Abergele and Pensarn railway station

Abergele and Pensarn

Welsh: Abergele a Phensarn
National Rail
General information
LocationAbergele, Conwy
Wales
Coordinates53°17′42″N 3°34′59″W / 53.295°N 3.583°W / 53.295; -3.583
Grid referenceSH946787
ManagerTransport for Wales
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeAGL[1]
ClassificationDfT category F1
History
Original company
Chester and Holyhead Railway
Pre-groupingLondon and North Western Railway
Key dates
1 May 1848Opened as Abergele
?[2]Renamed Abergele & Pensarn
Passengers
2020/21Decrease 18,954
2021/22Increase 58,556
2022/23Increase 81,982
2023/24Increase 94,890
2024/25Increase 0.105 million
Listed Building – Grade II
FeatureAbergele & Pensarn station booking hall
Designated5 August 1997
Reference no.18703[3]
Location
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Abergele and Pensarn railway station is a station on the North Wales Coast Line, which serves both the town of Abergele and suburb of Pensarn in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It is between Colwyn Bay and Rhyl, and is 213 miles 30 chains (343.4 km) from London Euston, measured via Crewe.[4]

History

The station in 1962

Opened as Abergele by the Chester and Holyhead Railway on 1 May 1848,[2] the 'and Pensarn' suffix was believed to have been added when the station was substantially rebuilt in 1883, although many sources before that were already using the suffix.[5]

The station had been the location of two LMS caravans in 1935 and 1936 followed by three caravans from 1937 to 1939. Nine camping coaches were positioned here by the London Midland Region from 1954 to 1971 (eight only in 1954).[6]

Resignalling

Abergele signal box closed on 24 March 2018 along with seven others during Phase 1 of North Wales Coast Resignalling.

The station was originally served by loops off the main line in both directions. Although the eastbound loop was removed some decades ago, the westbound one remained in use until early 2017 - it was decommissioned over the weekend of 8/9 January. A replacement bus service was provided to Rhyl whilst the work was in progress, as westbound trains were not to call until the work was completed.[7] The platform was closed for the works from April 2017[8] and reopened to traffic on 12 March 2018.[9] As part of the same modernisation scheme, the signal box here closed in March 2018, when new colour light signalling was commissioned between Colwyn Bay and Shotton.[10]

Abergele train disaster

On 20 August 1868,[11] the Irish Mail express collided with some runaway goods wagons containing paraffin oil which had been left on the running line between Abergele & Pensarn and Llandulas stations to allow a shunting manoeuvre. As the oil ignited on impact, the front coaches of the express caught fire. There were 33 fatalities.[11]

Facilities

The station is unstaffed and intending passengers must purchase tickets from the ticket vending machine on platform 2 prior to travel. Train running information is offered via CIS screens, customer help points and timetable poster boards, along with a payphone on platform 2. Step-free access is available to both platforms via ramps from the road bridge linking them.[12] In 2018, new cycle racks and waiting shelters were installed.[9]

The former booking office was refurbished for community use in 2021, funded by the Railway Heritage Trust.[13] It is Grade II listed.[14]

Passenger volume

Passenger volume at Abergele and Pensarn[15]
2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25
Entries and exits 59,504 58,243 62,799 64,015 70,296 71,110 76,650 84,488 81,476 81,152 73,642 70,932 68,632 70,112 73,640 76,000 18,954 58,556 81,982 94,890 104,922

The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.

Services

A Class 197 calls with a Llandudno to Manchester service

The station is served by an hourly service on weekdays and Saturdays in each direction operated by Transport for Wales, which runs between Manchester Airport (via Chester and Warrington Bank Quay) to the east and Llandudno to the west. A few services between Crewe/Birmingham International/Cardiff Central and Holyhead also call at peak periods and in the late evening.[16]

On Sundays, the service is provided by Holyhead to Crewe trains, which call hourly each way from late afternoon (with a less frequent service until the early afternoon).[16]

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Rhyl   Transport for Wales
North Wales Coast Line		   Colwyn Bay

References

  1. ↑ "Railway Codes". railwaycodes.org.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  2. 1 2 Butt 1995, p. 12.
  3. ↑ Cadw. "Abergele and Pensarn Railway Station Booking Hall (18703)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  4. ↑ Brailsford, Martyn, ed. (2023). Railway Track Diagrams; 3: Western & Wales (7th ed.). Frome: TRACKmaps. p. 35. ISBN 978 1999627164.
  5. ↑ Quick 2023, p. 43.
  6. ↑ McRae 1997, pp. 22 & 50-58.
  7. ↑ Abergele & Pensarn North Cheshire Rail Users Group website article; Retrieved 11 January 2017
  8. ↑ Johnston, Howard (April 2017). "Regional News". Rail (magazine). No. 823. p. 24.
  9. 1 2 "Abergele and Pensarn station platform now open following work on £50m North Wales Railway Upgrade Project". Network Rail. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  10. ↑ "NORTH WALES SIGNALLING COMMISSIONED". www.modernrailways.com. 27 April 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  11. 1 2 Rich, F.H. (14 September 1868). "Railway Inspectorate Report to the Board of Trade for the Abergele Accident" (PDF). railwaysarchive.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "Abergele & Pensarn Station | National Rail". www.nationalrail.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  13. ↑ "Abergele & Pensarn railway station set to be transformed". Transport For Wales News. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  14. ↑ Stuff, Good. "Abergele and Pensarn Railway Station Booking Hall, Abergele, Conwy". britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "Estimates of station usage | ORR Data Portal". dataportal.orr.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  16. 1 2 eNRT May 2026 Edition, Table 077 (Network Rail)

Bibliography

Further reading

  • Jowett, Alan (2000). Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas (1st ed.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN 978-0-906899-99-1. OCLC 228266687.
  • Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (2012). Rhyl to Bangor. West Sussex: Middleton Press. figs. 15-21. ISBN 9781908174154. OCLC 859594415.
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