FFESTINIOG & Welsh Highland Railways, Welsh Highland Heritage Railway, Cymdeithas Rheilffordd Eryri and the Welsh Highland Railway Heritage Group have announced they will be working together to organise celebrations of the 2023 Welsh Highland Railway (WHR) centenary.
With the aim of marking key centenary dates during 2022 and 2023, the four organisations are currently focussing on celebration options and consulting with people who will be involved in making things happen. Further details will be announced in due course.
Dates under consideration are likely to include passing of the Light Railway Order (LRO) which in effect formed the WHR by linking the older Croesor Tramway and North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway lines (passed 1922) and further LROs covering changes of alignment at Beddgelert, a new station in Porthmadog and linking the WHR line with the Ffestiniog Railway.
The resulting WHR, encompassing refurbishment of the original elements and new sections of line, was reopened in stages; the original NWNGR route (Dinas to Rhyd Ddu) on July 31, 1922 and the completed link through to Porthmadog on June 1, 1923.