Holyhead railway station
Holyhead railway station (Welsh: Gorsaf reilffordd Caergybi) serves the Welsh town of Holyhead (Welsh: Caergybi) on Holy Island, Anglesey. The station is the western terminus of the North Wales Coast Line 105+1⁄2 miles (170 km) west of Crewe and is managed by Transport for Wales Rail. It connects with the Port of Holyhead ferry terminal. The station is connected to the town centre by a stainless steel pedestrian/cycle bridge named The Celtic Gateway (Welsh: Porth Celtaidd).
| General information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Holyhead, Anglesey Wales |
| Coordinates | 53°18′29″N 4°37′52″W / 53.308°N 4.631°W |
| Grid reference | SH247822 |
| Owned by | Network Rail |
| Managed by | Transport for Wales Rail |
| Platforms | 3 |
| Other information | |
| Station code | HHD |
| Classification | DfT category E |
| History | |
| Original company | Chester and Holyhead Railway |
| Pre-grouping | London and North Western Railway |
| Post-grouping | London, Midland and Scottish Railway |
| Key dates | |
| 1 August 1848 | First station opened |
| 15 May 1851 | Station resited |
| 1 January 1866 | Station resited |
| Passengers | |
| 2018/19 | 0.217 million |
| 2019/20 | 0.206 million |
| 2020/21 | 44,462 |
| 2021/22 | 0.139 million |
| 2022/23 | 0.202 million |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Feature | Train Shed at Holyhead Station |
| Designated | 25 July 1994 |
| Reference no. | 14739[1] |
| Notes | |
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road | |
History edit
The first station in Holyhead was opened by the Chester and Holyhead Railway on 1 August 1848, but this was replaced by the second on 15 May 1851.[2]
The present station was opened by the London and North Western Railway on 17 January 1866[2] and still retains its overall roof. It is believed to be the longest train shed in Wales.[1] It originally had four platforms, but only three are currently in use, the track to the former platform three having been lifted. The station approach contains a Grade II listed clock turret[3] which was unveiled on 17 June 1878 by Albert Edward, Prince of Wales to mark completion of old harbour extension. The clock is by J. B. Joyce & Co of Whitchurch.
Platform one on the western side of the station is separated from the other two by the ferry terminal buildings and inner harbour and is the one normally used by Avanti West Coast services to London Euston. Most Transport for Wales DMU services use platform two. Platform three is outside the train shed and is used by the early morning Premier Service to Cardiff Central, plus a few other trains at busy periods. There are carriage sidings and servicing facilities alongside platform one, whilst platform three also has an engine release line & run-round loop available.
A rail-served container terminal next to the station closed in 1991 when the traffic transferred to Liverpool.[4] It has since been demolished and is now used as a car parking area for the Stena Line ferry service.[5]
Passenger ships previously used to berth in the inner harbour next to Platform 1, this ceased when the port was re-developed. Stena Line built an administration building between platforms 1 and 2 in the early 1990s.
Stationmasters edit
Facilities edit
The station is fully staffed, with the ticket office in the main ferry terminal being staffed seven days a week. Self-service ticket machines are also provided. The terminal offers covered waiting accommodation, a payphone, a photo booth, a left luggage office, toilets, shops, and a cafe. Train running details are offered via digital information screens, timetable posters and automated announcements. Step-free access is available to all platforms.[12]
Services edit
Holyhead is served by a basic Transport for Wales hourly service throughout the week (although less frequently on winter Sundays) to Shrewsbury with services continuing to Birmingham International and Cardiff Central on alternate hours. A limited number of trains (mostly early morning and late evening) run to/from Crewe, whilst two services operate to Manchester Piccadilly on weekdays only. On Sundays, most services run to/from Crewe, with a limited number of trains to Birmingham, Cardiff and Manchester.[13]
Avanti West Coast operate services to London Euston and Crewe via the West Coast Main Line. On weekdays, there are 4 trains per day to London Euston, as well as 3 trains per day which run only as far as Crewe. On Saturdays, there are 3 trains per day to London Euston and 1 train to Crewe, and on Sundays there are 3 trains per day to London Euston.[14]
Holyhead station adjoins the Port of Holyhead, where sailings to Dublin are operated by Irish Ferries and Stena Line. Up to September 2014 Stena Line operated a high-speed service to Dún Laoghaire, a suburb 12km south of Dublin City Centre.
| Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transport for Wales Rail | Terminus | |||
| Transport for Wales Rail | Terminus | |||
| Avanti West Coast | Terminus | |||
| Ferry services | ||||
| Terminus | Irish Ferries Ferry | Dublin Port | ||
| Terminus | Irish Ferries high-speed catamaran | Dublin Port | ||
| Terminus | Stena Line Ferry | Dublin Port | ||
References edit
- ^ a b Cadw. "Train Shed at Holyhead Station (14739)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
- ^ a b Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 122. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
- ^ Cadw. "Clock Turret in Station Approach (14735)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
- ^ Holyhead, 23 December 1980 www.2D53.co.uk; Retrieved 2013-08-05
- ^ Freightliners to Holyhead 1971 - 1991 www.penmorfa.com; Retrieved 2013-08-05
- ^ "1889-1897 Coaching". London and North Western Railway: 473. 1833. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
- ^ "Social and Personal". Denbighshire Free Press. England. 17 November 1906. Retrieved 23 August 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Mr. Joseph Jones". North Bucks Times and County Observer. England. 6 July 1912. Retrieved 23 August 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Stafford Station Master". Staffordshire Sentinel. England. 22 June 1912. Retrieved 23 August 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Railway Official Retiring". Belfast News-Letter. England. 30 April 1936. Retrieved 23 August 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "L.M.S.Appointments". Nottingham Evening Post. England. 13 June 1942. Retrieved 23 August 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Holyhead station facilities National Rail Enquiries; Retrieved 14 March 2017
- ^ GB eNRT May 2019 Edition, Table 81
- ^ "Avanti West Coast Timetable 15 May 2022 - 11 September 2022" (PDF).
Further reading edit
- Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (2011). Bangor to Holyhead. West Sussex: Middleton Press. figs. 61-78. ISBN 9781908174017. OCLC 795179106.
- Allen, David (21 October – 3 November 1998). "Seaside signalling in North Wales". RAIL. No. 342. EMAP Apex Publications. pp. 40–42. ISSN 0953-4563. OCLC 49953699.
- "Holyhead station's £3m repairs on schedule". RAIL. No. 343. EMAP Apex Publications. 4–17 November 1998. p. 11. ISSN 0953-4563. OCLC 49953699.
External links edit
- Train times and station information for Holyhead railway station from National Rail