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Holyhead railway station

Coordinates: 53°18′29″N 4°37′52″W / 53.308°N 4.631°W / 53.308; -4.631
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Holyhead

Welsh: Caergybi
General information
LocationHolyhead, Anglesey
Wales
Coordinates53°18′29″N 4°37′52″W / 53.308°N 4.631°W / 53.308; -4.631
Grid referenceSH247822
OwnerNetwork Rail
ManagerTransport for Wales Rail
Platforms3
Other information
Station codeHHD
ClassificationDfT category E
History
Original company
Chester and Holyhead Railway
Pre-groupingLondon and North Western Railway
Post-groupingLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
1 August 1848 (1848-08-01)First station opened
15 May 1851Station resited
1 January 1866Station resited
Passengers
2020/21Decrease 44,462
2021/22Increase 0.139 million
2022/23Increase 0.202 million
2023/24Increase 0.223 million
2024/25Increase 0.237 million
Listed Building – Grade II
FeatureTrain Shed at Holyhead Station
Designated25 July 1994
Reference no.14739[1]
Location
[mapframe not available on SimWiki]
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

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 Main 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).

History

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

  • Charles Massingberd: 1848–1879[6]
  • William Guest: 1879–1906[7]
  • Joseph Jones: until 1912[8] (afterwards station master at London Euston)
  • Andrew William Taylor: 1912[9]–1913 (formerly station master at Flint, afterwards station master at Wigan)
  • Hugh Morgan: 1913–1936[10]
  • H.W. Smith: 1936–1942 [11]

Facilities

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

On weekdays and Saturdays, Holyhead is served by an hourly Transport for Wales service to Manchester Airport, as well as a service to Cardiff Central via Shrewsbury that runs every two hours. A limited number of trains (mostly early morning and late evening) run to/from Crewe. On Sundays, the service is roughly hourly. Most Sunday services run to/from Crewe, with a limited number of trains to Birmingham, Cardiff and Manchester.

Avanti West Coast operate services to London Euston via the West Coast Main Line. On weekdays, there are 6 trains per day to London Euston, as well as 1 train per day which runs to Birmingham New Street via Crewe. On Saturdays, there are 6 trains per day to London Euston, and on Sundays there are 5 trains per day to London Euston.

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 National Rail   Following station
Transport for Wales RailTerminus
Transport for Wales Rail
Avanti West Coast
"boat icon" Ferry services
Terminus   Irish Ferries
Ferry 		  Dublin Port
  Irish Ferries
high-speed catamaran 		 
  Stena Line
Ferry 		 

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cadw. "Train Shed at Holyhead Station (14739)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 122. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
  3. ↑ Cadw. "Clock Turret in Station Approach (14735)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  4. ↑ Holyhead, 23 December 1980 www.2D53.co.uk; Retrieved 2013-08-05
  5. ↑ Freightliners to Holyhead 1971 - 1991 www.penmorfa.com; Retrieved 2013-08-05
  6. ↑ "1889-1897 Coaching". London and North Western Railway: 473. 1833. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  7. ↑ "Social and Personal". Denbighshire Free Press. England. 17 November 1906. Retrieved 23 August 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ↑ "Mr. Joseph Jones". North Bucks Times and County Observer. England. 6 July 1912. Retrieved 23 August 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ↑ "Stafford Station Master". Staffordshire Sentinel. England. 22 June 1912. Retrieved 23 August 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ↑ "Railway Official Retiring". Belfast News-Letter. England. 30 April 1936. Retrieved 23 August 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ↑ "L.M.S.Appointments". Nottingham Evening Post. England. 13 June 1942. Retrieved 23 August 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ↑ Holyhead station facilities National Rail Enquiries; Retrieved 14 March 2017

Further reading

  • 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.
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