Notes: Although the Welsh spelling of the town is Caernarfon, some railway companies showed cavalier disregard for rendering Welsh names accurately, and the original form of the station’s name was Carnarvon, later adjusted to Caernarvon.

Caernarvon station was on the Menai Bridge – Afon Wen line which opened in stages between 1852 and 1871. The station was originally a terminus of the Bangor & Carnarvon Railway (B&CR) which was incorporated on 20 May 1851 to build a line from the Chester & Holyhead Railway (C&HR) at Menai Bridge to Caernarfon (‘Carnarvon’ at that time). The single track opened to Carnarvon for passenger services on 1 July 1852; goods services followed on 10 August 1852.

Another line opened from Llanberis to Carnarvon on 1 July 1869. It was built by the Carnarvon & Llanberis Railway and had a temporary terminus on the south side of Carnarvon. In July 1870 it became part of the LNWR. This gave Carnarvon three terminus stations all worked by the LNWR. As early as 5 July 1865 a link line had been authorised to connect all of the railways.

Carnarvon then became a through station. Alterations were made in 1870 which included a lengthening of the platform and the creation of bay platforms at both ends. The original goods shed was demolished and a new one built on a different site in the yard. Stables for eight horses and store rooms for hay and harnesses were also provided. A new locomotive depot with a 42ft turntable was built.

In 1871 authorisation was given for the doubling of the original B&CR, and work was complete by 1872. By 1879 the C&HR had been formally absorbed into the LNWR although it had effectively been part of that company’s network for many years.

In 1894 major alterations were made at Carnarvon station. A new island platform was built to the west of the original; its two platform faces were designated the local platform line, which was numbered 2, and ‘up’ (to Bangor) platform line numbered 1. On the platform a single-storey timber building with a canopy was provided, housing passenger facilities which included a

In December 1895 Carnarvon had seventeen Monday to Friday departures as shown on the table below. On Sundays there were two trains to Bangor and one to Afon Wen.

In 1911 the future King Edward VIII had his Investiture as Price of Wales ceremony at Carnarvon. To cater for the event a temporary timber island platform was built in the goods yard. An additional bay, also of timber, was constructed at the north end of the station opposite the original one. Trains travelled from all over the Country to the investiture, although the royal party actually alighted at Griffith’s Crossing station, a few miles to the north, so that they could be part of a parade into the town.

In July 1922 there were sixteen northbound Monday to Friday departures and eighteen southbound, with extra workings on Saturdays, as shown in the table below; no Sunday service was shown.

On 1 January 1923 Carnarvon became part of the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS). On 27 March 1926 the LMS altered the spelling to Caernarvon. Following the General Strike of 1926 and the recession that followed there was a reduction in passenger services, with the weekday winter timetable showing eleven trains in each direction between Bangor and Afon Wen and a further eleven between Bangor and Caernarvon, some of which continued to Llanberis. Regular passenger services to Llanberis ceased on 22 September 1930, but excursions continued to run.

The LMS summer timetable for 1932 showed on Monday to Friday fifteen northbound and fourteen southbound departures, with additional services on Saturdays, as seen in the table below. On Sundays there were no trains from Caernarvon to Afon Wen, and passengers were advised to use Crosville buses. There were eight trains from Bangor with seven return workings.

The Caernarvon locomotive shed closed in September 1931, and the locomotives and some of the men were transferred to Bangor.

Services increased as the 1930s progressed, and from 21 November 1936 a Saturday market service was introduced between Caernarvon and Llanberis. In the period up to September 1939 there were eleven trains in each direction between Bangor and Afon Wen which increased to eighteen on Saturdays. Two ran on Sundays. In addition on weekdays there were nine

On 11 September 1939 an emergency timetable was introduced due to the outbreak of the Second World War on 3 September. The Llanberis line Saturday market service ceased and was never reintroduced. Three trains ran in each direction between Bangor and Afon Wen on weekdays with two additional trains between Caernarvon and Bangor only. The service was slightly better on Saturdays, and on Sundays two trains ran, but between Caernarvon and Bangor only. The service had improved by January 1940, there being six trains in each direction between Bangor and Afon Wen.

In 1938 Billy Butlin started to build a holiday camp between Afon Wen and Abererch on the former Cambrian line (GWR in 1938) between Dovey Junction and Pwllheli. The camp was requisitioned at the commencement of war to serve as a naval college. During the war years numerous trains ran through Caernarvon conveying naval personnel. After the war

On the 1 January 1948 Caernarvon became part of the British Railways (London Midland Region). The Summer timetable for 1948 showed Caernarvon as having thirteen northbound departures and eight southbound on Monday to Friday, with a couple of extra Saturday workings as seen in the table below. On Sundays there were three trains to and from Bangor.

Throughout the 1950s Caernarvon continued to be served by more frequent passenger services in the summer than in winter. In 1956 alterations were carried out at the station which saw the demolition of the timber building on the island platform and its replacement with a single-storey brick building. The island platform lost its canopy and the footbridge roof was removed. On the original platform the canopy was shortened and the booking office was altered. A canopy on the approach road side of the building was removed.

By the mid 1950s the level of summer services had increased, especially trains to the Butlin’s camp. The winter timetable for September 1956 – June 1957 showed the station being served by twelve northbound and nine southbound services, almost equal to the 1948 summer service as shown in the table below. There were no Sunday services during the winter period.

In 1957 DMUs were introduced onto some of the services on the line but steam still dominated. In August 1961 for three Sundays a six-coach DMU service to Llanberis was run from Caernarvon. It originated at Llandudno and returned there at the end of the day. Unfortunately it was very poorly advertised and so ran with very few passengers.

The Reshaping of British Railways report of 1963 (‘Beeching Report’) recommended withdrawal of the Bangor – Afon Wen passenger service, and the formal proposal of closure was published on 27 December 1963. On 11 September 1964 the Minister of Transport consented to closure from Caernarvon to Afon Wen but refused permission for the Bangor –

The closure of the lines to the south left Caernarvon station as a terminus once again. Alterations were carried out which included the lifting of the line at the up platform face and at the north bay. The line to Menai Bridge was singled and Caernarvon No. 1 signal box was closed.

For many years the No. 1 signal box had been a problem for the railway authorities who had struggled to get anyone to work there permanently. The issue was a serious infestation of rats that, despite numerous official and unofficial efforts, had persisted. The rats appeared to like the grease that was applied to the mechanical working parts, and they scampered about

From 7 December 1964 a DMU service operated between Bangor and Caernarvon with some longer-distance workings, as shown in the tables below. The trains mostly stopped at the former ‘up and down’ platform 3 but occasionally they used platform 2. On Saturdays during the summer months trains for Butlin’s ran to Caernarvon where passengers transferred to coaches for the onward journey to the camp. The service that operated from 14 June 1965 is shown in the table below. There was no Sunday service.

Butlins passengers did not appreciate having to transfer to coaches and in the following years many switched to road for the entire journey. In 1966 the line from Caernarvon to Menai Bridge was singled.

On 1 July 1969 Prince Charles was invested as Prince of Wales at Caernarfon and, as in 1911, special trains were run. Empty stock was stored on the remaining section of the Afon Wen line, but shortly after the investiture the line was lifted back to Caernarvon No. 2 box. On 4 August 1969 Caernarvon closed to goods services.

Having been reprieved from possible closure in 1964 the Caernarvon branch was apparently secure as depicted on the Network for Development map of March 1967. However on 9 December 1968 it was proposed for closure, and the Minister of Transport agreed to this on 3 October 1969. Consequently on 5 January 1970 the passenger service was withdrawn,

Having been reprieved from possible closure in 1964 the Caernarvon branch was apparently secure as depicted on the Network for Development map of March 1967. However on 9 December 1968 it was proposed for closure, and the Minister of Transport agreed to this on 3 October 1969. Consequently on 5 January 1970 the passenger service was withdrawn, and the line to Menai Bridge closed completely.

Contracts had been let for the demolition of the station and goods yard, but on 23 May 1970 a fire on the Britannia Bridge isolated Holyhead from the railway network; Holyhead was, at that time, an important freightliner depot. Caernarvon was pressed back into use for freightliner services receiving its first trains on 15 June 1970. The station and goods yard were used for the loading and unloading of containers until 5 February 1972. The line then closed completely and was lifted shortly after.

The site remained derelict until the late 1970s when the station was demolished. In the late 1990s a supermarket was built on the station site.

Totem from Richard Furness, timetable from Chris Totty, tickets from Michael Stewart, Investiture ticket Ken Robinson, route map drawn by Alan Young

Sources:

• Bangor to Portmadoc including the Llanberis lines – V Mitchell & K Smith – Middlewood Press 2010
• Bradshaws Rail Times December 1895 - Middlewood Press 2011
• Bradshaws Rail Times July 1922 - Guild Publishing 1986
  
• British Railways (London Midland Region) Timetable 23rd May to 25th Sept 1949
• British Railways (London Midland Region) Timetable 17th of Sept 1956 to 16th of June 1957
• British Railways (London Midland Region) Timetable 18th of June 1962 to 9th of September 1962
• From Chester to Holyhead: The Branch Lines – B Rear - OPC 2003
• LMS Time Table July 18th to September 11th 1932
• Railway Passenger Stations in Great Britain a Chronology - M Quick - Railway and Canal Historical Society 2009

To see the other stations on the Menai Bridge - Afon Wen line click on the station name: Menai Bridge, Treborth, Port Dinorwic (1st), Port Dinorwic (2nd), Griffiths Crossing , Carnarvon Pant, Dinas, Llanwnda, Groeslon, Penygroes, Pant Glass, Brynkir, Ynys, Llangybi, Chwilog & Afon Wen

See also stations on the Llanberis branch: Carnarvon Morfa, Pont Rug, Pontrhythallt, Cwm-y-glo, Padarn Halt & Llanberis

See also: Nantlle

See feature: Carnarvon Town Line

To see a selection of photos from the period when the station was in use as a temporary railhead following the Britannia Bridge fire click here