Valley railway station

Valley Add→{{rail-interchange}}
General information
Other names	Welsh: Y Dyffryn
Location	Anglesey
Coordinates	53.281°N 4.563°W / 53.281; -4.563
Managed by	Transport for Wales
Platforms	2
Other information
Station code	VAL
Key dates
October 1849	Station opened
14 February 1966	Station closed
15 March 1982	Station reopened

Valley railway station (Welsh: Gorsaf reilffordd y Dyffryn) 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.

Since 6th July 2020, trains have not called at the station due to the short platform and the inability to maintain social distancing between passengers and the guard when opening the train door.

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.

Services

There is a two-hourly weekday service in each direction from the station, with a few additional morning and evening departures. Most eastbound trains run to Wrexham General, Shrewsbury and Birmingham International, although a small number run to either Crewe or Cardiff.

The Sunday service is limited (six to Holyhead, seven towards Chester) and runs mainly to/from Crewe with one service to Wrexham and Cardiff.

Trains only stop here on request.

Preceding station		National Rail		Following station
Rhosneigr		Transport for Wales North Wales Coast Line		Holyhead

Further reading

• Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (2011). Bangor to Holyhead. West Sussex: Middleton Press. figs. 54-58. ISBN 9781908174017. OCLC 795179106. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

External links

Media related to Valley railway station at Wikimedia Commons

• Train times and station information for Valley railway station from National Rail