If you live in Liverpool, heading off on a summer getaway is about to get a heck of a lot easier. A brand new rail route connecting the northern city and a seaside town in north Wales launched this week.
A direct train route now runs between Liverpool and Llandudno thanks to a new timetable introduced by Transport for Wales (TfW) on May 17. Passengers no longer have to change trains at Chester, instead they can hop on in Liverpool and hop off in Wales after an hour and 45 minutes. The service will run about once an hour from 7am to 7pm and cost around £20 for a single.
Visitors will find plenty to do in the seaside town. Legend has it that Llandudno was where was where Alice Liddel – the real-life person who inspired the character of Alice in the Lewis Carroll books – spent her summer holidays. The legitimacy of the connection is continually up for debate, but that didn’t stop the town from making the most of it, devising a White Rabbit trail that traverses the many sights in the centre of Llandudno. The Victorian resort is also home to a pier with shops and an arcade, and some glorious coastal walks.
The new train route comes as part of a major overhaul of services by TfW, which hopes to increase all services by around 50 percent in time for the summer. Other changes will see direct trains from Manchester Airport to Llandudno serving Holyhead instead, and the separate Wrexham to Chester and Chester to Crewe hourly services are now combined into one through service. It will also see the introduction of pay as you go on its train routes.
Colin Lea, TfW Planning and Performance Director for Transport for Wales said: ‘The new timetable will bring more frequent trains and better connections for our customers in North and West Wales.
‘These changes represent a significant step forward, with a simpler, more consistent timetable and increased capacity across some of our busiest routes. Alongside the introduction of pay as you go, we’re making it easier than ever for people to choose rail and travel sustainably.’
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