Welsh Highland Railway

The Welsh Highland Railway is one of the gems of the Welsh narrow gauge systems. The 25 mile steam line shares a common terminus with the Ffestiniog Railway, but the two have very different stories to tell.

Today’s Welsh Highland operates from the picturesque town of Porthmadog through the mountains to Caernarfon. It runs on trackbeds originally created by the Croessor Tramway, the Porthmadog, Beddgelert & South Snowdon Railway, the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways, and the Afonwen branch of the London & North Western Railway. And the scenery along the route shows off the best that North Wales has to offer.

Our two hour journey is on board an NG/G16 class Garratt locomotive, formerly of South African Railways, built by Beyer Peacock of Manchester in 1958. We’ve deployed five cameras to show you what goes on, including one on the footplate which observes the driver and the fireman in action.

Our full, knowledgeable commentary tells the history of the Welsh Highland Railway through its many phases, and explains how it rose, phoenix-like from the ashes of liquidation to become what it is today. There’s plenty to see along the way, from the twists, turns and tunnels of the Aberglaslyn Pass, past Snowdon and the reservoir at Llyn Cwellyn, to within sight of the majestic castle at Caernarfon.

Our multi-international award winning team has been making captivating television for more than 30 years, and this programme brings you all you would expect from a cab ride on this fascinating railway.

And to round off the trip, we’ve created our own version of the 1952 BBC film, London to Brighton in Four Minutes, with a high speed run from Porthmadog to Caernarfon. So sit back and enjoy the best seat available on this stunning narrow gauge railway.