Tywyn’s Talyllyn Railway car park is getting a new pay and display machine to replace its problematic one.

The machine’s issues were highlighted to the ‘Cambrian News’ by Dr Simon Spencer from Llanfyllin, Powys, who travelled to Tywyn to celebrate his 20th wedding anniversary with a trip to Tyn y Cornel, Dolgoch Falls and Talyllyn Railway.

But the car park at the latter marred the experience, as Dr Spencer explained.

“The car park at Tywyn for Tallyllyn Railway has a dysfunctional parking machine.

“You should be able to pay by coins but it rejects most coins.

“You are supposed to be able to pay by phone but that didn't work for most of us.

“If a greedy council want to make money from the parking they should at least provide a functional ticket machine not one that rejects most coins and doesn't take cards.

“The paybyphone option didn't work either.

“This spoilt a lovely day out.

“We put dozens of coins in and they were almost all rejected.

“We finally got a two-hour ticket. Huge queue lots of stress. Train waiting. Others tried pay by phone and failed. it doesn't take cards.”

A spokesperson for Tywyn Town Council, which is responsible for the machine, said: “The council has been aware of occasional issues with the pay and display machine not correctly accepting coin payments at the Cambrian Road Car Park this year.

“Each report has been investigated by the council with engineering support called upon when required.

“On a number of occasions, the issue has been foreign coins jamming the mechanism. We have, however, not received any reports of the PayByPhone app not working.

“Due to the age of the machine, the council has placed an order for a new machine, which being a more modern design, will reduce out of service incidents and will also accept contactless card payments.”