Pwllheli  | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Transport for WalesClass 158 at Pwllheli in July 2021. | |||||
| General information | |||||
| Location | Pwllheli,Gwynedd Wales | ||||
| Coordinates | 52°53′17″N4°25′01″W / 52.888°N 4.417°W /52.888; -4.417 | ||||
| Grid reference | SH375350 | ||||
| Managed by | Transport for Wales | ||||
| Platforms | 1 | ||||
| Other information | |||||
| Station code | PWL | ||||
| Classification | DfT category E | ||||
| History | |||||
| Original company | Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway | ||||
| Pre-grouping | Cambrian Railways | ||||
| Post-grouping | Great Western Railway | ||||
| Key dates | |||||
| 10 October 1867 | Opened | ||||
| 19 July 1909 | Moved to current site | ||||
| 12 September 1977 | Signal boxes and 1 of 2 platforms closed | ||||
| Passengers | |||||
| 2019/20 |  65,464 | ||||
| 2020/21 | 9,184 | ||||
| 2021/22 |  45,208 | ||||
| 2022/23 | 73,332 | ||||
| 2023/24 | 77,468 | ||||
Listed Building – Grade II | |||||
| Feature | Pwllheli railway station | ||||
| Designated | 28 July 1989 | ||||
| Reference no. | 4589[1] | ||||
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Pwllheli railway station serves the small coastal town ofPwllheli, on theLlŷn Peninsula inGwynedd,Wales. It is the northern terminus of theCambrian Coast Railway.
In 1861 theAberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway was given authorisation to build a line alongCardigan Bay betweenAberystwyth andPorthdinllaen on the Llŷn Peninsula. However, the final five miles across the Llŷn Peninsula were never built. By 1865 the company had merged to become part ofCambrian Railways. When the first Pwllheli station opened on Thursday 10 October 1867[2] the decision to not complete the final five miles toNefyn had already been taken. The station, which was about a half a mile from the town, became the line's terminus.
On 19 July 1909[3] a second station was opened near by the town centre following land reclamation that permitted the extension of the line. It had two tracks separated by anisland platform with a small loading dock to the north.[4] The layout remained unchanged until rationalisation began in September 1977.
A goods yard was developed on the site of the first station. Itsturntable is now in the possession of theWest Somerset Railway. TheGreat Western Railway (GWR) doubled the track between Pwllheli station and the goods yard in order to increase capacity. But after the goods yard was closed and both thesignal boxes and the signals were removed in 1977, the double-lined section is now used as a long run-round loop for visiting charter trains. By 1987 a supermarket had been developed on the former goods yard land.
Prior to the closure of theAfon Wen to Caernarfon Line in 1964, there were two named daily express services during the summer between Pwllheli andLondon:
In 1977 one side of the island platform was abandoned and the track was lifted (the land is now a car park). The station canopy, which was constructed by the GWR, survived intact until some glass fell out in late 1979, and it was shortened early in 1980. Today only the concourse and a short section of the platform remain covered. Pwllheli has one platform, a siding and a loop.[5] One of the oldsignal boxes also remains and is used as a coveredground frame to operate the loop points.
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The station is now unstaffed and has no ticket machine, so all tickets must be purchased on the train or prior to travel. The main building still stands - part of it is used as a cafe and coffee shop whilst the remainder provides covered waiting accommodation. Train running information is offered by means of digital display screens, automated announcements, timetable poster boards and a customer help point. Step-free access is provided from the main entrance to the platform.[6]
All services are operated byTransport for Wales. Trains run between Pwllheli andMachynlleth roughly every two hours on weekdays (Mon-Sat), with 5 trains in each direction on Sundays.[7] From 1 September to 1 December 2023 engineering work took place to finish restoration of theBarmouth Viaduct.
In November 2013, services from the station were suspended due to structural problems with the 1867 Grade II-listed wooden viaduct atPont Briwet nearLlandecwyn.Network Rail had intended to build the new bridge alongside the current one whilst keeping the latter open, but work to drive steel piles into the riverbed to support the new viaduct caused the old one to shift and made it unsafe. As a result, the train service north ofHarlech had to be temporarily withdrawn whilst construction work continued and did not resume until the new bridge was ready.[8] Meanwhile, a replacement bus service ran over the 22 mile (35 km) section to Harlech. The line eventually reopened on 1 September 2014 when construction work on the rail portion of the new bridge was completed.[9]
| Preceding station |  National Rail | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminus | Transport for Wales Cambrian Coast Line | Abererch | ||
| Historical railways | ||||
| Terminus | Cambrian Railways Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway | Abererch Line and station open | ||
