Tal-y-Cafn railway station

Until the early 1960s the station had a passing loop and two platforms,[1] was known as Tal-y-Cafn and Eglwysbach and publicised as the station for Bodnant Garden, which is in the parish of Eglwysbach and a lengthy up-hill walk.

The station was renamed from Tal-y-Cafn & Eglwysbach to Tal-y-Cafn on 6 May 1974,[2] although a name board on the disused platform still refers to Eglwysbach.

Former signal control area (May 2016)

The station buildings, mostly in private occupation, are well maintained. The Station Master's House is an all year round holiday let, available for booking through railwaystationcottages.co.uk

The station is officially an unstaffed halt (tickets must be purchased on the train or prior to travel), but the level crossing at the south end is still staffed (due to its location next to the river bridge) and retains its manually-operated metal gates; the crossing keeper works out of an office in the main building. Up until 1993, the crossing also had protecting signals worked from a ground frame on the platform; these were replaced by stop and fixed distant boards after the gates were run through by a train.[3]

Digital CIS displays, a pay phone and timetable poster boards are provided to offer train running information. The station has step-free access to the platform from the station entrance, but is not wheelchair accessible.[4]

Six trains call in each direction Mon-Sat, with four departures each way on Sundays.[5] Following serious flood damage to the line in multiple locations caused by Storm Gareth in March 2019, services were suspended and replaced by buses until repair work was carried out.[6] The line reopened in July 2019 after completion of the remedial works.

This station is a request stop only for trains running northbound towards Llandudno. Trains running southbound towards Blaenau Ffestiniog are required to stop here at all times so that the crossing keeper can operate the level crossing barriers south of the station.

Further storm damage to the line in the area (this time from Storm Ciara) in February 2020 with services again being suspended until the line was reopened on 28 September 2020.[7]

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Glan Conwy		Transport for Wales Rail Conwy Valley Line		Dolgarrog

• Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (2010). Bala to Llandudno. West Sussex: Middleton Press. figs. 94-98. ISBN 9781906008871. OCLC 668198724.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tal-y-Cafn railway station.

• Conwy Valley Railway
• Train times and station information for Tal-y-Cafn railway station from National Rail