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Private company

Chester and Holyhead Railway

Railway company in England and Wales

The Chester and Holyhead Railway was an early railway company conceived to improve transmission of government dispatches between London and Ireland, as well as ordinary railway objectives. Its construction was hugely expensive, chiefly due to the cost of building the Britannia Tubular Bridge over the Menai Strait. The company had relied on Government support in facilitating the ferry service, and this proved to be uncertain.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1844Founded1

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The Chester and Holyhead Railway was an early railway company conceived to improve transmission of government dispatches between London and Ireland, as well as ordinary railway objectives. Its construction was hugely expensive, chiefly due to the cost of building the Britannia Tubular Bridge over the Menai Strait. The company had relied on Government support in facilitating the ferry service, and this proved to be uncertain. The company opened its main line throughout in 1850. It relied on the co-operation of other railways to reach London, and in 1859 it was absorbed by the London and North Western Railway.2

The story

Bradshaw's Guide for March 1850 shows a brisk passenger service on the line: passengers could leave Kingstown at 19:30 Dublin time (19:55 GMT) and Holyhead at 01:35 by mail train; the time between Llanfair and Bangor was 35 minutes, although the traveller was not informed that this was by road vehicle; the onward journey arrived at Chester at 04:40 and arrival in London was at 13:00. Three other services traversed the whole line, one on Sundays, and two to London and two only on the line respectively on Sundays.

From Wikipedia’s article on Chester and Holyhead Railway, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Products and brands

Holyhead Admiralty Pier; opened 20 May 1851; closed 1 April 1925;

Holyhead; opened 1 August 1848; relocated 15 May 1851; relocated again 1 January 1866; still open;

Valley; opened June 1849; closed 14 February 1966; reopened 15 March 1982; still open;

Rhosneigr; opened 1 May 1907; closed 1 January 1917; reopened 1 February 1919; still open;

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Ty Croes; opened November 1848; still open;

Bodorgan; opened May 1849; still open;

Gaerwen; opened January 1849; closed 14 February 1966; convergence of Amlwch line 1865–1993;

Llanfair; opened 1 August 1848; closed 14 February 1966; reopened 29 May 1970; closed 31 January 1972; reopened as Llanfairpwll 7 May 1973; still open;

Britannia Bridge; opened July 1851; closed 1 October 1858;

Menai Bridge; opened 1 October 1858; closed 14 February 1966; convergence of Caernarvon line 1852–1972;

Bangor; opened 1 May 1848; still open;

Bethesda Junction; convergence of Bethesda branch 1884–1953;

Aber; opened 1 May 1848; closed 12 September 1960;

Llanfairfechan; opened May 1860; still open;

Penmaenmawr; opened November 1849; still open;

Conway; opened 1 May 1848; closed 14 February 1966; reopened as Conwy; opened 29 June 1987; still open;

Llandudno Junction; opened 1 October 1858; relocated on deviation line 1 November 1897; still open; convergence of Llandudno branch from 1858; divergence of Llanrwst line from 1863;

Mochdre & Pabo; opened 1 April 1889; closed 1 January 1917; reopened 5 May 1919; closed 5 January 1931;

Colwyn; opened October 1849; renamed Colwyn Bay 1876; still open;

Colwyn; opened May 1884; renamed Old Colwyn 1885; closed 1 December 1952;

Llandulas; opened 1 August 1862; renamed Llysfaen 1889; closed 5 January 1931;

Llandulas; opened 1 July 1889; closed 1 December 1952;

Abergele; opened 1 May 1848; still open;

Foryd; opened 20 April 1885; closed 2 July 1917; reopened 1 July 1919; closed 1931; reopened as Kinmel Bay 4 July 1938 for summer service only; closed 2 September 1939;

Foryd Junction; convergence of Vale of Clwyd Railway 1858–1968;

Rhyl; opened 1 May 1848; still open;

Dyserth Junction; divergence of Dyserth branch 1869–1930;

Prestatyn; opened 1 May 1848; relocated to west 28 February 1897; still open;

Talacre; opened 1 May 1903; closed 14 February 1966;

Mostyn; opened 1 May 1848; closed 14 February 1966;

Holywell; opened 1 May 1848; renamed Holywell Junction 1912; closed 14 February 1966; divergence of Holywell branch 1912–1957;

Bagillt; opened January 1849; relocated 1871; closed 14 February 1966;

Flint; opened 1 May 1848; still open;

junction for WM&CQR 1862–1954;

Connah's Quay; opened 1 September 1870; closed 14 February 1966;

Shotton; opened 1 April 1907; renamed Shotton Low Level 1924; closed 14 February 1966; reopened as Shotton 21 August 1972;

Queensferry; opened 1 May 1848; closed 14 February 1966;

Sandycroft; opened 1 March 1884; closed 1 May 1961;

Mold Junction; convergence of Mold Railway 1849–1970;

Saltney Ferry; opened 1 January 1891; closed 30 April 1962;

Saltney Junction; convergence of Shrewsbury and Chester Railway from 1846;

triangle junctions for Birkenhead line;

Chester (Joint station); sometimes known as Chester (General); still open.

From Wikipedia’s article on Chester and Holyhead Railway, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Timeline

  1. 1844Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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