Porthmadog Gwynedd Wales - Fatter passengers have forced a Gwynedd railway to redesign its carriages to hold fewer and larger seats.
 
This week, the Daily Post reported on Anthony Poppel, who was turned away from the Snowdon Mountain Railway after "large" passengers took up all the room in his allotted carriage.
 
Now, the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway, which runs from Caernarfon to Blaenau Ffestiniog, has told the Post that bigger passengers have led to changes on its trains in recent years.
 
Andrew Thomas from the railway said, "Some of our previous carriages dated back around 100 years, and it's quite apparent from their design that the general populace tended to be both thinner and shorter back then. Larger customers are something we're always conscious of, but we have managed to avoid a similar situation to what's been reported this week by adapting our newest carriages to tackle these challenges. What this means, of course, is that while the seats are bigger in size, we aren't able to fit as many in the carriages. For example, while the old-style carriage would be capable of carrying, say, 40 passengers, they can now only carry around 30. But that's what's necessary to meet the challenges in this day and age, which also include ensuring satisfactory wheelchair access and widening the steps to board the trains."
 
However, a spokesman for another Gwynedd attraction said they had not noticed a trend towards larger visitors.
 
Speaking on behalf of Greenwood Forest Park in Y Felinheli, she said, "We haven't come across any problems with this issue."
 
Following Mr. Poppel's inability to board the train, the Snowdon Mountain Railway apologized for the inconvenience.
 
A spokesman said, "More than 130,000 passengers travel on Snowdon's narrow gauge railway every year. On the day of Mr. Poppel's visit, a family of four occupied the full width of his carriage due to their physical size and weight, taking the space normally reserved for five people. We requested that they sit opposite one another but they refused. We did everything we could to accommodate Mr. Poppel and we apologize for any disappointment he experienced."
 
Gareth Wyn-Williams.