Llanfairpwll railway station

Llanfairpwll railway station, also signposted as Llanfairpwll­gwyngyll­gogerych­wyrndrobwll­llantysilio­gogogoch, is a station on the North Wales Coast Line from Crewe to Holyhead, serving the village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Anglesey, Wales.

Llanfairpwll
Llanfairpwll station building and platforms 1 and 2 seen near platform 2 exit gate.
General information
Other names	Llanfairpwll­gwyngyll­gogerych­wyrndrobwll­llantysilio­gogogoch
Location	Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Anglesey Wales
Coordinates	53.221°N 4.209°W / 53.221; -4.209
Grid reference	SH525715
Owned by	Network Rail
Managed by	Transport for Wales Rail
Platforms	2
Other information
Station code	LPG
Classification	DfT category F2
Key dates
1848	Opened
1966	Closed
1970	Temporarily reopened
1972	Closed
1973	Reopened
6 July 2020	Temporarily closed
21 August 2021	Reopened
Passengers
2019/20	20,890
2020/21	290
2021/22	7,158
2022/23	23,376
2023/24	30,186
Notes Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History

Opened in 1848 it was initially the terminus of the line from Holyhead before the opening of the Britannia Bridge to the mainland in 1850.^[1] It suffered a catastrophic fire on 13 November 1865 and had to be completely re-constructed. It was closed in 1966 but reopened in 1970 due to the fire on the Britannia Bridge again as the terminus for trains from Holyhead, with a single wooden platform. It was again closed in 1972 and subsequently reopened again 1973 with both wooden platforms (the only one on the island), which was refurbished in 2017^[2] and the signal box remain from the original configuration, but converted into a gate keeper's box, meaning no junctions or signals are controlled from there, except for gate locking. However, a turntable, sidings and goods yard have disappeared, the latter two under a car park.^[1]

Between 8 July 2020 and 21 August 2021 trains did not call at the station, with the platforms at the station being too short to maintain social distancing between passengers and the guard.^[3]

Name

The station is known for its longer name, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, but this is a Victorian contrivance for the benefit of tourists^[4] with no basis in historical usage. It comprises the full name of the village, plus local topographical details, plus the name of a neighbouring church etc. The actual longest railway station name in Wales (indeed the UK) is Rhoose Cardiff International Airport railway station.

Facilities

The station is unstaffed and has no ticket provision - these must be bought on the train or prior to travel. Waiting shelters are provided on each platform and train running details offered via timetable posters and digital information screens (as can be seen from the accompanying station photograph). The station is not listed as accessible for mobility-impaired and wheelchair users on the National Rail Enquiries website.^[5]

During April 2017, the upgrade of the footbridge was completed as part of Network Rail's Railway Upgrade Plan. The footbridge, which is over 100 years old, was temporarily removed earlier in the year, to undergo a £395,000 upgrade, including specialist refurbishment and repairs at the Centregreat Rail workshop in Cardiff.^[6]

Services

There is a basic two-hourly weekday service in each direction from the station in the winter 2022 timetable, with several additional morning and evening departures. Most eastbound trains run to Wrexham General, Shrewsbury and Birmingham International, although some run to either Crewe, Manchester Airport or Cardiff.^[7]

The Sunday service is irregular but serves a variety of eastbound destinations, including Crewe, Cardiff, Manchester Airport and Birmingham International.

Trains only stop here on request.

The station has very short platforms, only 40 yards (37 m) long.^[8] As a result, only one door on Transport for Wales intercity services is unlocked by the conductor/guard for passengers (Except for the BR classes 150/2 and 153 which occasionally visit Holyhead.)

Preceding station		National Rail		Following station
Bangor		Transport for Wales Rail North Wales Coast Line		Bodorgan

See also

• Rhoose Cardiff International Airport railway station – the station with the longest officially used name in Great Britain.
• Gorsafawddacha'idraigodanheddogleddollônpenrhynareurdraethceredigion – a station name contrived to be longer than Llanfairpwll
• Longest place names in the English language

References

1. Jones, Geraint: Anglesey Railways, pages 27–28. Carreg Gwalch, 2005
2. "Llanfairpwll footbridge stairwell after refurbishment and repair work". Network Rail Media Centre. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
3. "Covid-19 timetable from 29 March 2021". Tfwrail.wales. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
4. See Slater's Directory.
5. Llanfair P.G station facilities National Rail Enquiries
6. Bridge Upgrade for Llanfair PG Railways Illustrated issue 173 July 2017 page 14.
7. Table 77 National Rail timetable, December 2022 (Network Rail)
8. Permissible line speeds – London North Western Region (North) Archived 18 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine Network Rail. Page 104

Further reading

• Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (2011). Bangor to Holyhead. West Sussex: Middleton Press. figs. 26-35. ISBN 9781908174017. OCLC 795179106.

External links

• Train times and station information for Llanfairpwll railway station from National Rail
• Slater's Directory of North & Mid Wales, 1895 uses all three of the short names for the village – and does not mention the long form.
• Video footage of Llanfair PG Railway Station