Hemel Hempstead to Welsh Highland Railway

[A S Leib]

What's the best option to do the Welsh Highland Railway as a day trip from Hemel Hempstead?

Going north, ontimetrains has the 06:06 Hemel Hempstead – 08:03 Birmingham International on time 33% of the time, which feels too risky for the 08:08 Porthmadog service, so I think the 06:52 Avanti from Milton Keynes / 06:31 from Watford Junction – 07:36 Birmingham International would be preferable if not cheaper. I'd rather change at Birmingham International than Stafford and Wolverhampton (leaving Hemel at 06:33; via Crewe would need to be at 05:07), although I don't know if that service is normally quiet enough to get a good seat from further west anyway. I know that advance tickets for Birmingham International to Porthmadog are available from ~£10 with a 16-25 railcard. For the return journey, leaving Bangor at 17:59 and changing at Chester, Crewe and Watford Junction seems like the best option.

How likely is it that the cheapest option for the National Rail portion of the journey would be to get a Birmingham to Ffestiniog round robin ticket (£33.20 with railcard) and not using the Ffestiniog Railway portion, and advance tickets between Hemel Hempstead and Birmingham / Stafford, or should I wait until advance tickets west of Shrewsbury / Crewe are available?

Edit: I'm aware of upcoming rail replacement buses west of Shrewsbury until the second of April.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Feb 2025 ==

I've found advance ticket to Birmingham International changing at Milton Keynes to the Avanti service for £12 and from Stockport at 21:24 for £24 (or slightly lower splitting at Leighton Buzzard); I suspect that's more or less the cheapest I'm going to find without getting an LNR service southbound as well.

 

[30907]

I would certainly take the earlier train, and my preference would be to do the WHR northbound as you plan to.

As for fares, you may well be right about the Round Robin, though bear in mind that you (probably) need a ticket from Bangor to Llandudno Jn as well.
An all zones N Wales Rover would be another option, covering Caernarfon-Llandudno Jn but not valid via Crewe.
I'd just go to Trainsplit (via the forum of course) and play around.

 

[1955LR]

I must admit, I have used the Round robin ticket to Bangor without any issues (I then get the bus to Caernarfon).

Validity seems a moot point, as the map shows the ticket valid from Llandudno Jn to Bangor

 

[Krokodil]

Validity seems a mute point as the map shows the ticket valid from Llandudno Jn to Bangor

That's on the map because you can commence the neck of your balloon from Bangor (just as you can commence it from Manchester or Birmingham)

 

[Belperpete]

You could possibly change at Minffordd onto a Ffestiniog service to Porthmadog, so using at least part of your Round Robin validity on the FR. The Cambrian and FR stations are about a minute apart at Minffordd, but about 20 minutes apart at Porthmadog. Will depend on the FR and WHR services running on the day.

Not much to do at Minffordd however if you have a sizeable wait.

 

[1955LR]

I have often left the Ffestiniog at Minffordd rather than Porthmadog ,to save a long wait at Porthmadog for the train back to Shrewsbury

 

[TrainTraveler]

I didn't try it in a day, but when I last went to Porthmadog from London I had a change at Wolverhampton to the TFW service.

This should have been an OK connection but due to late running from London my Avanti train was just behind the TFW service I wanted all the way from Birmingham international and I spent very nearly 2 hours enjoying Wolverhampton station.

My recommendation is catch the TFW dervice from it's origin at Birmingham International and leave a good margin for the connection (I lesson I have learned!)

With a railcard last summer Wolverhampton to Porthmadog was £9.20.

Availability for the TFW fare was good 4 weeks before.

My Avanti delay repay part funded a coffee at Wolverhampton.

 

[A S Leib]

Thank you for the advice given; I've been able to sort all of my tickets now. Advance tickets from Hemel Hempstead to Birmingham International, using Avanti northbound for a 32 minute change rather than risking a five minute connection, and from Birmingham International to Porthmadog; from Bangor to Chester, Chester to Stockport, and Stockport to Hemel Hempstead.

I've briefly been to Minffordd before for Portmeirion; this time I should have just over an hour to go between Porthmadog stations and to get lunch, which might be preferable than a shorter walk at Minffordd after four hours on the service from Birmingham International.

 

[Belperpete]

I recommend that you check the live departure board for International before you get there, as it is not unknown for the TFW service to be started at New Street if the inbound service is late. In which case, stay on your Avanti service to New Street - if you get off and have to wait for the next service to New Street you might not make the TfW service.

On my last trip, the Avanti service ran late, and the TfW service left International ahead of us. We arrived at New Street 3 minutes before the TfW was due to leave. It wasn't a cross platform change at New Street, so I didn't risk trying to make my way over the footbridge through the crush. I was hoping we might be signalled out first and so I could make the connection at Wolverhampton, but it wasn't to be - we followed the TfW service through Wolverhampton.

There is a Tesco on the route between the two stations in Porthmadog, but there are also a number of excellent sandwich shops and cafes where you can get something to eat. And of course Spooners at Harbour Station.

There is an excellent buffet on Bangor station, but I am not sure how late it stays open. There isn't much else in the immediate vicinity of Bangor station. If you have time to spare, you could get off the bus one stop earlier, at Morrisons. It is then a 5 minute or so walk down the hill to the station.

 

[Watershed]

It wasn't a cross platform change at New Street, so I didn't risk trying to make my way over the footbridge through the crush.

If you are at the western (B) end of the train/platform at New Street, you can use the footbridge they added around ~20 years ago as an additional emergency exit. This connects all platforms and saves you from having to pass through any barriers or go via the busy concourse. I usually change trains at New Street that way if I'm on a tight connection; it rarely takes more than about 2 mins if you are in the correct position on arrival.

 

[AndrewE]

There is an excellent buffet on Bangor station, but I am not sure how late it stays open. There isn't much else in the immediate vicinity of Bangor station. If you have time to spare, you could get off the bus one stop earlier, at Morrisons. It is then a 5 minute or so walk down the hill to the station.

Ah, that brings back memories!
Morrison's for a fresh roast chicken, a tub of potato salad and maybe some coleslaw or other salad, plus a bottle of white wine. It makes the journey home into a dining-car experience - especially if you can get seat with a table.
(Works well coming home from a day out in the Lake District via Penrith or Windermere too - other supermarkets are available in those places!)

 

[Belperpete]

If you are at the western (B) end of the train/platform at New Street, you can use the footbridge they added around ~20 years ago as an additional emergency exit. This connects all platforms and saves you from having to pass through any barriers or go via the busy concourse. I usually change trains at New Street that way if I'm on a tight connection; it rarely takes more than about 2 mins if you are in the correct position on arrival.

Does that footbridge serve all platforms? I was under the impression it didn't do platform 1?

The trick, as you say, is to be in exactly the right place on the arriving train, otherwise you will be fighting your way contraflow against the hordes going to the more publicised exits. It also helps if you know your way, as it isn't particularly well signed which way to go when you get to the top. The last time I tried making a connection that way with 3 minutes to spare, I got to the platform just in time to see the doors close in front of me.

 

[nwales58]

... not unknown for the TFW service to be started at New Street if the inbound service is late. In which case, stay on your Avanti service to New Street ...

or even Wolverhampton

In Bangor, as well as Morrisons there is a Lidl even closer to the station - get off at the station, turn back then left and walk against the one-way flow down the hill then it's just to your left on the opposite side of the road. If you have time to kill and want something exotic carry on to the bus station with M&S opposite you and Cafe Nero facing the Clock in the pedestrianised area.

 

[Belperpete]

In Bangor, as well as Morrisons there is a Lidl even closer to the station - get off at the station, turn back then left and walk against the one-way flow down the hill then it's just to your left on the opposite side of the road. If you have time to kill and want something exotic carry on to the bus station with M&S opposite you and Cafe Nero facing the Clock in the pedestrianised area.

Exotic is not the first word that springs to my mind to describe Bangor town centre!

 

[MrJeeves]

Does that footbridge serve all platforms? I was under the impression it didn't do platform 1?

It serves all platforms, including Platform 1. There's a set of stairs just past the northern gateline within the footbridge which leads onto the platform.

I used the footbridge to get from Platform 1 to 5 during a tight 6 minute connection on 10 Jan.

 

[Belperpete]

It serves all platforms, including Platform 1. There's a set of stairs just past the northern gateline within the footbridge which leads onto the platform.

I used the footbridge to get from Platform 1 to 5 during a tight 6 minute connection on 10 Jan.

View attachment 174363

Thanks for the info. Must admit that I have never seen the stairs from platform 1, so assumed there weren't any. Possibly because that end of platform 1 is quite narrow.

 

[A S Leib]

I'm pleasantly surprised that the journey went without any big issues. My Birmingham International to Porthmadog train ended up being terminated at Shrewsbury, with the replacement train being a four carriage service to Aberystwyth and having to change again at Machynlleth, but I got to Porthmadog on time (and with the sense that four-carriage trains aren't really suitable for morning peak Birmingham to Wolverhampton services, but probably excessive west of Telford by ~09:00). Coming back, I was slightly concerned when my Chester to Stockport service left Chester three minutes late with a ten minute connection at Stockport, but that didn't end up being a problem.

As for the Welsh Highland Railway itself, whilst I can recommend visiting I'd advise against doing so from such a long distance without staying overnight. Apart from anything else, I think the Conwy Valley Line's the most scenic in the area (although I can't speak for the Snowdon Mountain and Llanberis Lake railways), although fitting that in as well might not be such a priority if you've already been.