The tourist village of Beddgelert is set to receive a major boost to attracting visitors after the news of the Snowdonia National Park planning authority approving plans to develop a new station on a popular Snowdonia heritage railway line.
Beddgelert is a popular tourist hub for those looking for a day out to Snowdonia, with large swaths of people traversing from across the border in Shropshire and the West Midlands.
The station plans come as a redesign of a previous application that was approved 10 years prior but was never completed and have been lodged by the Ffestiniog Railway Company.
The Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway's director and general manager Paul Lewin said:
"When the railway received its transport and works order it included 'deemed planning consent' for a station at Beddgelert.
"But the further arrangement was that we would go through the planning procedures to agree its design and look with the national park's planning authority. Over 10 years ago we did submit a design for a station, and that was approved. We started work on it, but we only got as far as starting the foundations, due to funds available at the time and we stopped.
"But we have returned to look at the site and we have re-evaluated the design and done several things to make the plans lighter, there is an overall lighter lower visual impact, so it meets modern building regulations and to improve its environmental credentials."
The original corrugated Beddgelert Station was built in 1923 and was knocked down in 1937.
This latest scheme includes the construction of a railway station building that incorporates a ticket office, café, indoor and outdoor seating, an office space, covered waiting space and other infrastructural necessities.
A proposal put forward by the popular heritage line states:
"The station will include a covered waiting area, staff room and WCs, ticket office with small railway related retail area and coffee shop with small kitchen, external covered seating area and terrace. The construction of the new station building would enable the removal of the covered shelter."
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