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North Wales Live readers are amazed that a frustrated tour operator has vowed to stop recommending the famous Snowdon Mountain Railway to his customers after a series of disappointing experiences. Andy Lamb, who runs Wales Outdoors, said he had grown tired of last-minute service cancellations and “steamy, leaking windows” on the trains. After he voiced his complaints online, opinions were split — some sympathised with his frustration, while others mocked him for expecting modern comforts on a historic train with wooden seats and vinyl upholstery. Mr Lamb, a qualified mountain guide, founded Wales Outdoors 30 years ago, earning multiple awards over the years. His business regularly organises trips up Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), often using the mountain’s rack-and-pinion railway. But after a recent trip was cut short due to high winds preventing the train from reaching the summit, he said he’d had enough. He recalled that two years earlier, a group of 30 Dutch tourists had also been let down when their service was cancelled because of mechanical problems. The Snowdon Mountain Railway said it is working to improve its customer service during weather-related disruptions. It is also upgrading its IT systems to better handle group bookings, communication, and customer support. Mr Lamb said he was assured just 45 minutes before his group arrived in Llanberis that their 4pm train was still running, but when they reached the station, staff warned it might not reach the summit because of the wind. Despite being offered full refunds, the group chose to travel anyway. He also claimed that rain leaked into the carriages, windows fogged up so badly passengers could barely see outside, and that the driver had to repeatedly wipe his own window with a towel to see the track. The railway explained that, unlike modern trains, its heritage carriages are more exposed to the elements. Some are open-air or have drainage gaps, meaning conditions can be damp, especially after rain. A spokesperson said passenger safety would always come first: “When wind speeds exceed our strict operational safety thresholds, summit services are suspended. This may disappoint visitors, but safety must always take precedence.” Commenter ThePickledLiver asks: “Is it unacceptable? "£45 for a service where it is accepted you’ll see nothing and that rain is coming into the carriage and making your seat wet"? Well, maybe if you were on Eurostar, then yes! But if you are on a heritage ride up a mountain, and were aware of the possibility when boarding, then no.” Haroc agrees: “The train operator's number one priority is to the safety of the driver and passengers, and if they say no go, then it’s no go! It’s not open for debate from anyone else to ridicule that decision! When you ride an old train you get the authentic version and experience because that’s how they were built back in the day, open to the elements. If those elements are considered unsafe, then the trip is cancelled or shortened and refunds are offered, can’t say fairer than that can you?” Jonesey1 thinks: “Unfortunately you see this around the tourist traps of Wales, where for years business owners have been very happy to accept customers' cash, but have spent very little on the upkeep of their premises, or in this case on their trains’ carriages. Regardless of how ‘authentic an experience’ bystanders think the Snowdon train ride should be, many passengers take the train because they don’t want to walk up the mountain and they want to do it in comfort not with a desire to emulate their Victorian forbears." Alisonep points out: “It's a mountain not a theme park, nature built the mountain and nature comes with weather !” Caver13 agrees: “Come on, it's a classic mountain railway. What was he expecting, silver service, leather seats, toilets and a sunny view from the summit? If you can't see the summit from Llanberis, there's a high likelihood you're not going to get a view from the top. It's October, it's mountainous, mountains make their own weather.” TheBlank adds: “Oh dear, ‘old train on wet, misty mountains is wet and misty’. Toughen up!” Lj1947 writes: “I'm really into steam, and heritage railways. However I've never been a fan of this one, I think it detracts from the beauty of the summit. It's an unpopular opinion but I think the track bed would be better repurposed as a path for walkers. However it does bring in a lot of tourist money, and it does give people without the ability to walk up Yr Wyddfa an opportunity to experience the summit. So it does have some merit. “I've never been up on the train, even though I've walked to the top more times than I can count. If I did I'd expect a rugged mountain heritage railway experience, not five star comfort, and I'm sure that's what it offers. Complaining about clouds and wind at the top is absolutely ridiculous. I'm not sure the £45 ticket extends to divine intervention.” Courseitis grumbles: “They'll be expecting a McDonalds at the summit next.” Have you taken a trip on the mountain railway? Did it live up to your expectations? Share your thoughts in the comments.
