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Valley railway station

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Railway station in Anglesey, Wales

Valley
Welsh: Y FaliNational Rail
General information
LocationValley, Anglesey
Wales
Coordinates53°16′52″N 4°33′47″W / 53.281°N 4.563°W / 53.281; -4.563
Grid referenceSH291791
Managed byTransport for Wales Rail
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeVAL
ClassificationDfT category F2
Key dates
October 1849Opened
14 February 1966Closed
15 March 1982Reopened
6 July 2020Temporarily closed
21 August 2021Reopened
Passengers
2019/20Decrease 13,458
2020/21Decrease 142
2021/22Increase 5,254
2022/23Increase 12,436
2023/24Increase 17,558
Listed Building – Grade II
FeatureValley Railway Station Main Building
Designated30 July 1991
Reference no.5759
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Valley railway station (Welsh: Gorsaf reilffordd y Fali) is a railway station that serves the village of Valley in Anglesey, Wales. It is the last station before the western terminus of the North Wales Coast Line at Holyhead. It also serves the nearby RAF base and Anglesey Airport.

History

The station, signal, signal box and level crossing at Valley (March 2019)

Opened in 1849, there was a small goods yard for livestock and a siding for a nearby corn mill. Improvements during the 19th century included extension to the station buildings in 1870 and lengthening of the platforms in 1889. In 1962 transfer sidings were put in place near the station used for the dispatch by rail of spent fuel from the Wylfa nuclear power station and in 1989 sidings for turning steam locomotives were put in place.

The station was one of many small ones on the line closed in February 1966 as a result of the Beeching Axe, but it reopened to passenger trains in March 1982 after a sustained lobbying campaign by local residents. The westbound platform and waiting room were both demolished after the initial closure, but replacements were constructed prior to reopening; the main buildings on the eastbound side survived during the closure period (along with the platform they stood on) and remain intact to this day. The Grade II listed station signal box remains in use to supervise the B4545 level crossing here in addition to the aforementioned sidings.

On 6 July 2020 trains stopped calling at the station because of the short platform and the inability to maintain social distancing between passengers and the guard when opening the train door during the COVID-19 pandemic. On 11 August 2021 it was announced that the station would re-open. Local member of parliament Rhun ap Iorwerth criticised the length of the closure stating, "I still can't understand why there couldn't have been a way to open it safely before now, and I've made my frustration clear, but better late than never."

Facilities

The station is unstaffed (like all those between Bangor and Holyhead) and has no ticket machine, so all tickets have to be purchased prior to travel or on the train. Train running information is offered via a telephone, digital CIS displays and timetable posters. Step-free access is provided to both sides via the level crossing, although access for wheelchairs and mobility scooters is not easy from the down platform (2) due to the unpaved path.

Services

There is a basic two-hourly weekday service in each direction from the station in the winter 2022 timetable, with several additional morning and evening departures. Most eastbound trains run to Wrexham General, Shrewsbury and Birmingham International, although some run to either Crewe, Manchester Airport or Cardiff.

The Sunday service is irregular but serves a variety of eastbound destinations, including Crewe, Cardiff, Manchester Airport and Birmingham International.

Trains only stop here on request.

Preceding station   National Rail National Rail   Following station
RhosneigrTransport for WalesNorth Wales Coast LineHolyhead

References

  1. "Y Fali Station | Train Times | Transport for Wales". 17 August 2021.
  2. Cadw. "Valley Railway Station Main Building (5759)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  3. Jones, Geraint: Anglesey Railways, page 51. Carreg Gwalch, 2005
  4. Disused Stations – Valley Disused Stations Site Record; Retrieved 30 May 2017
  5. Valley railway station, Anglesey (2010) Wilson, L.S Geograph.org.uk; Retrieved 30 May 2017
  6. "Our current timetable". Transport for Wales. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  7. "Trains to stop at Valley and Llanfairpwll stations again". North Wales Chronicle. 11 August 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  8. Valley station facilities National Rail Enquiries
  9. Table 77 National Rail timetable, December 2022 (Network Rail)

Further reading

External links

Media related to Valley railway station at Wikimedia Commons

Railway stations in Anglesey
North Wales Coast Line
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