Llanberis Lake Railway,
Gilfach Ddu,
Llanberis,
Gwynedd,
LL55 4TY
Telephone 01286 870549
Fax 01286 870549

Web: http://www.lake-railway.co.uk
Email:: info@lake-railway.co.uk
Map Link: Here

Situated in the heart of Snowdonia, and with a terminus at the foot of Snowdon, the Llanberis Lake Railway offers a delightfully relaxed steam train ride along the shores of Padarn Lake.

Starting from Llanberis the little trains take you past the 13th century Dolbadarn Castle, birthplace of the Welsh Prince Llywelyn the Great, along the new extension and across Afon y Bala, possibly Britain’s shortest river, before entering Padarn Country Park and joining the original slate railway route alongside lake Padarn, the largest of the two lakes in Llanberis. The outward journey takes you non-stop to Penllyn, and along the way there are magnificent views of Snowdon and the surrounding high peaks.

On the return journey the train stops briefly at Cei Llydan, mid-way along the lake. Passengers may alight here and use the lakeside picnic area, or visit the nearby (independently operated) children’s play area.

The train continues to Gilfach Ddu, originally where slate was transhipped from the quarry system to the slate railway, and now our main station serving the country park and nearby attractions. Here you can watch the driver as he fills the tanks with water and stokes the fire ready for the next journey. After this thirsty work, you can visit our café for a drink or a bite to eat, or browse our souvenir and gift shop.

Break your journey here to visit the fascinating Slate Museum, where the story of slate and the men who worked it comes to life through displays and demonstrations. Or take a look at the Old Quarry Hospital, the first in Wales to have an x-ray machine, and see how the injured men were cared for. Or take a stroll along one of the country park’s many marked woodland paths or along the shore of the lake. Discover the now flooded Vivian Quarry, try your hands (and feet) on the new Ropes and Ladders high wire course or visit the craft workshops.

All our trains are scheduled to be hauled by “Elidir”, “Thomas Bach” or “Dolbadarn”, our ex-quarry Hunslet steam engines, that spent the earlier part of their career working the nearby Dinorwic Quarries.

We have level access to the trains at Llanberis and Gilfach Ddu stations, and coaches on each train that have been specially adapted for wheelchair users.

Finding Us:

We're situated just off the A4086 in Llanberis. Follow steam train or Padarn Country Park Signs. Llanberis is just 15 minutes from the A55 (Jnc 11), 20 minutes from Caernarfon, and 45 minutes from Porthmadog / Betws-y-Coed via the scenic Llanberis Pass road.

Sample Fares (2008):

Adults / Seniors: £6.50 return, children £4.50 return. A range of family discount tickets are available (eg 2 Adults & 2 Children £19.00).

Your GLTW Discount Card also entitles you to discounts at the following accommodation providers.Please Note: You must disclose that you are a GLTW card holder at the time of booking and show your card on arrival.

Quality Hotel Snowdonia Llanberis, 01286 870253 www.hotels-snowdonia.com 10% off standard room rate
Glyn Afon Guest House Llanberis, 01286 872528 www.glyn-afon.co.uk 10% off two nights or more (excluding Bank Hols)

Whilst you are in the area, why not visit some of the other nearby places of interest:-

• Learn about the story of slate in the amazing National Slate Museum. Housed in stunning Victorian workshops, in the shadow of the slate mountains, it is not so much a museum as a pocket of history, and gives the feeling that the quarrymen and engineers have only just put down their tools and left the courtyard for home. Now, with imaginative interpretation, thanks to a Heritage Lottery grant of £1.6 million. the remarkable slate industry can be understood and enjoyed by the many thousands of visitors to this stunning countryside on the flanks of Snowdon. Features include a stunning introductory film, the original engineering workshops including foundry, smithy and mess room, daily slate splitting demonstrations, giant waterwheel and furnished quarrymen’s houses. The museum - one of the National Museums of Wales – has FREE ADMISSION and offers the visitor an un-parallelled day out in the richly wooded lakeside landscape of the Padarn Country Park. The museum is located next to Gilfach Ddu Station.
  
  
  
  
• Ropes and Ladders is the new high ropes adventure centre which is also situated in a beautiful woodland setting in the Padarn Country Park, adjacent to Gilfach Ddu Station.
  The centre provides instructor led courses around an exciting array of obstacles and challenges high up in the treetops for groups and individuals with all equipment provided.
  The site is conveniently situated in the Padarn Country Park with spectacular views of the adjacent lake and surrounding mountains.
  The course features the highest outdoor climbing and abseil tower in the UK, with internal stairwells giving access to high and intermediate circuits of tight rope walks, balance beams, swings jumps and platforms. An aerial zip line hurtles you past the tree canopy to more giant jumps swings and climbs. For a grand finale try the giant swing as you swoop down and up to glimpse the mountains above the treetops.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• If you’re looking for a truly electrifying day out, why not visit the Electric Mountain Visitors’ Centre on the edge of the beautiful Snowdonia National Park. You’ll discover the amazing powers of pumped storage hydro-electricity in a totally entertaining and educational environment. From Electric Mountain, visitors can take a fully guided tour around Dinorwig Power Station. This starts with a sound and vision spectacular at Electric Mountain, illustrating the role that pumped storage plays in ensuring the country’s electricity demands are always met. An Electric Mountain Expedition bus will then transport visitors to the power station itself. Descending deep inside the ancient Elidir mountain’s labyrinth of dark and imposing tunnels, you’ll experience one of man’s greatest engineering achievements. Housed within the Visitors'Centre is also The Den, - a soft indoor play area for children up to the age of 12 , which includes 2 slides, a large ball pool, climbing nets and tunnels. Electric Mountain (and The Den) are ideally placed, less than 100 metres from Llanberis Station.