Llangollen Railway - Corwen extension.

Where was this Hotel? I was under the impression that the trackbed was protected - I know currently its public gardens / footpath

 

When the Llangollen Railway Society first took over the trackbed in the mid 70's it was agreed with the local council (the landowner) on the basis that the railway gave up any intention of relaying towards Ruabon.
Subsequently the local authority gave planning permission for the Woodlands Hotel, the extension to which covered the trackbed. Next to this was a housing estate, & then a block of flats, both on the trackbed. The only way of heading east out of town would be to build along the river bank until past the Woodlands Hotel site .
The trackbed is then clear as far as Trevor station, where the platforms remain ,although overgrown.
Anybody wishing to donate the cost of doing this would be made very welcome !

Bob.

 

Which, at the time, probably seemed the right thing to do. Whether or not that remains the best decision remains to be seen.
IMO an NR connection is a very desirable thing to have. Others vehemently disagree.

Dons tin helmet and ducks for cover.

 

I thought that, under EU Directives, Local Authorities should not be allowing development on 'transport corridors' which includes old rly lines. I don't know how long this directive has been in force, but possibly the Council responsible for the stretch has breached these rules..

 

The railway seems to be doing ok without a mainline connection ??, indeed very well without.
Maybe they could copy Epping/Ongars technique and run a vintage bus connection ?

 

There is already a very good bus service between Wrexham Bus Station, Ruabon Railway Station and Llangollen

 

You're on the right lines (sorry for the pun) and if you work on 28 tonnes payload you wouldn't be far out.

 

I'm surprised the local council has not been more supportive of the railway. It must bring a lot of business into what is essentially a pretty but otherwise quiet (apart from Eisteddfords) town. I would have thought a link to the national railway would be something they'd fancy too.

 

Unless the council leader owns the bus company..LOL

 

If the council wanted to support the railway a little more they could do something to improve the summer parking problems in Llangollen for people who want to catch a train from there. None of the carparks is particulalrly convenient if you have a dodgy ankle like I have.

 

I think this would be an ideal suggestion. When we have visited SSS in the past we have stayed at a campsite in Carog and used the train to get into Llangollen to do the shoping

 

Agreed, my next visit will be after Corwen opens and that will be where I will start from.

 

Whilst there are undoubted benefits from having a NR connection, even if the trackbed were clear, would it actually make sense to be seeking a connection at Ruabon Railway Station. From looking at the map the junction appears some way from the station so there would appear to be a need to run over NR tracks. In addition Ruabon Railway Station only gets one train and hour in each direction

 

There is actually enough width on the trackbed south from Ruabon station to slew the main lines over & add a third track. The main obstacle is a minor road overbridge adjacent to the junction , which would need to be demolished & replaced with a larger bridge. The other obstacle is the millions of pounds that this would cost. When you get past the junction the trackbed passes the front gate of a school. Then you come to the missing section of embankment & a road overbridge, followed by the former Air Products site, which is currently up for sale. When this site is sold it will end any hope of reconnecting the line.

Bob.

 

Today's update has appeared on the website www.corwenstation-new.co.uk

Bob.