Full steam ahead for heritage railway expansion

Dale Spridgeon, local democracy reporter

An exciting future lies ahead for a popular heritage narrow gauge railway which is now poised for a multi-million pound expansion.

After a ten-year battle the Bala Lake Railway recently won planning permission for a major upgrade and expansion.

The railway, known in Welsh as the Rheilffordd Llyn Tegid, has been running for 50 years.

The 2ft gauge line runs from Llanuwchllyn Station at one end, with stops at Pentrepiod, Llangower and Bala Pen-y-Bont station.

The extension is set to bring the railway right to Bala’s high street along the north shore of the lake.

Local economy

It is anticipated that the scheme will not only benefit the popular narrow gauge railway, but also give a massive boost to the local economy of Bala and south Gwynedd.

Eryri National Park Authority’s planning and access committee recently agreed to delegate authority to its director of planning and land management to approve the plan.

A previous application was turned down last year.

Now it means that once the final conditions to the proposals are signed off by the the senior planner, the exciting scheme will go “full steam ahead”.

Julian Birley BEM, the Bala Lake Railway Trust chairman said: “It is extremely exciting to know that this is now definitely going to happen after all the work that we have put in so far.

“But a huge amount of work now lies ahead of us.”

A great deal of preparation work has already been carried out in anticipation of the planning permission being granted.

This included planning the routes, purchasing land, working with Natural Resources Wales over a flood alleviation scheme, as well as laying foundations and track bed routes complete with the correct type of ballast.

The work is estimated to cost £5m, and will see 1,200m of railway track installed.

The scheme also includes development of a brand new station complex, in Bala, as well as the associated works and related civil engineering.

The purpose-built station complex is set to include a cafe, toilets and shop and the project is anticipated to create the equivalent of eight local jobs.

The work will transform the much-loved narrow gauge railway – which is already popular with around 35,000 visitors a year – into a major tourist attraction.

Bala town centre

Julian said: “The main changes are aimed at bringing the train visitors right into the heart of Bala’s town centre in a bid to help boost local businesses.

“It is also hoped that by giving visitors a way to explore the lake and the surrounding foreshore and beach areas by train, it could help reduce traffic issues in the area, particularly along the B403 road between Llangower and Llanuwchllyn.

“Right now the existing Penybont station has nothing in the way of facilities and car parking.

“So this is an opportunity for us to create a purpose built station complex, complete with everything railway visitors need, from toilets, to car parking area and somewhere to buy refreshments and souvenirs.

“But the whole project aims towards making Bala a place of destination for visitors.

“It is not going to create more tourists coming here, they are coming here anyway, we can’t stop them coming and we shouldn’t stop them.

“But what it is going to do is give those tourists a reason to go into the town, a place where they can spend their money, and by doing so they will help boost the local economy.

“The area around Bala and south Gwynedd has long needed a burst of investment, and this is going to do just that.”

The extensive plans also include installation of a level crossing, the building of an ancillary engine and carriage building, signal box and associated developments.

The new route will see track laid from Penybont station and crossing the road, passing over the existing pack horse bridge, crossing the River Dee, and skirting the edge of the lake.

Here it will “afford the visitors one of the finest views from a narrow gauge heritage railway anywhere in the UK,” Julian added.

As the route traverses along the newly created flood defence, it will also pass by the rugby club.

It will then run alongside an existing footpath, before culminating at the new station, currently an empty field behind the houses of Aran Street – a short distance from the main Bala High Street.

Carpark

The council carpark nearby will also become a carpark for the station and the existing toilets will be knocked down, with new public toilets being developed maintained as part of the railway complex.

Julian added: “It is a very exciting project.

“When we failed to get planning last year, it was disappointing, but in strange way that event seemed help to galvanise support for the project.

“We have had amazing support from local people, but also from all around the UK and beyond, people who just wanted to see the railway thrive.

“To date we have raised and spent somewhere in the region of £1.6m, though we have got a way to go yet.

“We are hoping to raise at least another £4.5million, some through match funding and through various grants and other funding bodies.”

To donate to the project click here.