The Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways are historic narrow gauge railways that welcome customers of all abilities.
The Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways are committed to welcoming customers with a wide range of accessibility needs ensuring everyone can enjoy a safe, comfortable and memorable visit. We continually review our accessibility and provide training for staff and volunteers to help us offer the best possible experience for all.
Please read this information carefully and follow the links to our more detailed information about each railway.
Booking and Travel Assistance
Pre-booking (Essential)
To help us understand your requirements and make suitable arrangements, customers with any access needs are asked to contact us in advance by telephone on 01766 516024 or emailing bookingoffice@ffwhr.com. This allows us to provide appropriate assistance and ensure your visit is as enjoyable as possible.
Our Stations and Facilities
Our railways operate across many stations and halts, ranging from principal stations with comprehensive facilities to more remote request stops with limited, or no, access. Our main stations are generally more accessible, offer better facilities, and allow longer dwell times to assist customers when boarding and alighting. Some smaller or remote stations may present access challenges, so we strongly recommend checking this information carefully before travelling.
Wheelchair Users
Booking and Safety Information
Customers who are unable to transfer to a standard carriage seat may book a wheelchair space on most services; spaces are limited and must be pre-booked; we will explain this when taking your advanced booking.
For safety reasons, and due to platform width restrictions, wheelchair access is not available at request stops.
On arrival, please ask for a staff member who will be happy to come and give you the appropriate assistance needed.
Wheelchair Size and Weight Limits
Our adapted carriages can accommodate wheelchairs with the following maximum dimensions:
· Maximum combined weight (wheelchair and users): 250 kg
· Maximum length (including footrests): 1200 mm
· Maximum width: 700 mm
Our boarding ramps also have a maximum weight limit of 250 kg and are suitable for an occupied wheelchair and a helper.
Due to the narrow width of heritage carriages, there is no turning space inside, and wheelchair areas are smaller than those found on mainline trains. However, customers regularly tell us they find these spaces very comfortable.
Wheelchair Availability
Standard-sized wheelchairs are available free of charge at Porthmadog, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Beddgelert and Caernarfon. These may be borrowed for boarding assistance.
Please note that there are no accessible toilet facilities on board our trains.
Mobility Scooter Users
Booking and Safety Information
For safety reasons, mobility scooters may not be used to board or alight from our trains. Small “Type 2” mobility scooters may be carried on board if folded and stored safely, subject to staff guidance.
We are happy to discuss alternative arrangements when pre-booking by telephone, or email, so that you can still enjoy your journey.
To assist boarding, we can provide:
· Additional steps
· Grab rails
· Standard wheelchairs (free of charge)
Customers may then travel seated while their scooter is stored securely in an appropriate area of the train.
Our Carriages
Our carriage fleet is built, maintained and developed by our dedicated volunteers and staff, and includes a mix of historic Victorian vehicles and more modern saloons. Accessibility varies between services.
The Mountain Spirit, Quarryman, Snowdonia Star, Harbour Master and Gelert Explorer services include accessible Gold and Standard Class carriages, which feature:
· Large, double-glazed windows and good interior lighting
· Accessible doors with large handrails, additional access steps and ramps
· Accessible seating bays in some carriages, with folding tables and chairs to allow customers to sit together
On train toilets – There is a small toilet compartment on most trains which is regrettably not accessible to wheelchairs, and we recommend that this is seen as being for emergency use only as the facilities at our stations are far superior. Information on specific station facilities can be seen below. Certain special services operate entirely with vintage carriages, and we regret that, at this stage, they are not suitable for customers who need to remain in their wheelchairs, and they do not have toilet facilities.
Assistance animals – We welcome assistance animals in all carriages and station buildings.
Blind and partially sighted customers – Staff are happy to give assistance with reading menus and delivering food to your seat both on the trains and in the cafes.
Customers with a hearing impairment – Staff are happy to give assistance with giving written information and showing visual aids if necessary. We have clear signage where needed to ensure people know where facilities are based.
Quiet zones – We currently do not have dedicated quiet carriages on our services, but our staff will assist in finding a quieter carriage whenever possible, or a quiet area at one of our stations. This cannot be guaranteed during busy periods.
Allergies and intolerances – Please speak to a member of staff for more information regarding how we can help you, especially regarding our food services.
Dog Free – Most services offer a dedicated dog free carriage but seats on this carriage cannot currently be reserved in advance. We cannot guarantee that these carriages are free from allergens.
Familiarization and Contextualization – We cannot guarantee the exact carriages that will be used on our services but internal and external photographs of our range of carriages can be viewed on Carriages – Festipedia
If you have any questions as to how we can help you further, please do not hesitate to contact us (01766 516024 / bookingoffice@ffwhr.com) and we will do our best to help you to plan your visit.