NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY :NOTICE BOARD
Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd
02 June 2025
Forthcoming events
See our Calendar Page for operator details.
June 2025
Friday 20 June Northern Belle Spirit of Travel Lunch. Circular tour picking up at Chester and Wrexham General. Diesel hauled.
Friday 20 June Northern Belle Champagne Afternoon Tea. Circular tour picking up at Chester and Wrexham General. Diesel hauled.
Saturday 21 June North West Rail and Transport Collectors Fair Crewe Alexandra Football Club 10:00 - 16:00
Thursday 26 June The Railway Industry's "Three Peaks by Rail" will be down the Coast on the evening of 26 June and heading onwards in the early hours of 27 June.
July 2025
Saturday 5 July Railway Touring Company "North Wales Coast Express" from London Euston to Llandudno. Electric to Crewe, with steam along the Coast.
Saturday 5 July Pathfinder Tours 'The Ffestiniog Slater' from Swindon to Blaenau Ffestiniog. Various off-train options including the Ffestiniog Railway.
Sunday 13 July Railway Touring Company charter from Liverpool to Holyhead on with steam throughout.
Tuesday 15 July Midland Pullman Yorkshire Coast Pullman from Ruabon, Wrexham General and Chester.
Saturday 21 July Belmond Britannic Explorer 3-day Tour of Wales
August 2025
4 August Belmond Britannic Explorer 3-day Tour of Wales
11 August Belmond Britannic Explorer Six day tour of Lake District & Wales
25 August Belmond Britannic Explorer 3-day Tour of Wales
22 August Belmond Britannic Six day tour of Cornwall & Wales,
September 2025
Thursday 4 September Clwyd Railway Circle 'The Steelworks Railways at Home and Abroad' Adrian Bodlander
Saturday 5 September Pathfinder Tours 'Cambrian Coast Express' from Cardiff Central to Pwllheli
11 September Belmond Britannic Explorer Six day tour of Lake District & Wales
Saturday 12 September Pathfinder Tours '.Cambrian Coast Express' from Bristol Temple Meads to Pwllheli
15 September Belmond Britannic Explorer Britannic Explorer Six day tour of Cornwall & Wales,
26 September Belmond Britannic Explorer Six day tour of Lake District & Wales
29 September Belmond Britannic Explorer Britannic Explorer 3-day Tour of Wales
Wednesday 17 September Midland Pullman Settle and Carlisle Pullman. From Ruabon, Wrexham General and Chester.
Saturday 20 September Northern Belle Settle and Carlisle Steam Special. Wrexham General and Chester to Carlisle via the S&C. Diesel to/from Carnforth, steam for remainder.
October 2025
Thursday 2 October Clwyd Railway Circle 'Memories of railway operations at Llangollen from my childhood days growing up in the town during the BR era of the 1950’s and mid 60s.' Gareth Jones
20 October, Belmond Britannic Explorer 3-day Tour of Wales
17 October Belmond Britannic Explorer Six day tour of Cornwall & Wales,
10 November; Belmond Britannic Explorer 3-day Tour of Wales
November 2025
Thursday 4 November Clwyd Railway Circle Jeff Nicholls “A Baptism of Fire and Water-My First Wolsztyn Experience” Part Two
Saturday 8 November Northern Belle Settle and Carlisle Steam Special. Wrexham General and Chester to Carlisle via the S&C. Diesel to/from Carnforth, steam for remainder.
December 2025
Thursday 4 December Clwyd Railway Circle 'Railways & Tramways of the Isle of Man' Geoff Morris.
North Wales Coast Railway website created and compiled by Charlie Hulme
At Crewe on 29 May 67 006 Royal Sovereign showing off its new look for a new Sovereign: His Majesty King Charles III has awarded DB Cargo UK the Royal Warrant to maintain and operate the Royal Train. (By contrast, 67 003 has become the first 67 to be scrapped). Picture by
Paul Hajdasz.
.
News pictures
A very quiet week - even the Northern Belle from Cardiff on 31 May failed to bring out the contributors, except at Holyhead where the train went on for servicing. Ken Robinson captured the arrival with 57 601 Windsor Castle leading ...
... and 57 313 Scarborough Castle (ex-Tracy Island).
Avanti 805 007 waits on Platform 1 at Holyhead with 1A64 13:53 to Crewe on 31 May (Stuart Broome).
Two old Coast Line favourites still going strong on 2 June: 37 422 ...
... and 37 425. The train is the 13:11 1Q41 Derby - Derby Ultrasonic Test Unit and the location the the site of Baguley station, closed in 1964. (Greg Mape).
On Thursday 29 May Green Lane crossing, Saltney: 37 405 and 97 304 as 0Z97 a Coleham to Barrow Hill working. Reason not known (Bob Greenhalgh).
Network North Wales Plans
Readers have no doubt heard of the plan for improvements promised in North Wales, listed recently; For the record, what follows a list of the improvements; for the record.
Commencing work on the line between Wrexham and Liverpool as the crucial first phase of delivering metro services direct between the two cities.
Doubling train services between Wrexham and Chester next May.
Bringing forward the introduction of 50% more services across the North Wales mainline from December 2026 to next May – resulting in a new service from Llandudno to Liverpool and extending the Manchester Airport service to Holyhead in place of Llandudno.
Upon completion of rail line works at Padeswood cement works, increase train services between Wrexham and Bidston to 2 trains per hour within the next three years, ahead of the introduction of 4 trains per hour that will run direct between Wrexham and Liverpool by 2035.
The existing Borderlands Line will also be renamed the Wrexham – Liverpool line.
Key stations on the Wrexham – Liverpool line will be improved in the next 12 months. Trains operating on the Wrexham – Liverpool line will be wrapped to reflect the communities and football clubs they serve.
Introducing 'Pay as You Go' tap-in-tap out technology - covering connections between Gobowen and Rhyl, and along the full length of the Wrexham-Liverpool line
Working with Network Rail to determine the feasibility of a rapid delivery of a new test railway station at Deeside Industrial Park, to gauge demand for permanent services to the park.
A new, multi-million pound electrification innovation fund to develop a plan to decarbonise the railway in North Wales and enable more frequent metro services and additional stations
Match funding for step-free access at Shotton and Ruabon stations.
Working with local authorities to develop plans for Gateway multi-modal interchanges at Holyhead, Bangor, Caernarfon and Wrexham.
A new T13 bus service - connecting Rhyl, Ruthin, Denbigh and Wrexham.
Examining options to re-open stations and build new stations to serve employment growth areas.
A new bus network specifically designed to link communities with industrial estates in the Flintshire and Wrexham Investment Zone.
The Welsh Government has already committed an investment of over £13m to begin delivery immediately and will draw on other funding streams to make the vision a reality.
Paul Hajdasz's travels
On Thursday 22 May I took a round trip from Stafford to Crewe. On my travels just outside Crewe I saw 45 118 ‘The Royal Artilleryman’ on 0Z45 from Carlisle LSL.
From Crewe to Stoke I took EMR 1N17 service to Newark with 170 512.
Passing Longport there were several engines stabled, amongst which were 66 772 & 66 693.
I took the Cross Country service 1V59 from Manchester Piccadilly to Paignton with 221 126.
Once back at Stafford GBRF 6G92 passed through on its way to Smallheath Lafarge with 66 758 The Pavior.
On Thursday 29 May I decided to have a return trip from Crewe to Shrewsbury, which cost £13:45 with a Senior railcard. Arriving at platform 5 was TfW 1V39 Manchester Piccadilly to Cardiff with DVT 82226 leading (above).
Once I reached Shrewsbury I managed to take a photo of 67 016 on the other end.
Whilst awaiting my return train some relatively new 196 West Midlands units made an appearance ...
... as well as the older 158s which were heading to the Cambrian & North Wales coasts.
My return leg was TfW 1W57 from Cardiff which duly arrived at platform 4, although about 15 minutes late with 67 022 hauling.
As I left Shrewsbury I took a shot of the famous signalbox, free of scaffolding .
Looking back: Steam, Diesels and Electrics 1966 - David Pool
On 9 October 1966 I was returning home from a few days in Winchester, and decided to travel on the “Watercress Line” to Alton, which was due to be closed. The “Hampshire” Diesel-Electric unit 1121 was returning to Southampton at 15:54, and I took the 15:53 to Waterloo, the rear cars of which were a 2-Bil set 2117.
The Liverpool University Public Transport Society had organised several successful Railtours in the Liverpool area, and on 22 October 1966 they ran a Wirral and Mersey Special, reporting number 1T50, departing from Liverpool (Riverside) Station. The intention had been to have a Stanier tank on the first leg, but Fairburn tank 42233 was on the train – as steam locomotives were being withdrawn rapidly at that time there was no guarantee as to what would be available. Riverside station was too dark to use colour film, so it was FP3 and my Russian Zenith C which recorded the scene. The Black 5 45015 was going to pilot the train on the climb to Edge Hill, the steepest gradient being 1 in 57.
With 45015 leading 42233, we left the station on the MDHB lines, pausing East Princes Half-Tide Dock before crossing the Dock Road and taking the British Railways line to Edge Hill through the Waterloo tunnels.
We left 45015 at Edge Hill, and took the Bootle branch to Oriel Road, then it was a short distance on the electrified line before taking the branch to Ford and Fazackerley Junction, where we joined the main line towards Wigan. A photo stop was arranged at Rainford Junction, where the only lines in use were on the main line to Wigan Wallgate, services on the branches to Ormskirk and St Helens having been ended a few years earlier. The left hand signal on the gantry would have been for the St Helens branch, which was out of use but not yet lifted.
A locomotive change had been planned at Manchester Exchange, and 42233 was replaced by Britannia 70004, running without its William Shakespeare nameplates and deputising for the advertised Jubilee. The train then took a winding route via Miles Platting, Guide Bridge, Woodley and Stockport Tiviot Dale, eventually reaching the Mid Cheshire line at Altrincham. At Northwich D5275 (later 25 125) was waiting to proceed to Oakleigh Sidings with some ICI hoppers.
Another photo opportunity was provided at Delamere where 70004 took on water. It seems to have been a strange location for a water tower, and I wonder how often it was used.
At Mouldsworth we took the line to Ellesmere Port, where another photo stop had been arranged, then continued via Hooton to Green Lane Junction, where 70004 was replaced by a “Crab” 42942 for the final section of the Railtour, taking us through Birkenhead Docks on MDHB lines towards Bidston. As we passed Birkenhead MPD, Standard Class 4MT 76052 was on the turntable.
The final photo stop on the Railtour was with 42942 at Neston North on what is now the Borderlands Line. We continued via Hawarden Bridge East Junction and Chester Liverpool Road to Mickle Trafford, then Frodsham Junction, Runcorn and Speke Junction, taking the CLC line to Liverpool Central, where an arrival at 1805 was scheduled. Looking back at my photographs from this day. I am struck by the freedom we had to leave the platforms and cross tracks at photo stops, although there would be railway staff present and ready to intervene if necessary. The Good Old Days – or accidents waiting to happen?
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