Llanfairpwll railway station

Opened in 1848 it was initially the terminus of the line from Holyhead before the opening of the Britannia Bridge to the mainland in 1850.[1] It suffered a catastrophic fire on 13 November 1865 and had to be completely re-constructed. It was closed in 1966 but reopened in 1970 due to the fire on the Britannia Bridge again as the terminus for trains from Holyhead, with a single wooden platform. It was again closed in January 1973 for four months and reopened with two non-wooden platforms. The station master's house was sold in 1994 to a private company and is now a warehouse shop. The footbridge between the two platforms (the only one on the island) and the signal box remain from the original configuration. However, a turntable, sidings and goods yard have disappeared, the latter two under a car park.[1]

The station is known for its longer name, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, but this is a Victorian contrivance for the benefit of tourists[2] with no basis in historical usage. It comprises the full name of the village, plus local topographical details, plus the name of a neighbouring church etc. The actual longest railway station name in Wales (indeed the UK) is Rhoose Cardiff International Airport railway station.

Since 6th July 2020, trains have not called at the station; Transport for Wales states that during the 2019-20 coronavirus pandemic the short platform and the inability to maintain social distancing between passengers and the guard when opening the train door is the reason.[3]

The station is unstaffed and has no ticket provision - these must be bought on the train or prior to travel. Waiting shelters are provided on each platform and train running details offered via timetable posters and digital information screens (as can be seen from the accompanying station photograph). The station is not listed as accessible for mobility-impaired and wheelchair users on the National Rail Enquiries website.[4]

During April 2017, the upgrade of the footbridge was completed as part of Network Rail's Railway Upgrade Plan. The footbridge, which is over 100 years old, was temporarily removed earlier in the year, to undergo a £395,000 upgrade, including specialist refurbishment and repairs at the Centregreat Rail workshop in Cardiff.[5]

Trains usually stop every two hours in each direction. These are Transport for Wales services between Holyhead and Chester via Llandudno Junction and Prestatyn. These continue to Shrewsbury and then either Birmingham International or Cardiff Central, though a limited number run to/from Crewe instead.[6] There is a limited service (six to Holyhead, seven to Chester and beyond) on Sundays.

The station has very short platforms, only 40 yards (37 m) long.[7] As a result, only one door on the Transport for Wales services is unlocked by the conductor/guard for passengers. The stops are usually by Request stop

Preceding station		National Rail		Following station
Bangor		Transport for Wales Rail North Wales Coast Line		Bodorgan

• 
  The platform and station building
• 
  The former goods yard, now a car park
• 
  The signal box, a hundred yards or so up the line
• 
  The famous station sign, with a pronunciation guide for English speakers

• Rhoose Cardiff International Airport railway station – the station with the longest officially used name in Great Britain.
• Gorsafawddacha'idraigodanheddogleddollônpenrhynareurdraethceredigion – a station name contrived to be longer than Llanfairpwll
• Longest place names in the English language

• Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (2011). Bangor to Holyhead. West Sussex: Middleton Press. figs. 26-35. ISBN 9781908174017. OCLC 795179106.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Llanfairpwll railway station.

• Train times and station information for Llanfairpwll railway station from National Rail
• Slater's Directory of North & Mid Wales, 1895 uses all three of the short names for the village – and does not mention the long form.
• Video footage of Llanfair PG Railway Station