Llanfairpwll railway station

Llanfairpwll railway station is a station on the North Wales Coast Line from London Euston station to Holyhead on Anglesey. It serves the village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyll.

Opened in 1848 the station suffered a catastrophic fire on 13 November 1865 and had to be totally re-constructed. The station was actually closed for four years between 1966 and 1970 but was re-opened (with a single wooden platform) due to the fire on the Britannia Bridge and became for a short while the terminus for trains from Holyhead. It was again closed in January 1973 but only for four months and re-opened with two non-wooden platforms. The station masters house was sold in 1994 to a private company and is now a warehouse shop. The footbridge between the two platforms (the only one on the island) and the signal box remains but a turntable, sidings and goods yard have disappeared, the latter two under a car park.^[1]

The station is known for its longer name, Llanfairpwllgwyngyll-gogerychwyrndrobwll-llantysilio-gogogoch, but this is a Victorian composition primarily for the benefit of tourists.^[2] It comprises the full name of the village, plus local topographical details, plus the name of a neighbouring church etc. The hyphens are usually omitted.

Services

Although famous for having the longest station name in the UK, trains usually stop (every two hours) at the station only on request. These are Arriva Trains Wales services between Holyhead and Chester via Bangor, Llandudno Junction, Colwyn Bay, Rhyl, Prestatyn and Flint and include direct services to Cardiff, Wrexham, Crewe and Birmingham International. There is a limited service (seven trains each way) on Sundays.

The station has very short platforms, only 37 metres (40 yd) long.^[3] Only one door is opened for passengers to board and alight.

See also

• Rhoose Cardiff International Airport railway station - the station with the longest officially used name in Great Britain.
• Gorsafawddacha'idraigodanheddogleddollônpenrhynareurdraethceredigion - a station name contrived to be longer than Llanfairpwll
• Longest place names in the English language

References

1. ^ Jones, Geraint: Anglesey Railways, pages 27-28. Carreg Gwalch, 2005
2. ^ See Slater's Directory.
3. ^ Permissible line speeds - London North Western Region (North) Network Rail. Page 104

External links

• Train times and station information for Llanfairpwll railway station from National Rail
• Slater's Directory of North & Mid Wales, 1895 uses all three of the short names for the village - and does not mention the long form.