Proposed Route for the Bala Town Extension
The existing route of the Bala Lake Railway runs for 4½ miles from Llanuwchllyn to Pen-y-Bont station, roughly ½-mile outside of the town of Bala. The extension will run for approximately 1,200m, diverging from the existing line at Pen-y-Bont station, crossing the B4403 and the River Dee, before following the foreshore and finally turning inland and terminating at the new Bala Town station.
Several possible routes to the town were considered for the railway’s extension before deciding on the present one. The brief we set ourselves was to transport visitors to as close to the centre of Bala as possible by the shortest route.
By doing this it keeps future infrastructure maintenance to the minimum compared with longer routes. It also further underpins the future sustainability of the business.
It was fortunate that the route chosen is going to provide the best views showing the mountains of Snowdonia at its very best.
The site for the new station has been carefully chosen to be opposite a large underused car park. Being towards the end of the town nearest the lake foreshore we will be able to encourage visitors to the foreshore to make the short walk to the station to take the train. This in turn will bring them closer to the high street and all that there is to offer.
View that passengers will see from the train