Updated November 2023
A service run by National Rail offers on-line 'station-boards' for all stations which include all
Train Company services. You can send the name of a station
as a mobile phone text message to 84950 to receive a list of the next planned
and actual departures from that station; there is a charge
of 25p.
The Service Disruptions page, also by
National Rail, supplements this by giving a
regularly-updated summary of any problems and delays which
are occurring on the national network.
TIMETABLES
For the times of trains, you can use the National Rail on-line
journey planner.
The Transport for Wales
Website also includes downloadable PDFs of the
timetables of each route.
TICKETS AND FARES
We are often asked the fares to and from North Wales
Coast stations: on British railways this is a complicated
and difficult subject, as many fares depend on which
trains you are using and how far in advance you can
reserve your seat. The system is also riddled with
anomalies: various online booking sites exist (including Transport for Wales)
which will tell you the fares for the journeys you
require, and also allow you to order a ticket.
ROVERS AND RANGERS
The North Wales area is very well provided with Rover and
Ranger tickets, which thanks to enlightened local
authorities are in most cases valid on buses as well as
trains, although in some cases use of trains is only
allowed after 09:00 or 09:15 on Mondays - Fridays,
although travel at any time is allowed at weekends.
The Transport for Wales
website has a page listing the tickets that are
available. They include various day and evening rangers
for the Cambrian lines. Some tickets, notably the Conwy
Valley evening ranger, have vanished from the list, and
others have had their availability restricted, so check
before travelling.
Note: The 4-in-8
rover tickets, now re-named 'Explore Wales Pass'
and 'Explore North and Mid-Wales Pass' which
previously were valid for free travel on the Ffestiniog
and Welsh Highland Railways, now entitle holders only to a
50% reduction in fares. (From what we can discover, this
discount applies on all 8 days, not just the four 'rail'
days.) Even so, they are exceptionally good value for
anyone staying in the area for a holiday.
North Wales Rover
This is a day pass that replaces the previous North and Mid
Wales Day Ranger and the Tocyn Taith. It costs £9, £14 or
£25 (2012 fares) depending on the number of Zones (see
map) - the all-zones (£25) is the only one that allows
travel on the Gobowen to Machynlleth section. It is also
valid on buses, and trains all day, with no morning peak
restriction. However, it is no longer valid the direct Crewe
- Shrewsbury line. The all-zones version offers 50% discount
on the Welsh Highland and Ffestiniog Railways, according to
the 2012 leaflet.
To use the Ffestiniog Railway as part of a day's circular
journey, there is the Ffestiniog
Round Robin ticket, which has options to travel from
Birmingham, Manchester or Liverpool, or start your journey
from within the circuit.
|