Groeslon railway station

Groeslon railway station served the village of Groeslon, Gwynedd, Wales. It operated first as part of the Nantlle Tramway and afterwards as a railway under the auspices of several different companies. The station and line closed on 7 December 1964 as recommended in the Beeching Report.

Groeslon
Remains of the station in 1999
General information
LocationGwynedd
Wales
Coordinates53.0787°N 4.2811°W / 53.0787; -4.2811
Grid referenceSH 473 559
Platforms2[1]
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyNantlle Railway
Caernarvonshire Railway
Pre-groupingLondon and North Western Railway
Post-groupingLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
1856Opened
12 June 1865Closed
2 September 1867Reopened by the Carnarvonshire Railway
7 December 1964Closed[2][3][4]

History

A halt was located at the same site for the horse drawn Nantlle Tramway, which was originally used purely for transportation of goods from the quarries in the Nantlle Valley to the harbour at Caernarfon. Passenger services were introduced on 11 August 1856, which ran until 12 June 1865.[2]From the outset timetables appeared regularly in the "Carnarvon & Denbigh Herald"[5] and in Bradshaw from October 1856.[6] The Carnarvonshire Railway took over services from the Nantlle Tramway a month later, but in most cases relocated the track. One of the exceptions was at Groeslon where the existing layout was maintained.[7]

The services under the new railway opened on 2 September 1867, and the local village gradually built up around the station.[8] Initially the station was served by trains running between Afon Wen and Caernarvon railway stations; as there was no passing loop, all trains had to go through the station although not all stopped there. The London and North Western Railway took over all services of the Caernarfon Railway in 1870, including those passing through Groeslon. Services were expanded in 1871 with the start of passenger services on the Caernarvon Town line, and by 1895 some 12 trains were arriving at Groeslon per day.[7]

A passing loop and additional platform were added in 1911. On 1 January 1923, services were taken over by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. Further modifications to the layout took place in 1947, the loop and platforms were extended to accommodate longer trains.[7][9] As lorries, buses and cars became more readily available, the use of the station gradually decreased.[8] The report by Richard Beeching recommended the closure of the line through Groeslon. In the resultant Beeching cuts, Groeslon stopped receiving goods via railway on 4 May 1964, and closed completely on 7 December 1964.[7][8]

References
  1. Mitchell & Smith 2010, Photos 40-44 & Map XIII.
  2. Butt 1995, p. 110.
  3. Turner 2003, pp. 7 & 8.
  4. Quick 2009, p. 196.
  5. Specimen timetable, North Wales Chronicle and Advertiser 14 May 1859
  6. Example timetable in Bradshaw
  7. "Station name: Groeslon". DisusedStations.org.uk. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  8. "A short history of Y Groeslon". The Dyffryn Nantile Website. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  9. Rear 2012, pp. 49–52.

Sources

Further material
  • Clemens, Jim (2003) [1959-67]. North Wales Steam Lines No. 6 (DVD). Uffington, Shropshire: B&R Video Productions. BRVP No 79.
  • Dunn, J.M. (September 1958). Cooke, B.W.C. (ed.). "The Afonwen Line-1". The Railway Magazine. London: Tothill Press Limited. 104 (689). ISSN 0033-8923.
  • Smith, Martin, ed. (May 2011). "The Nantlle Tramway". Railway Bylines. Vol. 16, no. 6. Clophill, Bedfordshire: Irwell Press. pp. 306–313. ISSN 1360-2098.
Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Llanwnda
Line and station closed		   Carnarvonshire Railway   Penygroes
Line and station closed
Pwllheli Road
Line and station closed		   Nantlle Railway   Penygroes
Line and station closed
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