Notes

* these distances are metres from the west face of OB1, the main road bridge at Dinas

Following the success of the WHLR staff (together with Brian Humphries & Sons on the machines) on the Betws Garmon section, their allocation has increased to the whole section from Castell Cidwm to Rhyd Ddu north end, excepting the rebuilding of Glan-yr-afon viaduct itself. Triact's contract was also extended from Betws Garmon to the next Afon Gwyrfai bridge south at Cae Hywel. due to F&M delays they lost interest in their contract and Jones Bros. took it up on 7/1/02. Jones Bros. was responsible for much of the Phase 2 trackbed work.

Section 3B was first off the mark. This is the section from Waunfawr to Betws Garmon station. The 1.1km length from the headshunt at Ch. 5870 to Ch. 7000 will be constructed by direct labour. GCC officials will be consulted about the 'type of finish of works' e.g.. stonework. Work will started in mid November and was completed by the end of June 2001.

Section 3A is the next section along the line. This covers approx. 300 m from Ch. 7000 to Ch. 7300, the boundary of the Snowdonia National Park (SNP). Hyder (Welsh Water) were expected on site in November to divert the Caernarfon water main off the trackbed to follow the main road.

Triact was appointed for the railway works in a contract worth £250,000. This will include a new river bridge (UB51), minor changes to the main road bridge (OB53) and a new access bridge (OB54) to the Bryn Gloch caravan site.

No work could proceed in the SNP Authority area south of Sec. 3A until the Aberglaslyn Works were completed (as required by the T&W Order). The Aberglaslyn Works started on 1/11/00. The contract include rock work and tunnel repair to a value of £200,000 approx.

Work was completed by early March 2001, thus allowing work to start on the Bryn Gloch-Rhyd Ddu section, after F&M restrictions have been eased.

A new footbridge will also be erected 4 metres north of Bryn-y-felin Bridge. This has received SNPA planning permission. Work has been delayed but may start this summer.

The remaining 8.5 km of trackbed to Rhyd Ddu will be tackled as follows.

The section from Bryn Gloch Caravan site to Cae Hywel bridge  will now be completed by Jones Bros. This was left until after the camping season in October 2001 at the request of the caravan site owner.

There are two further river bridges south of this section across the Afon Gwyrfai at Salem (UB 56) and Plasynant (UB64). GCC Engineering are reconstructing Pont Betws (OB53), while underpinning will take place at Pont Cerrig-y-rhyd (OB62), just north of Plasynant loop, and at Castell Cidwm (OB71). These bridges will be let as 3 parcels.

Detailed design work and tendering is underway for the Glan-yr-afon viaduct. This bridge is too weak for modern loadings e.g. a double headed Garratt. The abutments require new bearing seating plinths (bearing believed to be seized) and the two main wrought iron girders are not strong enough to take the potential maximum loading of a double headed Garratt train. The viaduct must therefore be strengthened by modification or supplemented by additional/replacement beams. This is part of a design and build contract.

The 2.9 km section from Glan-yr-afon Ch.12700 to Rhyd Ddu station throat Ch.14600 is being tackled by direct labour by WHLR Ltd. itself.

At Rhyd Ddu, a separate contract will be let for the station itself. This involves a slight diversion of the route to the east as the trackbed was sold off to GCC some years ago. GCC built a car park and toilets on the alignment. The 400 m diversion swings sharply east from the north end of the station. The new alignment angles gently back towards the existing formation, which it will rejoin at the headshunt at approx. Ch 15000. The station will feature a relatively narrow 200 m island platform as, unlike Waunfawr, the station building will not be on the platform. It will be at the north end, near the GCC toilets, between the existing trackbed and the end of the new platform.

A foot crossing connects the car park to the platforms, which will feature waiting shelters and flowerbeds. There will be room for a 60 m siding on the old formation from a point near the headshunt, facing Beddgelert. This will be needed for works trains for Phase 4. The buffer stop will be around Ch.15200, some distance along the straight to Pitt's Head. If the funding comes through as expected, there may never be a buffer stop!

The rebuilding of the Welsh Highland is divided into seven phases costed at £18 million.

WHR Ltd is the WHR (Porthmadog).

Work for Phase 4/5/7 is dependent on the availability of funding from various grant agencies and European Union Regional funds.

Assuming funding is in place, work on the extension of the line to Beddgelert (opening 2005) might begin soon after opening to Rhyd Ddu in Summer 2003. In order to tap the potential of the large Beddgelert Forest campsite and to retain momentum, one possibility is that a priority would be to open to Beddgelert Forest for Summer 2005 and operate through from Rhyd Ddu. Unless a temporary run round is provided, a loco based at Rhyd Ddu would be added to the rear for push-pull operation over this steeply graded 1 in 40 section.

Phase 5, the extension from Beddgelert to Porthmadog would follow, with opening in 2005/6. The work-base may move from Dinas to the south end of the line once the line to Beddgelert is complete. One possibility that has been aired is that, as an interim measure, trains might run into the WHR (Porthmadog) terminus awaiting the completion of the Cross-Town link and alterations to Harbour Station, though this is considered unlikely by FR management.

Indeed, the Agreement between the FR and the WHR(P) specifically allows trains to run into the WHR(P) terminus.

Phase 6 is underway again with the WHR(P) starting work in earnest during their Civil's Weekend in July 2001. Although basic clearance work was allowed, planning permission to construct the first phase was only received in March 2003. stage 1 will be the completion of some 950m to the site of a temporary loop (Traeth Mawr).

Phase 7 may be built at the same time as Phase 5 and will include a light controlled level crossing of the Cambrian Coast Line as well as the Britannia Road bridge. A halt may be built at the large Porthmadog Central Car Park adjacent to the Co-op.