At a glance
The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway (SY21 7SQ) is an 8-mile, 762mm narrow gauge steam railway from Welshpool to Llanfair Caereinion through the Powys hills. Adult ~£16 return. Seasonal April–October. 50 min each way. Famous for its collection of international narrow gauge locomotives. Near Powis Castle (NT). Welshpool on Cambrian Main Line from Birmingham/Shrewsbury.
About the Welshpool & Llanfair Railway
The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway was built at the turn of the 20th century to serve the isolated farming communities around Llanfair Caereinion in what was then a remote part of Montgomeryshire. The line opened in 1903, constructed to the unusual gauge of 2 ft 6 in (762 mm), and operated by the Cambrian Railways and later Great Western Railway before British Railways closed it in 1956. Preservationists re-opened it in 1963, making it one of the earlier revival stories in Welsh narrow gauge heritage.
What makes the Welshpool & Llanfair distinctive among the Great Little Trains is its extraordinary locomotive collection. The railway has sought out narrow gauge steam engines from around the world as those railways have closed: engines that once worked in the Austrian Alps, on the Sierra Leone Government Railway, on Antigua's sugar plantation lines, and on the Finnish Jokioinen Railway now haul passenger trains through the Powys hills. The two original Beyer-Peacock locomotives built for the line in 1902 — The Earl and The Countess — remain in service alongside their international companions.
The journey from Welshpool passes through attractive countryside — crossing the Sylfaen valley and the River Banwy on the Brynelin viaduct before arriving at the compact market town of Llanfair Caereinion. The scale of the railway — the small locomotives, the diminutive carriages, the intimate stations — is part of its charm.
Visiting tips
Getting there
Welshpool is on the Cambrian Main Line, with direct trains from Birmingham International, Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth. By car, Welshpool is on the A458 approximately 18 miles east of Bala and 17 miles south of Oswestry.
Combining with Powis Castle
Powis Castle (National Trust) is a 10-minute walk from Welshpool station — one of the great formal gardens of Britain, set on terraced slopes below a medieval castle. Visit the castle in the morning and take the railway in the afternoon. The Raven Square station (Welshpool terminus) is 0.5 miles from the town centre.
Find it on the map
Frequently asked questions
The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway is a 2ft 6in (762mm) narrow gauge steam railway running 8 miles from Welshpool to Llanfair Caereinion through the farmland of Powys in mid-Wales. Built between 1899 and 1903 to serve the rural community around Llanfair Caereinion, it was closed by British Railways in 1956 and re-opened by preservationists in 1963. It is one of the Great Little Trains of Wales.
The railway has assembled one of the most internationally diverse collections of narrow gauge locomotives in Britain. As well as its original Beyer-Peacock locomotives built for the line in 1902, the collection includes engines from Austria (the Zillertal Railway), Sierra Leone, Antigua and Finland. These locomotives were acquired when those railways closed — the Welshpool & Llanfair has given them a second working life on an 8-mile railway in the Powys hills.
The 8-mile journey from Welshpool to Llanfair Caereinion takes approximately 50 minutes each way. The line passes through hilly, agricultural countryside, crossing the River Banwy valley on the Brynelin viaduct and passing through the wooded Sylfaen valley. Allow 2.5–3 hours for the return trip, including time at Llanfair Caereinion.
Yes — Powis Castle is approximately 1 mile from Welshpool station, managed by the National Trust. The castle has some of the finest formal terraced gardens in Britain, with baroque terraces dating from the late 17th century. Combining a morning at Powis Castle with an afternoon on the Welshpool & Llanfair Railway makes an excellent day in the Welshpool area.
The railway is in Powys, mid-Wales, rather than strictly in North Wales. However, it is one of the Great Little Trains of Wales and is included here as a destination for visitors based in the southern part of North Wales (Wrexham, Llangollen, Bala area) for whom Welshpool is a reasonable day trip. From Llangollen it is approximately 25 miles; from Bala approximately 18 miles.