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Valley railway station

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Valley

Welsh: Y Fali[1]
National Rail
General information
LocationValley, Anglesey
Wales
Coordinates53°16′52″N 4°33′47″W / 53.281°N 4.563°W / 53.281; -4.563
Grid referenceSH291791
ManagerTransport for Wales Rail
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeVAL[2]
ClassificationDfT category F2
Key dates
October 1849Opened
14 February 1966Closed
15 March 1982Reopened
6 July 2020Temporarily closed
21 August 2021Reopened
Passengers
2020/21Decrease 142
2021/22Increase 5,254
2022/23Increase 12,436
2023/24Increase 17,558
2024/25Increase 21,588
Listed Building – Grade II
FeatureValley Railway Station Main Building
Designated30 July 1991
Reference no.5759[3]
Location
Map
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Valley railway station (Welsh: Gorsaf reilffordd y Fali) 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, and is sited 260 miles 9 chains (418.6 km) from London Euston, measured via Crewe.[4] It also serves the nearby RAF base of the same name, although the next stop, Rhosneigr, is actually closer to the base.[5]

History

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The station, signal, signal box and level crossing at Valley (March 2019)

Opened in May or June 1849,[6] there was a small goods yard for livestock and a siding for a nearby corn mill. Improvements during the 19th century included refurbishing the station buildings in 1870 and lengthening of the platforms in 1889.[5] 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[7] and in 1989 sidings for turning steam locomotives were put in place.[8]

The station was one of many small ones on the line closed on 14 February 1966[6] as a result of the Beeching Axe, but it reopened to passenger trains in March 1982 after a sustained lobbying campaign by local residents.[9] 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.[10] The Grade II listed station signal box remains in use to supervise the B4545 level crossing here in addition to the aforementioned sidings.[11] It was renovated in 2021, after the discovery of extensive rotting of the wood.[12]

On 6 July 2020 trains stopped calling at the station because of the short platform and the inability to maintain social distancing between passengers and the guard when opening the train door during the COVID-19 pandemic.[13] On 11 August 2021 it was announced that the station would re-open. Local member of the Senedd Rhun ap Iorwerth criticised the length of the closure stating, "I still can't understand why there couldn't have been a way to open it safely before now, and I've made my frustration clear, but better late than never."[14]

Facilities

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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.[15] 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, although access for wheelchairs and mobility scooters is not easy from the down platform (2) due to the unpaved path.[16]

Passenger volume

[edit]
Passenger volume at Valley[17]
2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25
Entries and exits 16,899 16,326 17,624 18,703 13,982 15,156 16,768 17,676 17,968 18,236 16,660 16,006 15,062 14,742 14,512 13,458 142 5,254 12,436 17,558 21,588

The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.

Services

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There is a basic two-hourly weekday service in each direction from the station in the May 2026 timetable, with several additional morning and evening departures. Most eastbound trains run to Wrexham General, Shrewsbury and Cardiff Central, although some run to Manchester Airport. The Sunday service is irregular but serves a variety of eastbound destinations, including Crewe, Cardiff, Manchester Airport and Birmingham International.[18]

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

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Y Fali Station | Train Times | Transport for Wales". 17 August 2021.
  2. ↑ "Railway Codes". railwaycodes.org.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  3. ↑ Cadw. "Valley Railway Station Main Building (5759)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  4. ↑ Brailsford, Martyn, ed. (2023). Railway Track Diagrams; 3: Western & Wales (7th ed.). Frome: TRACKmaps. p. 36. ISBN 978 1999627164.
  5. 1 2 Wills 2014, p. 178.
  6. 1 2 Quick 2023, p. 465.
  7. ↑ Wills 2014, p. 180.
  8. ↑ Jones, Geraint: Anglesey Railways, page 51. Carreg Gwalch, 2005
  9. ↑ Disused Stations – Valley Disused Stations Site Record; Retrieved 30 May 2017
  10. ↑ Valley railway station, Anglesey (2010) Wilson, L.S Geograph.org.uk; Retrieved 30 May 2017
  11. ↑ "Railway Signal Boxes: A Review". Historic England. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  12. ↑ Johnston, Howard (July 2021). "Regional News". Rail (magazine). No. 934. p. 31.
  13. ↑ "Our current timetable". Transport for Wales. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  14. ↑ "Trains to stop at Valley and Llanfairpwll stations again". North Wales Chronicle. 11 August 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  15. ↑ "Valley Station | Train Times | Transport for Wales". tfw.wales. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  16. ↑ Valley station facilities National Rail Enquiries
  17. ↑ "Estimates of station usage | ORR Data Portal". dataportal.orr.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  18. ↑ eNRT May 2026 Edition, Table 077 (Network Rail)

Further reading

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