Stretching 13.5 miles from the harbour at Porthmadog to the slate-quarrying town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, this historic narrow-gauge railway dates back to 1832. It's the world's oldest independent railway company and is renowned for its spectacular scenery and unique 'Double Fairlie' steam locomotives.
Slate Heritage Pioneer
The Ffestiniog Railway is the world's oldest independent railway company, originally built in 1832 to transport slate from the mountain quarries of Blaenau Ffestiniog to the sea at Porthmadog. Its innovative use of narrow-gauge technology and Fairlie 'double-ended' steam locomotives revolutionized mountain rail travel, and today it remains a pinnacle of Victorian industrial heritage passing through spectacular Snowdonian scenery.