Colwyn Bay

Welsh: Bae Colwyn
National Rail
Colwyn Bay Station in July 2014
General information
LocationColwyn Bay, Conwy County Borough
Wales
Coordinates53°17′46″N 3°43′30″W / 53.296°N 3.725°W / 53.296; -3.725
Grid referenceSH851791
Managed byTransport for Wales Rail
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeCWB
ClassificationDfT category D
History
OpenedOctober 1849
Passengers
2018/19Increase 0.279 million
 Interchange Increase 5,129
2019/20Decrease 0.271 million
 Interchange Decrease 635
2020/21Decrease 64,770
 Interchange Decrease 113
2021/22Increase 0.207 million
 Interchange Increase 523
2022/23Increase 0.259 million
 Interchange Decrease 241
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Colwyn Bay railway station (Welsh: Bae Colwyn) is on the Crewe to Holyhead North Wales Coast Line serving the seaside town of Colwyn Bay in North Wales.

History

The station platforms in June 1986

Colwyn Bay station was opened by the Chester and Holyhead Railway in October 1849; originally named Colwyn, it was renamed Colwyn Bay in 1876.[1] The station is in an unusual location straddling a curved section of track. As a result, the track bed is cambered so that trains come to rest at the station platform at a significant tilt. In recent years enforcement action was taken by the Environment Agency when fuel oil spilled from the over-filled tanks of a diesel engine and percolated through the track bed and flowed onto the nearby beach, polluting it.

The current station consists of the platform faces that served the former fast lines (the section from here to Llandudno Junction was quadruple track until the 1960s). The platform faces to the slow lines were taken out of service and that on the "down" (westbound) side has been obliterated as a result of the construction of the A55[2] dual carriageway (along with the old station goods yard). The main station building stands on what was the down island platform.

Facilities

Ticket barriers are in operation at this station, as are special blue lights in the toilets to stop people abusing intravenous drugs. The station has a footbridge and sheltered seating, along with digital information screens and automatic train announcements on both platforms. Lifts provide full step-free access to each side. The ticket office is staffed all week, from 06:15 until 19:15 on weekdays and from 11:15 to 18:15 on Sundays.[3]

Services

Mondays to Saturdays:

  • Transport for Wales Rail operates an alternate hourly service between Holyhead and Birmingham International or Cardiff Central via Wrexham General. A few early morning/late evening trains start/finish at Crewe rather than Birmingham or Cardiff.[4]
  • Transport for Wales Rail also operates an hourly stopping service between Llandudno and Manchester Piccadilly via Warrington Bank Quay. All of these services call at Abergele & Pensarn and Shotton, with some extended through to/from Manchester Airport.
  • Avanti West Coast operates four trains per day each way from London Euston to Holyhead, as well as an additional northbound only service from London Euston to Bangor. There are two services each way per weekday from Crewe to Holyhead, with two extra northbound services, of which one terminates at Bangor. One northbound service originates from Birmingham New Street. There are three southbound services per day to London Euston on Saturdays, as well as one southbound service per day each way to Crewe, with two northbound trains to Holyhead from London Euston and two trains to Holyhead from Crewe. There is also a northbound only service from Crewe to Llandudno Junction.

On Sundays there is a basic hourly service each way, westbound to Holyhead and eastbound to Crewe. There are three services each way to London Euston, as well as a northbound only service from Crewe to Holyhead. A limited number of trains to Birmingham, Cardiff and Manchester also operate.

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Abergele & Pensarn   Transport for Wales Rail
North Wales Coast Line		   Llandudno Junction
Rhyl   Transport for Wales Rail
Premier Service		   Llandudno Junction
Rhyl   Avanti West Coast
Holyhead/Bangor–London Euston		   Llandudno Junction

References

  1. ↑ Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 67. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
  2. ↑ Images of diversion of North Wales Coast Railway at Colwyn Bay to accommodate A55
  3. ↑ Colwyn Bay station facilities National Rail Enquiries; Retrieved 11 January 2017
  4. ↑ Table 81 National Rail timetable, December 2019

Further reading

  • Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (2012). Rhyl to Bangor. West Sussex: Middleton Press. figs. 30-39. ISBN 9781908174154. OCLC 859594415.

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