Roman Bridge railway station

Roman Bridge railway station (Welsh: Pont Rufenig) is a request stop passenger station in the Lledr Valley, Wales, on the Conwy Valley Line from Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog, which is operated by Transport for Wales. It is sited 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Blaenau Ffestiniog and is the last station in the Lledr valley before the 2.2 miles (3.5 km) long Ffestiniog tunnel is reached.

Roman Bridge
Welsh: Pont Rufenig
Location
PlaceLledr Valley
Local authorityConwy
Coordinates53.0443°N 3.9214°W / 53.0443; -3.9214
Grid referenceSH712514
Operations
Station codeRMB
Managed byTransport for Wales
Number of platforms1
DfT categoryF2
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2014/15 746
2015/16 544
2016/17 744
2017/18 942
2018/19 1,094
History
Original companyLondon and North Western Railway
Pre-groupingLondon and North Western Railway
22 July 1879Opened
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Roman Bridge from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.

History

The station was opened on 22 July 1879 when the London and North Western Railway opened an extension of the Conwy Valley line from Betws-y-Coed to Blaenau Ffestiniog.[1]

The station was host to two LMS caravans from 1935 to 1939. A camping coach was also positioned here by the London Midland Region from 1954 to 1956.[2]

The station building still stands and is well maintained as a residence - it was offered for sale in 2013 for £450,000 as a private home (with 10 acres of land), after previous use as a holiday cottage.[3][4]

Location

There is no village, and the station, which is useful to walkers and takes its name from a nearby ancient bridge over the River Lledr, is on a minor road from the A470 road leading to scattered hill farms at Blaenau Dolwyddelan.

Facilities

It is unstaffed, but has had digital CIS screens fitted like the other halts on the line. It also has a standard waiting shelter, pay phone and timetable poster board for train running information provision.[5]

The station nameboards incorrectly display the Welsh station name as Pont Rufenig instead of Pont Rufeinig.[6] Early Baedeker guide books to Great Britain state that there is no explanation for the name, though the Roman road Sarn Helen is known to have passed down the valley on its way from Canovium (in the Conwy Valley) to Tomen y Mur, at Trawsfynydd, and a crossing at this point would seem feasible.

Services

Five southbound and six northbound trains call on request Mon-Sat (approximately every three hours), with three trains each way on Sundays between May and early September.[7] Trains are currently replaced by buses (from February 2020) due to flood damage further to the north caused by Storm Ciara, reopening is scheduled for 7th September 2020 once repairs are completed.

Preceding station National Rail Following station
Dolwyddelan   Transport for Wales
Conwy Valley Line		   Blaenau Ffestiniog

References
  1. Quick, Michael (2019) [2001]. Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (PDF) (5th ed.). Railway and Canal Historical Society.
  2. McRae, Andrew (1997). British Railway Camping Coach Holidays: The 1930s & British Railways (London Midland Region). Scenes from the Past: 30 (Part One). Foxline. pp. 22 & 50. ISBN 1-870119-48-7.
  3. "Dream home for the commuter: Railway station in Snowdonia converted into £450,000 home" Duell, Mark Mail Online news article 16 May 2013; Retrieved 31 May 2017
  4. "Yours for £450,000 - one of Wales' most remote railway stations" Cresci, Elena Wales Online article 27 April 2013; Retrieved 31 May 2017
  5. Roman Bridge station facilities National Rail Enquiries
  6. Roman Bridge station nameboard (2009) Buck, Jeff Geograph.org.uk; Retrieved 31 May 2017
  7. Table 102 National Rail timetable, December 2019

Further reading
  • Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (2010). Bala to Llandudno. West Sussex: Middleton Press. figs. 70-71. ISBN 9781906008871. OCLC 668198724.
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