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You’ll have to walk up the Wyddfa: Snowdon train won’t reach the summit this year

11 Jan 2022 2 minute read
Tren bach yr Wyddfa. Picture by Mark Horell

Visitors to Wales’ highest mountain will have to complete at least part of the journey on foot this year after owners of the rail service up the mountain confirmed that it would not reach the summit in 2022.

Due to Covid furlough of staff they were unable to complete work on the tracks on the highest part of the mountain, they said.

The railway has been closed all Winter and will be reopened on April 1st, but will only travel to Clogwyn station.

From there it’s another 951 feet and 1.2 mile walk to the summit, almost one-fourth of the height of the mountain. The distance can be covered in about 45 minutes.

“As a result of the pandemic and the majority of our workforce being furloughed we were left with insufficient time to complete essential winter works on the upper part of the track,” the owners said in a statement.

“The summit building, Hafod Eryri, will remain closed for the 2022 season, as there will be no access for service trains or staff, as a result of the upper mountain track work and will open as normal for 2023.

“We are pleased to announce that we have reintroduced our Heritage Steam Experience for 2022 which will be running to Clogwyn Station from the 3rd June until the 11th September.

“We apologise to any customers who wished to travel to the summit but hope they can still appreciate the fantastic and unique journey up to Clogwyn.”

The tourist railway runs for 4.7 miles from Llanberis to the summit of Snowdon, and is the only cogwheel railway remaining in Wales or the wider UK. It usually remains closed from November until March and services stop short of the summit in bad weather.

It was built between December 1894 and February 1896. A passenger, Ellis Griffith Roberts of Llanberis, died on the opening day after a locomotive derailed and fell down the mountain. Since then the service has run largely without incident.


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Grayham Jones
2 years ago

We must charge people for climbing up snowdon to pay for work on the paths

wales for all
wales for all
2 years ago
Reply to  Grayham Jones

would that be only for Non Welsh people or would you drop your usual racist rule for this?

hdavies15
hdavies15
2 years ago
Reply to  wales for all

oh you are a big baby, aren’t you ?

wales for all
wales for all
2 years ago
Reply to  hdavies15

nothing “babyish” about calling someone out for being a racist- i presume you think its ok to make comments that he does on this MSM

Rhosddu
Rhosddu
2 years ago
Reply to  wales for all

No mention of race in his comment.

Rhosddu
Rhosddu
2 years ago
Reply to  wales for all

Obviously a charge would be for everybody, irrespective of where they live. I appreciate that as a BritNat troll you would love to find evidence of exclusivity in the Welsh media, but nobody has mentioned not charging Welsh people. The issue is the environmental degradation caused on Yr Wylddfa by large numbers of tourists during the pandemic; obviously things have got to change.

Last edited 2 years ago by Rhosddu
Rhosddu
Rhosddu
2 years ago
Reply to  wales for all

Nobody mentioned race, except you. As a BritNat troll, you will obviously be looking for comments in support of Welsh or Scottish exclusivity, but this is about environmental degradation and overtourism.

Jed
Jed
2 years ago
Reply to  Grayham Jones

Absolutely not. The working class of these islands struggled hard for access to the mountains and moors. Landowners (in Wales, England and Scotland — access rights are much more restrictive in Ireland north and south) are constantly seeking to roll back the access that the public has. Proposals like yours will be the thin end of the wedge.

Dim problem
Dim problem
2 years ago
Reply to  Grayham Jones

We do, Grayham. It comes from the Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri budget, which is paid for by our taxes.

defaid
defaid
2 years ago
Reply to  Grayham Jones

We do, Grayham. It comes from the Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri car parks, which are also paid for by visitors.

hdavies15
hdavies15
2 years ago
Reply to  defaid

Twice, that’s some going. Are you the dimmest member of a problem family or are there siblings dimmer than you ?

Last edited 2 years ago by hdavies15
defaid
defaid
2 years ago
Reply to  hdavies15

I beg your pardon? Twice?

Let me invite you to re-read the other comments, this time paying some slight attention to the names of the posters, and then to attempt to put mine into some sort of context.

Do you think I’m criticising PCE for charging? You are as idiotic as your insults.

Last edited 2 years ago by defaid
hdavies15
hdavies15
2 years ago
Reply to  defaid

..and so they should.

Tony S
Tony S
2 years ago

If I understand the Railway co’s regs if you do walk it, on return you will only be carried if there is empty space on the next train ie no guarantee of availability of return travel.

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