UK’s most picturesque railway line, complete with waterfalls and mountains, reopens to tourists
- UK Hidden Gems
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
One of the most scenic train routes in the country has reopened to passengers.
This trainline travels through the deep valleys of Blaenau Ffestiniog, past an estuary rich with wildlife and along the gentle hills and striking rock formations of this beautiful corner of North West Wales.
Although the trip from Llandudno to Blaenau Ffestiniog is only 26 miles, the journey lasts more than an hour.
This is mainly because the line twists and climbs through the dramatic mountains and rugged beauty of Snowdonia National Park.
While the route is used mostly by commuters and local residents, it is also popular with train fans.
One person wrote on Tripadvisor: “The line from Blaenau Ffestiniog up to Llandudno is incredibly scenic, and if you want a rail journey in Snowdonia this is right up there with the heritage narrow gauge lines.”
In a discussion about the prettiest railways in the UK, another enthusiast said: “How has nobody mentioned the Conwy Valley? It’s utterly spectacular and packs more into an hour than the ECML does into four.”
The line reopened on Monday, 27 October, after four weeks of intense work by Network Rail engineers as part of a £1.4 million plan to make the railway more dependable during bad weather.
Teams spent the past month working across the scenic valley, removing dangerous trees and clearing 600,000 square metres of vegetation along 54 miles of track. This work is hoped to prevent trees from falling and blocking the line during future storms.
A new and advanced approach to the long standing problem of leaves on the line is also being tested.
For the first time in Wales, Network Rail tried out a new rail treatment on the Conwy Valley line.
A road to rail vehicle spread a gel solution onto the rails. The coating clears leaf build up and stays active for up to seven days, and it even reactivates when it rains.
“The Conwy Valley line is one of the most picturesque in Wales, but also one of the most exposed to the weather. In the past decade, storms have shut the line for more than 500 days, disrupting passengers and freight transport,” Network Rail said in a statement.
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