Heat forces railway to cancel all Saturday services

Llangollen and Corwen Railway has taken the difficult decision to cancel all train services on Saturday following a detailed inspection of the railway and continued assessment of the forecast extreme temperatures across North Wales.

The decision follows the cancellation of the railway's Heritage Railcar services on Thursday and Friday and has been made following advice from the railway's operations, engineering and safety teams.

The railway has stressed that the safety of passengers, volunteers and staff remains its overriding priority. All customers with bookings for Saturday will receive a full refund and are being contacted directly by the railway.

David Hennigan, Trust Manager at the Llangollen and Corwen Railway, said, "This has been an exceptionally difficult week for everyone connected with the railway. Earlier this week we took the decision to cancel our Heritage Railcar services on Thursday and Friday. Following a further detailed inspection of the railway and continued assessment of the forecast temperatures, we have now also taken the difficult decision to cancel Saturday's services.

"These decisions have not been taken lightly. The safety of our passengers, volunteers and staff is absolutely critical and must always come before anything else. Whilst we know many people will be disappointed, we have a responsibility to operate safely and responsibly. I would like to thank everyone for the understanding they have shown during what has been an extremely challenging period. We are particularly grateful to our volunteers, whose professionalism and commitment throughout this week has been outstanding.

"The positive news is that, following further technical advice and our continued monitoring of conditions, we are planning to resume services on Sunday behind our popular Class 26 diesel locomotive. We are also looking forward to welcoming passengers on our Afternoon Tea Trains and Fish & Chip Trains, which will operate as planned.

"Looking further ahead, next weekend's Classic Transport Weekend remains unaffected. It is one of the highlights of our calendar and we are looking forward to welcoming hundreds of exhibitors and visitors to what promises to be another fantastic event."

The railway has confirmed that Sunday's services are expected to operate behind the Class 26 diesel locomotive, with both the popular Afternoon Tea Trains and Fish & Chip Trains running as advertised.

Customers affected by Saturday's cancellation will automatically receive a full refund. 

The Llangollen and Corwen Railway has thanked passengers for their patience and understanding during the period of extreme weather and will continue to monitor conditions closely.

For the latest service information, passengers are encouraged to visit the railway's website and follow its official social media channels.

Ambulance service declares critical incident

Following a period of sustained and significant demand, the Welsh Ambulance Service declared a critical incident at 12:00 on Friday, 26 June.

At the time the incident was declared, there were a significant number of outstanding 999 calls awaiting an ambulance response, including patients with serious and life-threatening conditions.

The declaration follows one of the busiest periods of sustained pressure the service has experienced this year.

Call volume this week has increased by 31% compared to the same period two weeks ago, with yesterday more than 50% higher. In this week alone, the Service has received around 400 more emergency 999 calls per day.

The declaration is in conjunction with increased pressure being seen across the wider NHS in Wales, following the current spell of hot weather.

Judith Bryce, Assistant Director of Operations, said: “By declaring a critical incident, it allows our teams to focus our efforts and resources on patients who are experiencing the most serious and life-threatening emergencies.

“People contacting us with less serious conditions are likely to experience longer waits. In some cases, patients may be clinically assessed and advised to seek alternative care, rather than an ambulance being dispatched.

“We are asking the public to support us during this time by only calling 999 in a genuine, life‑threatening emergency.”

If you are unwell or have a minor injury, you can visit the NHS 111 Wales website or try Albot - The NHS Wales Digital assistant, which can help you find answers to most questions and can help you access the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

Although temperatures are expected to fall over the coming days, demand for ambulance services is expected to remain high.

The Trust will continue to implement all available measures to restore normal service as quickly and safely as possible.

While the warm weather continues, the Welsh Ambulance Service is encouraging people to take simple steps to protect their health by staying hydrated, avoiding prolonged exposure during the hottest parts of the day, and checking in on vulnerable friends, family members and neighbours.

The Trust would like to thank the public for their patience and understanding, and our staff for their continued professionalism and dedication during this exceptionally challenging period.

Pollution in the Dee is back, confirms environment watchdog

llanblogger exclusive

Pollution in the River Dee through Llangollen is back, according to Natural Resources Wales.

In May llanblogger published a special report featuring claims that some form of pollutant was coming from upstream of the Horseshoe Falls, dirty foam was collecting in eddies of water and on rocks and about 20 kayakers had become sick with serious gastro-intestinal problems during a river festival in April.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, which are jointly responsible for the Dee, both said their expert teams would work to find out what was causing the problem.

A few weeks later both organisations reported that the cause had been found to be a misconnection issue where a private wastewater pipe was connected to the incorrect surface water drainage network.

Philip Barrett, Senior Officer, Denbighshire Environment Team at NRW, said at the time: "The misconnection issue has been raised with Denbighshire County Council, and a separate operator has carried out repair works to a damaged section of a wastewater inspection chamber."

However, llanblogger has been hearing since that pollution continues to blight the river and early this morning (Friday) representatives of NRW, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and Denbighshire County Council could be seen conferring near the bridge.

A spokesperson from NRW said: "Recent investigations into the odour and fungal growth at the Llangollen outfall found that the situation had been improving.

"Following further reports on this, we have identified that the issue has returned. We attended the site on 26 June with Denbighshire Council and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water to try and determine the source of the issue. Samples have been collected and the investigations are continuing. 

“If anyone suspects a pollution incident, please report it to our 24-hour incident line on 03000 65 3000 or by using our online form."

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and Denbighshire Council have also been asked to comment.

* llanblogger took this picture of what appears to be a patch of foam or scum floating on the water's surface near the bridge this morning. NRW has been asked to say whether it is connected to the latest pollution incident.

Woman says iphone saved her life after Horseshoe Pass car plunge

A mum who plunged 330ft off the Horseshoe Pass in her car says her iPhone saved her life - after it triggered a 999 call.

* For the full story, see the Denbighshire Free Press at: https://www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk/news/26219097.survivor-thanks-iphone-330ft-horseshoe-pass-plunge/

Bike bus is back in the saddle

* The sun was back out, the sky was blue and the traffic was light. In all, it was the perfect morning earlier today (Friday) for the famous Llangollen bike bus of cycling youngsters and parents to make its latest trip to school via Abbey Road, Castle Street, Bridge Street, St Collen's car park and Regent Street, Brook Street and Pengwern.

DJ Pete Tong brings a hot taste of Ibiza to Llangollen

* Pete Tong at the turntable. ALL PICTURES CUFFE & TAYLOR. 

The sun-soaked shores of Ibiza came to North Wales as dance music pioneer Pete Tong brought his world-renowned Ibiza Classics show to TK Maxx presents Live At Llangollen Pavilion last night (Thursday) as part of his summer run of dates.  

Alongside the Essential Orchestra, the capacity crowd were treated to a full-on summer dance party - complete with the Mediterranean temperatures.

Arriving on stage Pete and the orchestra made their intentions pretty clear blasting out Right Here Right Now, before performing a string of dance music hits including Lola’s Theme, Children, Where Love Lives, Toca’s Miracle, Rhythm of the Night, Zombie Nation, Insomnia and Freed From Desire before ending on Sandstorm and Cafe Del Mar. An encore of Don’t You Worry Child and You Got The Love ended the 90-minute set. 

 

Award-winning DJ Paulette kicked off the night warming up the crowd with a set of dance party anthems. 

 

TK Maxx presents Live at Llangollen Pavilion 2026 continues tonight (Friday) with a huge headline show from David Gray.

* The Essential Orchestra in action.

* DJ Paulette opens the show.

* Above and below: fans loving it.

Discounted travel on the railway for veterans on Armed Forces Day

* Retired Royal Engineers Lieutenant Colonel Huw Parker is a steam locomotive driver at Llangollen and Corwen Railway.

This Saturday, June 27 is Armed Forces Day, held to recognise the service and sacrifice of the men and women who have served, and continue to serve.

And Llangollen and Corwen Railway will be celebrating this important occasion by continuing their tradition of offering discounted travel to all current and former Armed Services personnel on its trains. 

The celebration has been championed by Lieutenant Colonel Huw Parker, a Llangollen and Corwen volunteer for over 40 years and highly decorated former army officer. 

He has provided the Armed Forces Day flag that will be proudly flown and displayed at the railway for the day.

 

Huw said: “There has always been a strong connection between Britain's railways and the Armed Forces. From transporting troops and supplies during times of conflict to supporting national resilience in times of peace, railways have played a vital role in our nation's history. 

"Equally, many veterans have gone on to make significant contributions to the railway industry, bringing with them invaluable skills, leadership and experience. The Armed Forces Day flag is a fitting symbol of our appreciation for the service and sacrifice made by military personnel past and present."

 

Llangollen Railway supports the Armed Forces community throughout the whole year, offering a 10% discount on on-the-day fares for both serving and retired members of the forces upon presentation of a valid military identification card.

 

On Father's Day the railway welcomed Major Brian Harper with his family. 

And railway officials say they were fascinated to learn that, not only did Brian serve for an astonishing 47 years in the British Army, but he also worked as a fireman on the Ruabon-Barmouth Railway whilst it was still part of the national network. 

Leaving the railway for the Army in 1955, Brian embarked on a remarkable journey of service to his country. It was an honour to host Brian some 70y years after he hung up his firing shovel to travel on the railway again. Later this year Brian will celebrate his 90^th birthday and still sings bass with the Shrewsbury Male Voice Choir.

 

David Hennigan, Trust Manager at the Railway, said: “It was a true honour to have met Brian just a week before Armed Services Day, he really is an inspirational fellow. His story perfectly illustrates why Heritage Railways like the Llangollen & Corwen Railway matter. 

"They are not simply about locomotives, stations and infrastructure; they are about people, memories and the extraordinary lives that have intersected with our railway over generations. We can’t wait to welcome more inspirational folk from our armed services on Saturday along with their families and hope that they enjoy their day with us."

 

The railway is operating a reduced, diesel-hauled timetable on both Saturday June 27 and 28 due to the ongoing hot and dry weather.

 

Train times and advanced tickets are available from our website at: https://llangollen-railway.co.uk/timetable/

 

Discounted travel is available to all current and former Armed Services personnel throughout the year upon production of a valid military identification or veteran’s card.