Where could the Fairbourne Railway go when the village is abandoned to the waves?

[LSWR Cavalier]

This is speculation but could be reality in a few decades, or sooner.

The Fairbourne Railway could be moved wholesale, such things have happened before.

The obvious place, first choice I think, is beside the cycle/footway from Morfa Mawddach/Barmouth Junction to Dolgellau, second choice could be connecting the Llangollen Railway at Corwen to Bala, that could interchange with Rheilfordd Llyn Tegid at Bala.

There are so many heritage railways in Wales, and they all seem to manage, I think this could be an opportunity. I fancy the Migneint too, east from Bala.

But what other stretches might be suitable?

 

[HST43257]

Caernarfon to Bangor

 

[Bletchleyite]

Caernarfon to Bangor

That is, oh, about 7 times as far

It is basically a beach railway so could go on any other bit of beach. Pwllheli appears to have a path it could perhaps run parallel to, but I am sure there are loads of options.

You could actually stick it along the old track bed at Caernarfon but it wouldn't get within spitting distance of Bangor.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Extending the line and changing the gauge seem quite worth considering.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Extending the line and changing the gauge seem quite worth considering.

You mean "reopening Bangor-Caernarfon as mainline heavy rail"? I think that is compelling, but it still leaves the question of what to do with the Fairbourne line and locomotives

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Is it confirmed that the village is to be 'abandoned to the waves'?

There seems to be something of an obsession with Fairbourne with several recent threads. What about other coastal villages at risk?

I guess the owners of the line will up sticks and move, sell it to another similar gauged railway as extra stock, equipment etc, or sell it for scrap. If it's current purpose ceases, is there a point to recreating it elsewhere? Are there enough preserved railways to go around already?

Could it move across the estuary to Barmouth and run along the seafront?

 

[Cowley]

Is it confirmed that the village is to be 'abandoned to the waves'?

There seems to be something of an obsession with Fairbourne with several recent threads. What about other coastal villages at risk?

I guess the owners of the line will up sticks and move, sell it to another similar gauged railway as extra stock, equipment etc, or sell it for scrap. If it's current purpose ceases, is there a point to recreating it elsewhere? Are there enough preserved railways to go around already?

Could it move across the estuary to Barmouth and run along the seafront?

You’ve probably seen this already but there is thread about it here if anyone wants a bit more detail:

Fairbourne (village) to be abandoned?

A report on my news feed, so I can’t do a link (but then, I can’t do links anyway) says that Fairbourne (Gwynedd) will be the first village in the UK to be entirely abandoned due to the current round of climate change. It is reckoned that by 2054 it will no longer be safe or sustainable to...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[alf]

Turn it into a system like the Brighton railway that ran parallel to the beach with the tracks under water & the carriage on stilts above the water.
If I was cleverer I would post a picture of the Victorian contraption.

 

[pdeaves]

Turn it into a system like the Brighton railway that ran parallel to the beach with the tracks under water & the carriage on stilts above the water.
If I was cleverer I would post a picture of the Victorian contraption.

Brighton and Rottingdean Seashore Electric Railway - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Bevan Price]

If they can't, or don't want to relocate the track elsewhere, then the locos could go to somewhere like Clayton West -- I think they have visited there before.

 

[pdeaves]

The Fairbourne railway is a coastal line and used to being near the sea. Could they 'just' keep packing ballast under it to raise it by the same amount as the sea level?

 

[Bletchleyite]

The Fairbourne railway is a coastal line and used to being near the sea. Could they 'just' keep packing ballast under it to raise it by the same amount as the sea level?

Narrow gauge Dawlish?

 

[bramling]

Is it confirmed that the village is to be 'abandoned to the waves'?

There seems to be something of an obsession with Fairbourne with several recent threads. What about other coastal villages at risk?

I guess the owners of the line will up sticks and move, sell it to another similar gauged railway as extra stock, equipment etc, or sell it for scrap. If it's current purpose ceases, is there a point to recreating it elsewhere? Are there enough preserved railways to go around already?

Could it move across the estuary to Barmouth and run along the seafront?

I've no idea of the practicalities of doing this, however a railway along the front from Barmouth to Talybont would work, connecting the town of Barmouth itself with some well-used caravan parks. No idea if it could be accommodated on the sea front though; there would certainly be room at the Barmouth end, but I'm not sure how far north it would be able to go.

 

[robvulpes]

If they can't, or don't want to relocate the track elsewhere, then the locos could go to somewhere like Clayton West -- I think they have visited there before.

Erm - different gauge nowadays! The ex-Fairbourne locos which are now based at Kirklees Light Railway (Katie/Sian) were from pre-gauge conversion.

 

[Ploughman]

Could it be relaid across the Barmouth bridge?
Not replacing the Standard gauge line but in Paralell

 

[30907]

Could it be relaid across the Barmouth bridge?
Not replacing the Standard gauge line but in Paralell

It would occupy rather a lot of the footpath - nice idea

I've no idea of the practicalities of doing this, however a railway along the front from Barmouth to Talybont would work, connecting the town of Barmouth itself with some well-used caravan parks. No idea if it could be accommodated on the sea front though; there would certainly be room at the Barmouth end, but I'm not sure how far north it would be able to go.

The railway there is extremely vulnerable at Llanaber, which is about where the track would end (if you started from the estuary end) - Talybont would be 3x as far. Again a nice idea!

 

[Baxenden Bank]

It would occupy rather a lot of the footpath - nice idea

The railway there is extremely vulnerable at Llanaber, which is about where the track would end (if you started from the estuary end) - Talybont would be 3x as far. Again a nice idea!

Perhaps within the 4 foot, rather than the footpath. Could operate some kind of shuttle from Morfa Mawddach in between the big trains.

 

[stuu]

How about Harlech out to the sand dunes? Lots of potential visitors to hand

 

[30907]

How about Harlech out to the sand dunes? Lots of potential visitors to hand

Yes, I wondered about that, if it isn't a restricted area. Or Benar Beach from Dyffryn Ardudwy, but the naturists might be up in arms

 

[Peter Mugridge]

How about Harlech out to the sand dunes? Lots of potential visitors to hand

How much would the dunes be affected by the same rising sea levels that will force the abandonment of the existing site, though?

 

[stuu]

How much would the dunes be affected by the same rising sea levels that will force the abandonment of the existing site, though?

They are a lot more substantial and there aren't any sea defences as at Fairbourne so presumably a bit more resilient... but I imagine in the very long term it will be an issue

 

[The Planner]

They are a lot more substantial and there aren't any sea defences as at Fairbourne so presumably a bit more resilient... but I imagine in the very long term it will be an issue

The sea defences at Fairbourne are a red herring. The rising water comes in around the headland at the north.

 

[Tomos y Tanc]

They are a lot more substantial and there aren't any sea defences as at Fairbourne so presumably a bit more resilient... but I imagine in the very long term it will be an issue

Actually there are sea defences at Fairbourne and, for the moment, they're being maintained. Rising sea levels though mean that they'll have to abandoned as the village is caught in a pincer movement between the ocean and the estuary.

Rehousing the people will be far more of a problem than relocating the railway since property prices in Fairbourne were low there to begin with and are now even lower since the only purchasers are cash-buyers willing to pay up front for a holiday homes they know will disappear in a couple of decades.

Give the huge housing pressures in Gwynedd, it will be a big problem.

As for where the railway could go, the proms in Aberystwyth or Llandudno could be an option although how long they'll be with us is open to question.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Give the huge housing pressures in Gwynedd, it will be a big problem..

Will it? Wales is full of nothingness and they have lots of time to build. Shared ownership is probably the answer regarding values.

 

[Llanigraham]

Will it? Wales is full of nothingness and they have lots of time to build. Shared ownership is probably the answer regarding values.

You might think that but NOT around Fairbourne.

 

[Bletchleyite]

You might think that but NOT around Fairbourne.

If they are relocating everyone, they could build a new village pretty much anywhere.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Not in the national park!

Perhaps the people of Fairbourne could be resettled en Bloc in Blaenau Ffestiniog where cheap dwellings might be available, the Tiny Train could be laid on the Dyffryn Conwy Line, simples?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Not in the national park!

Perhaps the people of Fairbourne could be resettled en Bloc in Blaenau Ffestiniog where cheap dwellings might be available, the Tiny Train could be laid on the Dyffryn Conwy Line, simples?

Blaenau might not be a terrible place to build more homes, yes, being as it is not in the Park.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

I am astounded there has not yet been a torrent of critiscism from Welsh posters on here.

The Welsh have after all , a few times , lost farms and settlements to flooding (especially from reservoir builders etc)

A sensitive subject in my view.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

I am astounded there has not yet been a torrent of critiscism from Welsh posters on here.

The Welsh have after all , a few times , lost farms and settlements to flooding (especially from reservoir builders etc)

A sensitive subject in my view.

Indeed.

I used to live nearby. I was surprised that Arthog Community has relatively few Welsh speakers compared to other places nearby. Arthog has plenty of Welsh speakers, but Fairbourne (Ffynnon hyfryd) which is part of Arthog Community has many English monoglots.

There are some parallels with the flooding of Capel Celyn, which led to an increase in nationalist activities, but many differences.

I should not buy a home in Fairbourne, even cheaply, in the hope of using it for a few decades. The end could well come sooner than expected.