Every great railway needs the flexibility to keep moving forward. In an ever-changing world, the Welsh Highland Railway is continually evolving. A strong commercial and operations team means the railway’s offering to its customers is constantly changing and adapting with the times. New, exciting initiatives are never far around the corner.

In 2026 alone we have seen the arrival of the Sunsetter, a massive success on a return to early evening trains, and the trialling of short workings between Beddgelert and Hafod y Llyn using Yr Aberglaslyn’s locomotive and carriages. Hafod y Llyn has become a busy place! This winter will see the Dinas redevelopment step up another notch. With all these expansions we see the greater need to finish the final pieces of the project that was started over 30 years ago.

As the use of Hafod y Llyn is now a regular occurrence, with trains having terminated there from both directions in 2026 the desire to complete the ground frames on the run-round loop is now high on the list. With Micro ETS intermediate token machines looming on the horizon, the scope for locking in trains at Hafod y Llyn on a regular basis without the need for a road move would become possible, but only with the installation of fibre optic cable further up the WHR.

Rhyd Ddu and Beddgelert sidings are now the overnight haunts for the Fire Train. This is a massive contributor to keeping the service we all enjoy running when the fire risk is so high that other railways are resorting to diesel traction or closing altogether.

Obviously, there are other ground frames that would be beneficial to future expansion, and with your generous support these could join the project. In particular, we may be able to consider improving the connection with the WHHR at Pen y Mount, although this is complicated as it is the interface of two companies with two different signalling systems, and is therefore probably much further down the list. At its fullest extent this project could cost up to £50,000, but it can be done in stages, so we won’t need anything like that much to get started. A few pounds in the bank before Christmas and we might have the first frames installed by Easter.

Please consider making a donation to our new appeal this winter here!

Perhaps you’d like to donate in a different way. Put your boots on the line. A team of willing and enthusiastic volunteers is being assembled to ensure completion of the project. If you want to join in, get in touch with us at projects@crhe.uk: we’d be delighted to hear from you. Help us to install ground frames on the WHR and unlock new possibilities for the future!