Ffestiniog Round Robin

[Old Yard Dog]

Do different pre-booking arrangements apply to the Caernarfon and Blaenau Ffestiniog lines??

My impression & experience, admittedly pre-Covid, is that trains on the Caernarfon line are usually sold out in advance while those on the Blaenau Ffestiniog line are usually turn up and go.

 

[mangyiscute]

I just gave them a call, the person on the phone happily booked me a seat and said all I have to do is check in at the desk in Porthmadog and show them my round robin ticket about 15 minutes before the train is going to depart

 

[alex17595]

I think I'm going to do one on Thursday next week. It's only 50p more than a ticket to Blaenau! Shame some if the connections aren't great.

 

[Krokodil]

Shame some if the connections aren't great.

It's an authentic recreation of the experience of rail travel in the UK

 

[WAB]

Do different pre-booking arrangements apply to the Caernarfon and Blaenau Ffestiniog lines??

My impression & experience, admittedly pre-Covid, is that trains on the Caernarfon line are usually sold out in advance while those on the Blaenau Ffestiniog line are usually turn up and go.

A carriage on each train (except the Porthmadog-Tanybwlch shorts) is reserved for passengers wanting intermediate halts and hop-on-hop-off. Otherwise, all trains can be sold out before the day. As there are fewer services on the Welsh Highland and it's a popular route, the WHR services tend to sell out before the Ffestiniog.

 

[mangyiscute]

To answer the initial question in the thread, the best itinerary is to make the 10:32 service from Llandudno Junction down to Blaenau, which arrives at about half 11, then take the 12:35 from Blaenau to Porthmadog connecting onto either the 14:06 at Minifford or the 16:01 from Porthmadog if you wish to stay on to Porthmadog (or if you speedwalk/run between the stations, you should be able to make the 14:01 from Porthmadog. However, getting to Llandudno Junction for 10:30 can be tough, so my route is to take the train that gets to Porthmadog at 12:51, then take the 14:10 service to Blaenau, where you then have almost 2h30 to wait until the 17:35 train up to Llandudno, although there are some nice waterfalls/dams that you can walk to. I'm starting from Reading, on the first cross country out at 06:15, changing at Birmingham, and then on the way back by changing at Chester, Crewe and Stafford, it is possible to make the last cross country back to Reading.

 

[A S Leib]

Any idea when rail replacement bus timetables will be up, and if it would be desirable to go from Porthmadog to Wolverhampton via Machynlleth or if a bus to Blaenau Ffestiniog or Bangor and the train via Chester would be preferable?

 

[mangyiscute]

Any idea when rail replacement bus timetables will be up, and if it would be desirable to go from Porthmadog to Wolverhampton via Machynlleth or if a bus to Blaenau Ffestiniog or Bangor and the train via Chester would be preferable?

I think on RTT you can already see them, as well as in journey planners

 

[A S Leib]

I think on RTT you can already see them, as well as in journey planners

On RTT the ones for the night of 1 / 2 September are showing but nothing for the 5th yet. Neither National Rail's website nor the TfW ticket site give any times yet either.

 

[krus_aragon]

the best itinerary is to make the 10:32 service from Llandudno Junction down to Blaenau, which arrives at about half 11, then take the 12:35 from Blaenau to Porthmadog

If in search of lunch, the Model Bakery on the main street near the station carries a fine selection of pasties, including some huge (and slightly firey) kurdish pasties. I have standing orders to buy pasties and seeded honey bread from there whenever I'm in the area...

 

[alex17595]

It mildly annoys me that everything I try to plan a train trip to Blaenau that the first 2 trains don't connect with anything from the west.

The 0731 from Llandudno Junction misses the first train from Birmingham by 7 mins and the next one isn't for another 3 hours.

 

[Krokodil]

If in search of lunch, the Model Bakery on the main street near the station carries a fine selection of pasties, including some huge (and slightly firey) kurdish pasties. I have standing orders to buy pasties and seeded honey bread from there whenever I'm in the area...

Make sure that you have cash, last time that I checked they don't take card

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 28 Aug 2023 ==

It mildly annoys me that everything I try to plan a train trip to Blaenau that the first 2 trains don't connect with anything from the west.

The 0731 from Llandudno Junction misses the first train from Birmingham by 7 mins and the next one isn't for another 3 hours.

It's a nuisance but in the context of the Round Robin it is irrelevant because there wouldn't be an FR train that early anyway.

 

[alex17595]

I'm booked in on Thursday now, bargain with PRIV discount, it's only 55p more than a standard Crewe-Blaenau return.

I've spent a lot of time in and under Blaenau so will be interesting to have a ride on the railway to made the town what it is - the slate capital.

 

[Krokodil]

I've spent a lot of time in and under Blaenau so will be interesting to have a ride on the railway to made the town what it is - the slate capital.

Two of the three railways in fact, all were built to carry slate to ports.

 

[MadMarsupial]

Two of the three railways in fact, all were built to carry slate to ports.

I suppose there is a case for saying all four railways if you include the Bala to Ffestioniog and the Festiniog and Blaenau lines?

 

[Krokodil]

I suppose there is a case for saying all four railways if you include the Bala to Ffestioniog and the Festiniog and Blaenau lines?

As the former purchased the latter before converting to standard gauge, I count them as ultimately the same railway.

 

[mangyiscute]

I made my journey on Monday, everything ran very smoothly, got into Porthmadog at 12:50 so had plenty of time to grab lunch and make the 14:10, also got to see the 13:40 to Beddgelert leave. My train was quite empty, only 7 people in the carriage I was in, and I then alighted a stop before Blaenau at Tanygrisiau to do a walk up to Llyn Cwmorthin which had some great waterfalls on the way, then walked into Blaenau to get the 17:35 back - I made a tight connection onto the delayed 18:33 at Llandudno Junction, and then got the train to Crewe from Chester, with another tight connection onto the ex Liverpool train to Stafford, where I changed onto a delayed cross country to get back to Reading 30 minutes early!
Would highly recommend, all the staff were very friendly and its very scenic.

 

[Krokodil]

all the staff were very friendly

I should think so too, I was one of the guards!

 

[mangyiscute]

I should think so too, I was one of the guards!

Excellent! Thanks for the great service, keep it up.

 

[chrisp37]

We sort of did this route over a week last September. We went from Euston to Llandudno, stayed there for a few nights, then moved on to Porthmadog via the Conwy Valley and Ffestiniog, stayed in Porthmadog for 4 nights and then came back home with a stopover in Machynlleth. Unfortunately, we didn't get to ride on the Cambrian Coast line because it was a replacement bus due to the Barmouth viaduct maintenance works. I hadn't realised that when I booked the holiday. I am hoping to get on the Cambrian Coast next year.

I quite like the idea of attempting it as a day trip from London although it seems rather ambitious! I also think I would be too nervous about plans being ruined by delays/cancellation/industrial action.

 

[Llandudno]

We sort of did this route over a week last September. We went from Euston to Llandudno, stayed there for a few nights, then moved on to Porthmadog via the Conwy Valley and Ffestiniog, stayed in Porthmadog for 4 nights and then came back home with a stopover in Machynlleth. Unfortunately, we didn't get to ride on the Cambrian Coast line because it was a replacement bus due to the Barmouth viaduct maintenance works. I hadn't realised that when I booked the holiday. I am hoping to get on the Cambrian Coast next year.

I quite like the idea of attempting it as a day trip from London although it seems rather ambitious! I also think I would be too nervous about plans being ruined by delays/cancellation/industrial action.

Well you might most of the cost of your tickets back if there are major delays/cancellations!

So potentially a very cheap day out!

 

[chrisp37]

Well you might most of the cost of your tickets back if there are major delays/cancellations!

So potentially a very cheap day out!

Hah, true! I'm more concerned about being stranded, given the limited services on some of the lines involved.

 

[mangyiscute]

I quite like the idea of attempting it as a day trip from London although it seems rather ambitious! I also think I would be too nervous about plans being ruined by delays/cancellation/industrial action.

It's definitely possible as a day trip from London, the best itinerary is if you get to Llandudno Junction for the 10:32, but you have to leave Euston at either 06:20 with some tight ish connections or 05:31 otherwise.
On the way back, you can make either the 14:05 from Minifford or the 16:01 from Porthmadog which gets you to Birmingham at half 6/half 8, so plenty of time to get to London even with any delays

 

[alex17595]

The last train from Wolverhampton to Euston on a weekday is 2245 so I wouldn't worry about getting stuck 'up North'

 

[chrisp37]

I am genuinely considering it now. Think it’ll have to be next year at the earliest, though. Not least because it looks like the Cambrian Coast line will be down for works on the Barmouth viaduct for most of the rest of the year.

 

[A S Leib]

We sort of did this route over a week last September. We went from Euston to Llandudno, stayed there for a few nights, then moved on to Porthmadog via the Conwy Valley and Ffestiniog, stayed in Porthmadog for 4 nights and then came back home with a stopover in Machynlleth. Unfortunately, we didn't get to ride on the Cambrian Coast line because it was a replacement bus due to the Barmouth viaduct maintenance works. I hadn't realised that when I booked the holiday. I am hoping to get on the Cambrian Coast next year.

I quite like the idea of attempting it as a day trip from London although it seems rather ambitious! I also think I would be too nervous about plans being ruined by delays/cancellation/industrial action.

I'm planning on doing it as a day trip from Hemel Hempstead next week (although for some reason the cheapest ticket book.splitticketing.com could find for the outbound journey was from Watford Junction to Euston then the Trent Valley stopper instead of changing at Milton Keynes Central).

Half an hour to change at Crewe shouldn't be an issue, although I do have some trepidation about a six minute change at Chester (and two minutes at Llandudno Junction, although I'd hope - perhaps naively - that staff would normally expect there to be some connecting passengers).

The last rail replacement bus departure to get to Machynlleth in time for the 22:45 from Wolverhampton doesn't leave Porthmadog until 17:35, and in theory the 18:40 T2 to Aberystwyth should get there in time as well although I don't know how reliable it is.

 

[bspahh]

Half an hour to change at Crewe shouldn't be an issue, although I do have some trepidation about a six minute change at Chester (and two minutes at Llandudno Junction, although I'd hope - perhaps naively - that staff would normally expect there to be some connecting passengers).

The last rail replacement bus departure to get to Machynlleth in time for the 22:45 from Wolverhampton doesn't leave Porthmadog until 17:35, and in theory the 18:40 T2 to Aberystwyth should get there in time as well although I don't know how reliable it is.

When I did it last July, I arrived at Chester a couple of hours earlier than your schedule.

I was expecting a train to Llandudno on platform 4. On platform 4 at about the same time, there was a train to Manchester Airport, so I got to wander around Helsby for half an hour. I had enough slack in the schedule to still get the train to Blaenau Ffestiniog.

 

[A S Leib]

When I did it last July, I arrived at Chester a couple of hours earlier than your schedule.

I was expecting a train to Llandudno on platform 4. On platform 4 at about the same time, there was a train to Manchester Airport, so I got to wander around Helsby for half an hour. I had enough slack in the schedule to still get the train to Blaenau Ffestiniog.

I went to Ellesmere Port a few weeks ago and was planning on going to Helsby then (mostly because of Stanlow & Thornton and Ince & Elton) but the direct train was cancelled; I'd guess that's a relatively common occurrence on that line at the moment, or was I just unlucky?

Back on topic, as long as the 09:21 Crewe - Chester and 09:50 to Llandudno Junction are on time I should be fine, although the Marches line is possibly the one I've had the worst luck with so far.

 

[alex17595]

So I managed to get it done today.

Took the 0626 Avanti Crewe - Llandudno Junction chanching a connection if the branch was late, no such luck sadly.
Then took the 0748 to Llandudno. Had a bit of a wander up the tramway to the halfway station and back via the seafront.
Took the 1021 to Blaenau which slowly dropped time to Roman Bridge. There was lots of people waiting for the return working.
Accidently got on to the 1140 FR service instead of the 1235 - It was raining in Blaenau anyway. Hauled by Blanche.
Then got the 1402 from Porthmadog to Shrewsbury arriving 1720
Finished it off with 1750 to Manchester as far as Crewe arriving 1828.

I'd like to try it the other way around next time and have some more time at Blaenau as I find it more interesting than Porthmadog (if the weathers good)]

Overall I had a good day out.

 

[mangyiscute]

Half an hour to change at Crewe shouldn't be an issue, although I do have some trepidation about a six minute change at Chester (and two minutes at Llandudno Junction, although I'd hope - perhaps naively - that staff would normally expect there to be some connecting passengers).

I wouldn't expect the guard to be expecting connecting passengers, since the connection would not be advertised to any passengers when buying tickets - I think it highly unlikely the Blaenau train would wait for any delay