Llandudno railway station

[Merddin Emrys]

We went out early this morning to see the train Wrex was on, hope you had a great trip!







Something seems bonkers if these trains can no longer come into Llandudno station (or whats left of it!) it needs sorting quick by someone!

[SDQ]

When are you people going to wake up and smell the roses???
There are NO jobsworths, no lack of signallers or negative attitude of Network Rail playing a part here.

The FACT is that the maximum capacity of all 3 platforms in Llandudno is a loco + 9 carriages, nothing longer than that should be allowed as laid down by the rules and regulations. Those rules and regs are there for a purpose, SAFETY. I can tell you that every rule in the rule book is there at the expense of a life, that is to say someone died in an accident and a rule was made to try and ensure it never happens again! There is nothing in the rule book saying 'disregard these rules if someone wants to make a few extra quid'. Statesman Rail are welcome to run specials into Llandudno, they just have to limit the size of the train to the maximum capacity of the platforms. If a policeman stops a taxi or bus carrying too many passengers is he going to let the driver off if he says he can make more money that way? NO he isn't, because it's unsafe & against the law. The rule book is the law of the railway.

Guto Bebb, Philip Evans or anyone else you care to name don't have the authority to tell Network Rail how to run trains & I'm sure if someone explained the exact situation to them they wouldn't want to get involved as money NEVER comes before safety. FACT!

With regard to Wrex's 3 specials, if they had let all 3 run into town they would have filled ALL the platforms. Where would the regular service trains drop their passengers off then?

[Yorkie]

Every problem has a solution.   Parking problems created Park and Ride so why not the same with trains?   Let the Extravaganza Specials drop the people off at the Junction if they can't "park" in Llandudno and bus them in with all these old LST's and RTL's etc. that come to the Transport Festival.   Or am I being a little naive?    ££$

[wrex]

SDQ ,whatever your interest in rail,wether you work for them or just like to to be a health and safety expert i don;t know,the Nenta train was going to Holyhead but advertised Llandudno and the Extravaganza and wanted to come into town to drop off but as normal this area connot COPE.The vintage train also went to Holyhead to turn around so there was only one left in.That then brings me onto the point SDQ,why the hell have the sidings been left to deteriorate that they cannot be used to park up the trains.

[wrex]

These days its very unusal to see one special in Llandudno,let alone 3 in a day,yet that is to the credit of the Extravaganza;s success that these companies want to come.My carriage yesterday was pasted the end of two platforms en-route to Scarborough so this is obviously not the problem,it seems the signal has been moved to the end of the platform,well during our 11 year wait to have our EYESORE done up they can move the signal back,networkrail seem to have built a brand new mobile mast just beyond the signal box,SDQ can you explain what this is.

[Ann Greeman]

FAO Wrex

While you are lobbying everyone who will listen to you MP'S ,Local Councillors etc can you also enquire what will happen when SOME SIGNALBOXES along the north wales coast will be closed (Including Llandudno and Deganwy)in 2014 ,yes as early as that !

When this does happen and your 3 specials lock up LLandudno station the drivers will have to speak to someone in Cardiff and not pop up to the signalbox and have a chat with the signaller on duty who would have explained the movements required to get the job moving.

Hang on on second thoughts that is silly isnt it, keep everyone in town for an extra night that will bring more money into Llandudno.

[SDQ]

It's a GSM(R) mast, one of dozens recently built along the North Wales coast which will ultimately lead to the demise of my career (plus many more signallers) when the trains will be signalled by staff in a signalling centre in Cardiff.

[Ann Greeman]

That is sad news SDQ , but Wrex and the rest wont be to concerned as to who signals their specials as long as they come into Llandudno.  ££$

[mull]

Someone in Network Rail, headquarters in Milton Keynes, decided to replace a worn out signal on the cheap by relocating it closer into the station.
I take it they consulted with the Train Operating Companies that run reguler services into the station but I wonder if the Charter Train companies were. Most of these companies with 10/12 coach formation carrying up to 500 passegers.

I wonder if  anyone conected with Llandudno tourism was consulted and advised of the possible loss of business to the town.
There is potential for at least one charter train a week throughout the year, steam or diesel hauled.

As a retired railway operating manager I agree with SDQ the signals, track circuits and interlocking are there for safety and should only be overriden in exceptional circumstances. Humans make mistakes and people get hurt.

[wrex]

Sorry to here that jobs are going,i take this is happening all over britain

[SDQ]

Someone in Network Rail, headquarters in Milton Keynes, decided to replace a worn out signal on the cheap by relocating it closer into the station.
I take it they consulted with the Train Operating Companies that run reguler services into the station but I wonder if the Charter Train companies were. Most of these companies with 10/12 coach formation carrying up to 500 passegers.

I wonder if  anyone conected with Llandudno tourism was consulted and advised of the possible loss of business to the town.
There is potential for at least one charter train a week throughout the year, steam or diesel hauled.

As a retired railway operating manager I agree with SDQ the signals, track circuits and interlocking are there for safety and should only be overriden in exceptional circumstances. Humans make mistakes and people get hurt.

To be honest the cheapest way to replace it would have been a like for like replacement. As it is someone decided to move it which would have been costlier as they would have had to lay an electric cable for illuminating it plus signal wires and new foundations. I think the decision was taken to improve the sighting of the signal as they also applied for special dispensation to allow the signal to be placed on the right hand side of the track as the platform curves to the left. Railtrack may have possibly liaised with First North Western at the time when making their decision, I'm not privy to that sort of information but it would have made sense.
It is doubtful that Railtrack would have consulted all the private charter or heritage companies about the decision to move the signal as it would be a costly and time consuming exercise and at the time nobody seemed interested in running specials to Llandudno, a fact that it has taken this many years to come to light would only back this up. If the rail planning department had done their job correctly at the beginning and told them the maximum sizes permitted to run into Llandudno we wouldn't be having this conversation, they get paid enough and to make such a basic mistake is quite frankly pathetic.

Looking at Merddin Emrys' pictures it looks like the train was top & tailed with 10 carriages so the train was even longer than everyone was claiming which only justifies the decision not to allow it to run into Llandudno as it would have tied up the station for the whole time it was there stopping any other trains from running as it would have fouled up all the signalling equipment and necessitated an unsignalled move by-passing the interlocking safety mechanism.

[mull]

If they are going to resignal the area in the next few years there must be signalling plans available now.
Now is the time for the Tourist Board/ council/local attractions to make it known  they want charter trains in Llandudno.
Once the resignalling has taken place it will be very expensive to change it.

Hope someone  does something about this .  It will be to late after the new signalling is installed.

[SDQ]

To the best of my knowledge all the plans have already been drawn up so it's possible this situation has not been taken into account and it's probably too late if it's been missed.

[mull]

Coalition announce £9bn investment in rail projects.
Includes electrification Cardiff to Swansea and South Wales valley lines.

Llandudno station or anything in North Wales does not get a mention.
Talk about 2 countries.

[Cambrian]

Spot on, Mull!  I don't know if anyone else watched "(south) Wales Today" on the BBC earlier tonight.  We were entertained to around 11 minutes of Nick Savini and cast all eulogising the extension of electrification to Swansea plus the Valley lines.

If there's a case for electrification from Cardiff to Swansea, why not Crewe to Chester - or the Bidston - Wrexham line to provide a link direct to Liverpool.

We have been ill-served by UKG and WG as usual.  David Jones MP was tweeting away as if this announcement was the Second Coming.