fixed itineraries. For those like me who like to spend a whole day exploring the stations along a line, hopping off at random stations and re-joining later trains as I like, that sort of rigid itinerary is very off-putting.
Are they actually doing hop on hop off tickets yet? It's a lovely railway, but last time I checked they were the only one I was aware of still using the Covid-style fixed itineraries. For those like me who like to spend a whole day exploring the stations along a line, hopping off at random stations and re-joining later trains as I like, that sort of rigid itinerary is very off-putting.
They have for the last two years. It was only during COVID that they were only offering fixed itineraries. The main trains have a coach specifically allocated for passengers travelling to and from intermediate stations.
As stated by a previous poster, the website concentrates on the out and back packages, as that is what makes up 99% of the revenue. However, as stated on the website, singles and returns are available between any pair of stations. They can be purchased from booking offices or from the guard on the day, in the usual way, but it is not practical to sell them on line.
Volunteers on other preserved railways should consider getting the HRA pass, as that would give you a substantial discount. I understand that non volunteer enthusiasts can also buy an HRA associates pass, which may be worth it if you intend visiting several preserved railways in a year.
Yes, the prices are steep, but when you consider the length of the FR and even more so, the WHR, that must be maintained, they are understandable. But I can appreciate that for a family the cost may just be too much. My feeling is that enthusiasts will usually pay these prices for an annual visit, but they are off putting to the 'normal' holidaymaker.
And the prices are only going to go up as well. The latest Trackside magazine quotes the railway's manager as saying that the recent budget changes will add an extra £200k to their annual wage bill, which is the entire total of their annual operating profits. So in order to make a profit from now on he is either going to have to reduce staff, cut back operating days or put up prices. A lot of other heritage railways said similar things as well.
This is a good deal but will it be honoured by the FR when there is a gala going on? I remember buying a through ticket from my local station to a heritage line, not realising they were having a gala. Frankly, I wasn't bothered about the gala on that occasion; I just found the heritage line a nice way of getting to do a scenic walk in the area. The guard didn't bat an eyelid, as far as I could see, but later in the journey a very zealous volunteer from the office was walking down the train, asking who had got on with a through ticket from the network.
That is a good value ticket, I've just been having a look, I may be wrong but nothing seems to connect very well at Blaenau Ffestiniog in either direction.
In the past the FR has run a basic service on event days as well as the actual event trains. So on Victorian Weekend you used to have Earl of Merioneth running two Blaenau trips with the standard rake of coaches on the normal timetable, accepting normal tickets. Not sure what runs now.
That is a good value ticket, I've just been having a look, I may be wrong but nothing seems to connect very well at Blaenau Ffestiniog in either direction.
I did the Ffestiniog via the Conwy Valley before Covid and everything connected well, now though, it doesn't look like Blaenau is something the FR is interested in.
Yes, only at the ticket office on the day (or from the guard if boarding at other stations). Singles are 50% of the return fare, and there's an unreserved carriage for passengers without bookings.
This is a good deal but will it be honoured by the FR when there is a gala going on? I remember buying a through ticket from my local station to a heritage line, not realising they were having a gala. Frankly, I wasn't bothered about the gala on that occasion; I just found the heritage line a nice way of getting to do a scenic walk in the area. The guard didn't bat an eyelid, as far as I could see, but later in the journey a very zealous volunteer from the office was walking down the train, asking who had got on with a through ticket from the network.
I had a similar experience on the Bluebell, back in the days when you could get through tickets (I think they have given up on them now). They were very unhappy about my through ticket (actually an add-on to the standard East Grinstead fare), saying that the booking office at East Croydon shouldn't have sold it as it was a gala day.
As far as I am aware, the FR has always honoured such through tickets during galas, on ordinary service trains. I can recall some galas where the special trains were advertised as only available to those with gala tickets.
I don't know what the arrangements for this June's gala are going to be. If they are going to get every FR and WHR loco to Porthmadog for a cavalcade, I suspect that there won't be many other trains about! Which I suspect is why the prices are high, as they will need to cover the ordinary revenue lost.
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I did the Ffestiniog via the Conwy Valley before Covid and everything connected well, now though, it doesn't look like Blaenau is something the FR is interested in.
Except that they run a service specifically aimed at passengers starting from Blaenau, the Quarryman. It ran almost every day during the season. And it was timed to connect with the Conwy Valley, and a significant number of passengers using it come off that service. You get time for lunch in Porthmadog, and time to look around Blaenau. It has been very popular.
I remember asking Paul Lewin (General Manager) about this, and he responded that they will hold it for a late running train if they know that there are people wanting to catch the Ffestiniog, but obviously that doesn't work they other way round!
There is an FR phone in the TfW messroom at Blaenau. In the past, when the connecting services ran daily it may have been more common to use it to check.
I did the Ffestiniog via the Conwy Valley before Covid and everything connected well, now though, it doesn't look like Blaenau is something the FR is interested in.
I have done a day trip from Merseyside via Conwy Valley several times post Covid using the Quarryman service operating days and the connection at Blaenau does work - but is a bit tight expecially if you find people in the portacabin at Blaenau shopping rather than buying tickets! On one of my trips the guard told me to find a seat and he sorted out the ticket after departure.
Being a member made things easy. The return trip is fine but there is about an hour wait at Blaenau to get back to Llandudno Junction, but it does allow for a bit of late running on the FR. If on time you unfortunately have a longer wait at Blaenau which can at times become a bit of a hang out for local youth and scallies.
When I have done the trip I have not been the only person changing so people do still visit via Conwy Valley.
In the past the FR has run a basic service on event days as well as the actual event trains. So on Victorian Weekend you used to have Earl of Merioneth running two Blaenau trips with the standard rake of coaches on the normal timetable, accepting normal tickets. Not sure what runs now.
Certainly the recent Bygones and WHR Centenary events have run two 'Mountain Spirit' round trips from Porthmadog-Blaenau. These are available for 'normal'/pre-booked ticket holders, but are barred to event ticket holders.
These run alongside the 'special' trains which are for event rover holders only.
On some occasions, the 'service' trains have also been used to shuttle people to/from Boston Lodge for tours.
Personally, I think it a bit unfriendly that there isn't at least one carriage on these 'service' trains made available for those who've paid £150+ for an event rover, but there you go!
(I suspect if the train is quiet and you'd be otherwise stranded, a polite word with the guard might still get you onboard, and if you're a FR society member, you'd be entitled to travel for free anyway).
Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland are expensive unless you are a member of one or both. Its excellent value for members at 10 free return tickets per year for £41 for an adult and 50% off the Welsh Highland Railway or £50 for the other way around.
They seem to be annoying a lot of people with their post covid pricing structure but they are keeping a complex heritage network in the black while facing rapidly spiralling costs.
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www.festrail.co.uk
