The new Welsh Highland Railway will comprise 25 miles of single 2ft gauge track. The railway starts and ends at sea level and climbs to a summit at 650ft, below Snowdon. The steepest gradients, of around 1 in 45, are just south of Dinas and also north of Beddgelert. The railway formation already exists - although it has been derelict for more than 50 years. 14 bridges crossing highways or tracks and 7 bridges across rivers many will be refurbished or rebuilt. Numerous other minor crossings will provide access to fields and dwellings. The 4 rock tunnels near the Aberglaslyn Pass are generally in good repair, one is 950ft long. Highways are crossed on the level at 5 locations and there will be a crossing of the Cambrian Coast railway. Culverts and drainage will be reinstated and landowners will be consulted on the provision of stock-proof fencing and boundaries.
Station buildings will, particularly in the National Park, be built using locally available materials to blend with the surroundings. Passing loops are planned for stations at Dinas, Waunfawr, Rhyd Ddu, and Beddgelert and also at the halts of Plas y Nant and Pont Croesor. Other possible locations for stations or halts include Betws Garmon, Snowdon Ranger, Beddgelert Forest, Nantmor and Hafod y Llyn. Major stations and termini will offer a full range of passenger facilities including toilets and refreshments.
The Welsh Highland will take advantage of radio signalling and will adopt computer systems, developed by the Ffestiniog Railway, in its operating methods. Servicing of locomotives and carriages will take place at Dinas and at Porthmadog, with major overhauls at the Boston Lodge workshops in Porthmadog.
Construction of the railway between Caernarfon and Dinas will start soon after the Light Railway Order is obtained and could be complete in 1997. Progress towards Rhyd Ddu will follow once the Transport and Works Order is made. The award of a Millennium grant will enable Rhyd Ddu to be reached in 1999. Construction is then likely to commence from Porthmadog through Beddgelert and onto the tortuous section through the forest to the summit at Rhyd Ddu, completing the railway possibly by 2005. Civil engineering work, valued at around 3 million pounds sterling between Caernarfon and Rhyd Ddu, will be primarily under contract. Local companies will be encouraged to tender and to use local skilled labour and offer training to others. Refurbishment of structures may be implemented as separate subprojects. Fencing is likely to be the first trackbed activity followed by any necessary regrading and preparation of the track formation. Final tracklaying may use both contract and volunteer resources. Officials of the Railway Inspectorate will examine the railway before it opens.
Fe gaiff adeiladau'r gorsafoedd eu codi gan ddefnyddio defnyddiau sydd ar gael yn lleol, yn enwedig yn y Parc Cenedlaethol, er mwyn ymdoddi i'w hamgylchedd. Cynllunnir cylchoedd pasio ar gyfer y gorsafoedd yn Dinas, Y Waunfawr, Rhyd Ddu a Beddgelert a hefyd yn arosfannau Plas y Nant a Phont Croesor. Ymhlith lleoliadau posibl eraill ar gyfer gorsafoedd neu arosfannau mae Betws (Garmon, Snowdon Ranger, Coedwig Beddgelert, Nantmor a Hafod y Llyn. Fe fydd y prif orsafoedd a'r terfynau'n cynnig ystod lawn o gyfleusterau i deithwyr gan gynnwys tai bach a lluniaeth.
Fe fydd Rheilffordd Eryri'n manteisio ar negesau radio ac yn defnyddio sustemau cyfrifiadurol addatblygwyd gan Reilffordd Ffestiniog ar gyfer ei gweithrediadau gwasanaeth i'r locomotifau a'r coetshus yn Dinas ac ym Mhorthmadog, ac fe wneir atgyweiriadau mawr yng ngweithdai Boston Lodge ym Morthmadog.
Fe fydd y gwaith o adeiladu'r rheilffordd rhwng Caernarfon a Dinas yn cychwyn yn fuan ar ôl derbyn y Gorchymyn Rheilffordd Ysgafn a gallai fod wedi'i orffen yn ystod 1997. Fe fydd y gwaith i gyfeiriad Rhyd Ddu'n cychwyn unwaith y ceir y Gorchymyn Cludiant a Gweithfeydd. Fe fydd dyroddi grant Cronfa'r Mileniwm yn ein galluogi i gyraedd Rhyd Ddu yn ystod 1999. Yna mae'n debyg y byddwn yn cychwyn gweithio o Borthmadog drwy Feddgelert ac ymlaen dros y rhan droellog drwy'r goedwig hyd at y copa yn Rhyd Ddu, gan orffen y rheilffordd, o bosibl, erbyn 2005.
Fe fydd y peirianwaith suful, a'i werth o gwmpas 3 miliwn rhwng Caernarfon a'r Rhyd Ddu, yn cael ei wneud yn bennaf o dan gontract. Fe anogir cwmniau lleol i gynnig ceisiadau ac i ddefnyddio gweithwyr medrus lleol a chynnig hyfforddiant i eraill. Mae'n bosibl y caiff seilweithiau eu hailgyweirio drwy is-gontractio ar wahân. Mae'n debyg mai ffensio fydd y gweithgarwch cynta ynglyn â gwely'r rheilffordd, a'i ddilyn gan ailraddio a pharatoi ffurfiant y gwely yn ôl y galw. Pan osodir y cledrau'n derfynol efallai y defnyddir adnoddau contract a rhai gwirfoddol. Bydd Swyddogion Arolygu'r Rheilffyrdd yn archwilio'r rheilffordd cyn iddi agor.
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