Penmaenmawr railway station

Aftermath of the Penmaenmawr train crash, 1950

The local granite quarries are a major source stone aggregate railway traffic especially for road building and railway maintenance purposes. Transfer sidings for this traffic are located next to the station and are controlled from the station signal box. This had to be relocated following a fatal accident at the station in August 1950. Six people were killed when a goods train undertaking shunting operations at the station (the locomotive on the freight was LMS Hughes Crab 2-6-0 No. 42885) in the early hours was inadvertently diverted onto the main line, where it collided with the fast-moving eastbound Irish Mail express from Holyhead, which was being hauled by LMS Rebuilt Royal Scot Class 4-6-0 No. 46119 Lancashire Fusilier.[2][3] The poor view afforded of the sidings from the old box was cited as one of the contributory factors to the accident.

An earlier accident occurred near Penmaenmawr on 12 January 1899 when an express freight train, hauled by LNWR DX Goods class 0-6-0 No. 1418, was derailed because a storm had washed away the trackbed. Both locomotive crew were killed.[4]

View west towards Llanfairfechan and Holyhead (June 2011)

The station is unstaffed, though it has kept its original Grade-II listed buildings on the westbound platform - these are now used as private residential accommodation.[5] No ticket machine is provided, so all tickets must be purchased prior to travel or on the train. A waiting shelter is located on the eastbound platform, whilst canopies provide a covered waiting area on the opposite side. Train running information is offered via telephone, digital CIS displays and timetable posters. No level access is available to either platform, as the approach ramps on both sides are steeply graded and the footbridge linking the platforms has steps.[6]

There are generally two-hourly through train services on weekdays and Saturdays to Holyhead and to Chester via Colwyn Bay, Rhyl, Prestatyn and Flint. Additional trains call during the morning peak and in the late afternoon/early evening. After arrival at Chester, most trains go forward to either Birmingham International or Cardiff Central via Wrexham General, Shrewsbury and Hereford. There are also a few early morning and late evening services to Crewe.[7]

Sunday services from the station are infrequent (particularly in winter), with sizeable gaps between trains. These mainly run to/from Crewe, though there are also trains to Manchester Piccadilly, Cardiff Central and Wolverhampton in the summer months.

Preceding station		National Rail		Following station
Conwy		Transport for Wales North Wales Coast Line		Llanfairfechan

• Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (2012). Rhyl to Bangor. West Sussex: Middleton Press. figs. 81-89. ISBN 9781908174154. OCLC 859594415.

Media related to Penmaenmawr railway station at Wikimedia Commons

• Train times and station information for Penmaenmawr railway station from National Rail