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The North Wales Coast Railway
The Llandudno and
Manchester Club Trains

An historic commuter service


Good train services by the London & North Western Railway Co. between the North Wales Coast and Manchester Exchange encouraged affluent Manchester businessmen to establish their homes on the coast and commute daily to their work in the city. In this way the Manchester men could emulate the life style of many of their London counterparts. The ‘Llandudno to Manchester Club Train’ was the fastest service on the line and those who purchased first class season tickets had the added incentive of being able to apply to join the travelling club. This was similar in many ways to a city gentlemen’s club and closely regulated by its members who had the right to exclude all undesirable travelling companions. [Similar facilities were enjoyed on the Manchester to Blackpool and Manchester to Windermere Club Trains]. These novel services stood the test of time and the 1st World War but not the 2nd World War.

The service started in the early years of the 20th century and the London & North Western Railway and its successor the London Midland & Scottish provided special saloon cars dedicated to the use of first class season ticket holders. The saloons were serviced by an attendant who would ensure that a member’s favourite armchair was kept free for that individual’s use. Members enjoyed the benefits of newspapers and a range of refreshments en route to and from Manchester.  During the inter-war years two massive smooth riding twelve-wheeled bogie saloons as used on the London – Liverpool Atlantic Boat Trains were provided for the Llandudno Club service. These cars were the equals of the Pullman Cars then in use on the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway.

The train started from Llandudno at 7:48 am and picked up at the Junction, Colwyn Bay, Abergele, Rhyl and Prestatyn. It called at Chester and Warrington and reached Manchester Exchange after two hours and nine minutes at 9:57 am.  The return service left Manchester Exchange at 4:30 pm and with the same stops reached Llandudno at 6:38 pm.  On both outward and return journeys the average speed (including station stops) was over 40 m.p.h.  The train continued to run throughout the war but without the club saloons and to a slower timetable.  After the war the service returned to a faster schedule but the club saloons were not re-introduced.  Liverpool and Birkenhead also had through commuter trains from Llandudno in the inter-war period and through to the 1950’s.

These express services, which were also available to third class passengers, did much to establish the North Wales Coast as a suitable residential area for Lancashire and Cheshire businessmen and traders.  The club car facilities encouraged the bankers and the captains of industry and commerce to set down domestic roots in North Wales, to the great benefit of their families and also of the local economy.

Services in 1936 very similar to the post war services of 1947 were regarded as good. Today, war or not, we would regard them as poor. Today we have many more trains and, despite public opinion, they are, on the whole, much faster than in the days of steam.

Today, the Arriva Trains Wales hourly Llandudno to Manchester Piccadilly air-conditioned service averages two hours and ten minutes from Llandudno and two hours from Llandudno Junction.   Liverpool (45 minutes from Chester) and Birkenhead
(35 minutes from Chester) have a half-hourly connecting electric train service to and from Chester now reached in about an hour by the excellent air-conditioned services from Llandudno and Llandudno Junction. 



Arriva Trains Wales Air-Conditioned Manchester Express at Llandudno in 2004

London is now provided with greatly improved train services via Crewe, where connections are available to many other parts of the kingdom. Indeed, the North Wales Coast trains are now faster and more frequent than at any previous time – please see the tables below.  In steam days, it was only on Summer Saturdays and Bank Holidays with very many extra trains that Llandudno Station was thronged with many passengers.

October 1947  -  Through Trains from Llandudno Junction   -  October 2003  -  January 2006
   
(all timings are from Llandudno Junction)

Destination
1947  number
through trains
Best Times 1947
hours & minutes
2003  number
through trains
Best Times 2003
hours & minutes
2006  number
through trains






Chester
20
1:06  (av. 1 hour 20 min.)
36
49 minutes (av. 55 min.)
41
Cardiff




  7
Crewe
  9
1:40 most over 2 hours.
19
1:08  (av. 1 hour 15 min.)
15
Manchester
  6
2:09 see times below
13
1 hour 57 minutes.
15
London
  3
4:53 also 5:21 & 6:25
  3
3:36 also 3:54 and 3:59
  5

In 1947, there was a single daily through train from Llandudno to Birkenhead, another to Liverpool and a third to Birmingham. Today, journeys from Llandudno to Birmingham involve a change at Crewe, and those to Birkenhead or Liverpool at Chester.  Most journeys from Llandudno to Crewe involved a change at Llandudno Junction.  2006 timings are similar to 2003 - except for Cardiff.

The improvements since the days of steam are obvious and the service keeps getting better.  From December 11th 2005 there are seven through trains daily between Holyhead and Cardiff.  Each takes under five hours from Holyhead and under four hours from Llandudno Junction. The trains to Cardiff also call at Wrexham, Ruabon, Chirk, Gobowen, Shrewsbury, Ludlow, Hereford, Abergavenny, Pontypool, Cwmbran and Newport.


October 1947   -   Through Trains to Manchester   -   October 2003
 
(all journey times from Llandudno Junction)

Llandudno
dep
Ll. Junction
dep
Manchester
Exchange arr
1947
times

Llandudno
dep
Ll. Junction
dep
Manchester
Piccadilly arr
2003
times















06:56
08:57
2:01
07:40 07:51 10:00 2:09
07:47
07:56
09:53
1:57

08:42 11:15 2:33

08:55
10:53
1:58





09:47
09:56
11:57
2:01





10:42
10:51
12:52
2:01





11:47
11:56
13:57
2:01
12:50 13:07 16:00 2:53
12:43
12:52
14:59
2:06





13:38
13:47
15:50
2:03
14:50 15:39 18:43 3:04
14:47
14:55
16:53
1:58





15:46 15:56
17:55
1:59





16:46
16:56
18:58
2:02

17:58 20:57 2:59
17:46
17:56
19:53
1:57

19:45 22:54 2:59
19:54
20:03
22:02
1:59










In 2004/5, services are even better, especially to and from Crewe and London, with five Virgin Super Voyager Pendolino trains daily in each direction, including one to and from Llandudno. The five Virgin trains average less than 3¼ hours from Llandudno Junction to London Euston. 

Most journeys from Llandudno to Crewe and beyond still involve a change of train at Llandudno Junction and/or Chester, but this is the through Llandudno to London train (Mondays to Fridays):




Virgin Super Voyager Pendolino train on the Llandudno - London service

Major Changes - December 2008

Following the completion of improvements tp the main line between London and Crewe, the 2008/9 winter timetable contains a much improved service from London to Chester (from late January 2009, this will be hourly with a through journey time of 2 hours and 2 minutes from London to Chester) and with five trains daily continuing to Llandudno Junction and Holyhead. Regrettably the through service from London to Llandudno has lasted only four years and runs for the last time on Friday, December 12th 2008.  There are also fewer through trains from Holyhead, Llandudno Junction and the North Wales Coast to Crewe but for the first time in recent years, through trains from Holyhead to Wolverhampton and Birmingham via Wrexham, Shrewsbury and Telford.

... Llandudno Attractions

Text and photographs ©  2004/5 by Noel Walley

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Updated December 2008