An informative history of the North Wales Main Line which connects the city of Chester with the port of Holyhead, running for much of its route along the scenic North Wales coast. The line is one of Britain’s most important main line routes, connecting England with North Wales, the Isle of Anglesey and direct ferry connections to the Republic of Ireland.
The line was completed in 1850 under the direction of Robert Stephenson whose work included the famous tubular bridges that cross the river at Conwy and the Menai Straits near Bangor, the latter one destroyed by fire in 1970.
The Chester and Holyhead Railway: A New History is presented in a series of themed chapters, arranged by date as far as possible to cover the different aspects of the Chester and Holyhead Railway. The historical and political chapters appear at the beginning and tourism and the environment at the end, to reflect the shift in importance of these issues over time.
Other chapters cover accidents on the railway, the crossing to Ireland and use of the railway in conflicts. An appendix lists every station on the line with opening and, where applicable, closure dates. A second appendix contains a mile-by-mile analysis of the line listing notable incidents and the year in which they occurred. 280 pages. Hardback.