Scenic Railways within the Snowdonia National Park

The Rheilffordd Ffestiniog Railway between Porthmadog harbor and the slate mining town of Blaenau Ffestiniog - the world's oldest operational passenger railway. The Welsh Highland Railway joins Caernarvon to Rhyd Ddu, a village on the slopes of Snowdon. Conwy Valley Railway links the north coast to the heart of the park.

The Ffestiniog Railway is the oldest independent railway company in the World - being founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832. The railway was built as a gravity and horse drawn line to transport slate from the quarries in the mountains around Blaenau Ffestiniog. As the slate industry flourished, so did the railway and the town of Porthmadog. Slates from Blaenau Ffestiniog were exported to ports all over the globe - many in ships built in Porthmadog.

The railway was extremely successful and introduced many innovative engineering solutions to cope with the rapid increase in output from the quarries and in the number of passengers it carried. Engineers from around the world came to study the Ffestiniog Railway and, as a result, it has influenced the design and construction of railways in many countries.

However, the slate industry - and then passenger numbers - slowly declined, until finally the railway closed to traffic in 1946. Luckily, pioneering railway enthusiasts were determined that the railway should survive and it was re-opened in 1954.

Over the last fifty years, the Ffestiniog Railway has become a leader in railway preservation and is now one of Wales’ top tourist attractions. Visitors to the railway can enjoy the outstanding natural beauty of Snowdonia as they pass through areas inaccessible by road undisturbed by the sights and sounds of modern life.

The Welsh Highland Railway (Caernarfon) - Journey behind the most powerful 2' gauge steam locomotives in the world through the fabulous scenery of the Snowdonia National Park. We offer high-quality carriages with on-train refreshments, the superior comfort of a first class Pullman "Bodysgallen" or you could even experience the scenery with the wind ruffling your hair in our open coaches!

The railway runs from alongside the awe-inspiring Caernarfon Castle, snaking around seemingly impossible bends, up hard gradients and around the foothills of Snowdon to arrive at Rhyd Ddu, about 12 miles from Caernarfon and high up in the Snowdonian mountains.

The railway links to some tremendous walks too, not least the Snowdon Ranger and Rhyd Ddu paths up Snowdon or the Nantlle Ridge or Mynydd Mawr walks from Rhyd Ddu. There are excellent real-ale pubs at Waunfawr and Rhyd Ddu, and the Lôn Eifon cycleway runs alongside the railway from Caernarfon to Dinas - we even have special bicycle wagons so you can take a bike on the train too!

But… Rhyd Ddu is only the half-way point of this phenomenal railway project. We have already started work to complete the railway through to Porthmadog via Beddgelert and the famous Aberglaslyn Pass. At Porthmadog, the WHR will connect with the world-famous Ffestiniog Railway, offering onwards travel to Minffordd (for Portmeirion), Tan-y-Bwlch and Blaenau Ffestiniog. In total, a trip from Caernarfon to Blaenau will be a staggering 40 miles – truly a new 'Great Railway Journey'.

The Conwy Valley line, part of the National Rail Network, runs alongside one of the great rivers of Wales, The Conwy and continues along the banks of the turbulent river Lledr after its confluence with the Conwy at Betws y Coed.

From your departure at Llandudno to your arrival at Blaenau Ffestiniog a breathtaking range of scenery unfolds before your eyes, from the historic castle at Conwy, through estuary rich in wildilfe, to gentle slopes that give way to majestic crags as the train crosses the Lledr by the dramatic Gethin’s viaduct.

You glimpse fairytale landscapes, the imposing 12th century Dolwyddelan Castle, ancient quarries and tracks, forests and the high peaks of Snowdonia before entering the heart of the mountain to emerge some minutes later in the imposing and historic industrial landscape of Blaenau Ffestiniog, the very centre of Wales’ slate quarrying and mining industry. The Conwy Valley line at 27 miles long offers one of the most beautiful rail experiences in Britain.