Please note. The period of validity of the National Network timetables has
changed.
Any times and travel details given apply only for the currency of the timetable
valid until May 17 2008.
Valley Lines services operated by Arriva Trains Wales run over about 68 miles of track
and serves 67 stations, many of which have Park and Ride facilities to encourage drivers
to park their cars and not to drive into already congested town centres.
Over the last ten years or so, Valley Lines has worked in partnership with local
authorities to revamp and expand the once run-down local rail network to become an
essential element of business and leisure transport for the communities on its routes. Bus
feeder services are used to link outlying villages with the railway at selected stations.
Trains
operated by Valley Lines are in a distinctive red, white and green livery, and consist of
six Class 150 Sprinter units and thirty Class 142/3 Pacers (left). The Sprinters carry
views of tourist attractions and places of interest along the Valley Routes, while many of
the Pacers carry nameplates, including one to Tom Jones, the swivel-hipped singer who was
born at Pontypridd, near the Valley Lines station of that name.
The last of the fleet was refurbished in March 2003 and was named Myfanwy in a ceremony on March 17. The nameplate was unveiled by seven-year-old Myfanwy Lewis and Mrs Valerie Bird, the latter having chosen the name in a newspaper competition. Myfanwy is the subject of one of Wales' most famous songs, which was composed by 19th century hymn-writer Joseph Parry, whose cottage can be visited about a mile from the station at Merthyr Tydfil, and whose grave is in the churchyard of St Augustine's on Penarth Head.
At Cardiff Central, Valley Lines connects with the national rail network, and services operated by Wales and Borders and First Great Western Trains.
Fares
There is a simplified fare structure, with the routes divided into five zones (a sixth
zone covers the route to Maesteg, west of the Valley Lines area). Single tickets are
available before 9:00 on weekdays, while for same-day return travel Cheap Day tickets are
available. Children under 5 travel free while those between 5 and 15 travel at a reduced
rate.
In conjunction with local authorities and the Employment Agency, Valley Lines also offers
reduced-rate travel on Valley Line services to unemployed jobseekers.
One of the best travel bargains available to all, however, is the Explorer ticket which
allows unlimited travel on the Valley Lines network and feeder buses, as well as
Stagecoach Rhondda and Stagecoach Red and White in the area. Ticket holders can also
obtain discounts of up to 20% and free child places at many tourist attractions on the
network. Explorer tickets cost £6 for adults, and £3 for children.
The Treherbert branch runs from Pontypridd along the Rhondda Fawr (Big Rhondda) valley, once synonymous throughout the world with coal mining.
Please note. The period of validity of the National Network timetables has
changed.
Any times and travel details given apply only for the currency of the
timetable valid until May 17 2008.
From Treherbert, Monday to Saturday services to Cardiff
operate half-hourly at 17 and 47 minutes past the hour between 05.47am and
7.47pm, then at 8.47pm, 9.47pm and 9.47pm.
On Sundays, there are two-hourly departures at 17 minutes past the hour between
8.17am and 8.17pm.
From Cardiff Central, Monday to Saturday, there are half-hourly
departures at 6 and 36 minutes past the hour between 6.36am and 7.36pm, and at
8.36pm, 9.36pm and 10.46pm.
On Sundays, there are two-hourly departures between 9.06am and 9.06pm. and at
10.06pm.
Special fares and/or timetables will apply to all Valley Line services on event days at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Other stations to Pontypridd (with journey times in minutes) are: Ynyswen (2 mins);
Treorchy (4); Ton Pentre (6); Ystrad Rhondda (9); Llwynypia (13); Tonypandy (15); Dinas
(17); Porth (21); Trehafod (24); and Pontypridd (29). Select here for stations between
Cardiff and Pontypridd.
At Treherbert there are bus links to Blaenrhondda and Blaencwm, while at Ystrad Rhondda
there is a bus feeder which runs over Penrhys mountain to serve villages in the Rhondda
Fach (Little Rhondda) valley.
Trehafod
The gateway to the Rhondda (despite the literal translation of Porth, the
next station up the line), the community nestles in a hollow at the foot of the valley,
the railway elevated above it. The Rhondda Heritage Park (pictured right, as seen from a
passing train) has been developed around the pit head of Lewis Merthyr colliery, which
closed in 1983. Former miners are the guides, giving personal as well as historical
accounts of life underground. Exhibits and audio-visual presentations recreate the
domestic and cultural life of the community in the heyday of coalmining. The 'Energy Zone'
is a theme-based adventure playground for children, and there is also an art gallery and
conference centre. Adjoining the site is the recently-built Heritage Park Hotel. Towards
Pontypridd, Hetty Pit is also part of the complex, but plans to link the two sites by
steam railway have been shelved.
Porth
A bustling town at the convergence of the two Rhondda valleys, its name translates as
'gateway'. The main centre is Hannah Street, a quiz-question favourite as the only
shopping thoroughfare in the Rhondda without a public house! Once famed, not so much for
taking the waters, as providing them, it was the home of Thomas and Evans provision
merchants, who made the range of 'Corona' soft drinks. To the left of the train, at the
outskirts of the town, Thomas and Evans's tower is still a landmark, and although the
company ceased trading many years ago, the building, now known as the Pop Factory,
is still in use as media centre, producing audio and visual presentations for broadcast
and domestic release. An open-air market is held on the site of Cymmer Colliery. Cymmer -
this name means convergence of two rivers - the hillside community above Porth was the
site of one of the valley's earliest - and largest - congregational chapels, which was
dismantled stone-by-stone and is to be rebuilt at the Rhondda Heritage Park (see Trehafod
above).
Dinas (Mid Glam)
Mainly residential, the station also serves Lower Trealaw and 'Y Pymer' district of
Penygraig. It was here that the Rhondda first deep mine was sunk by Walter Coffin in 1822.
In the forecourt of the block of maisonettes across the river from the station, a concrete
capstone marks the shaft of one of the later pits on the site. In Lower Trealaw,
Maes-yr-haf, a recreational centre founded by the Quakers and once very important in the
cultural life of the community, still exists, though now council-run and much contracted.
Garth Park - built by local unemployed miners during the depression - once a pleasant
retreat offering swimming, bowls, tennis and football - was allowed to become overgrown
and derelict, but there is a clean-up underway. Without the swimming and football,
Penygraig Park on the opposite side of the valley still hints at the formal type of
municipal park, once prevalent throughout the Rhondda, which has its bowling green intact.
Tonypandy
Once known as Tonypandy and Trealaw station, the station actually stands in Trealaw, the
river forming the boundary between the two communities. Tonypandy, however, is undoubtedly
the most important of the two, famous - or infamous, according to your point of view - for
the 1910 riots, when troops were called to quell civil and industrial unrest in the
coalfield. Though peaceful now, the action of the then Home Secretary, Winston Churchill,
still raises the hackles of some of its older citizens. The partially pedestrianised main
shopping street begins almost outside the station, and extends for nearly a mile. Behind
the pedestrianised section is an outdoor market, while the Theatre Royal (locally known as
the Town Hall), one of Rhondda's earliest places of entertainment, has been converted into
an indoor market.
The bus station is at the other end of town from the railway station, where a side valley
leads to Clydach Vale, location of the Rhondda's last major mining disaster at the
Cambrian Colliery where 31 men lost their lives in 1965. A memorial marks the pit shaft,
but the site has been landscaped with a modern housing complex.
To the south, is Penygraig. Here, the Naval Colliery once bordered the railway from Dinas
to Tonypandy, but the site of the pithead buildings is today occupied by Penygraig Rugby
Club's field, and a number of light industrial units. A new public house - called the Lord
Tonypandy, after one of mid-Rhondda's famous sons: George Thomas, Member of Parliament and
Speaker of the House of Commons - now stands on the site of the colliery screens where
loaded wagons lined up to begin their journey to the docks at Cardiff. On the mountainside
above Penygraig - which offers strenuous but pleasant walking - is Mid-Rhondda
Comprehensive School, built on the site of yet another former colliery, Nantgwyn.
Trealaw retains little of its character of yester-year. Always predominantly a dormitory
of Tonypandy, it nevertheless had an identity of its own. Now, with many of its chapels
and cultural centres closed down, it is mainly residential save for Judge's Hall, a Bingo
and Snooker community centre, adjoining the station.
Llwynypia
Glyncornel Lake and Sports Centre are a little distance from the station, with archery
club and Youth Hostel. Spectacular forest walks can be found on the mountainside beyond.
Towards Tonypandy, the Engine House of the Glamorgan Colliery - known to locals as Scotch
Colliery - is preserved, though no-one seems to know what to do with it. Closer to
Tonypandy, Llwynypia Library Club has been demolished, but in the grounds, is still the
sadly neglected statue of Archibald Hood, imperiously pointing toward the Glamorgan
Colliery complex which he founded. Unusually enlightened for a colliery owner, around him
are the terraces he built for his workers, replete with gardens. East from the station are
residential areas and light-industrial factories, while Llwynypia Hospital nestles on the
mountainside, atop which is Penrhys housing estate (see Ystrad Rhondda), and Penrhys Golf
Club. St. Mary's Well and the statue of Our Lady Of Penrhys, are Roman Catholic shrines of
pilgrimage, once attended by thousands of worshippers every year. At Pontrhondda is a
Technical College, while at the far end of Gelligaled Park is Ystrad Sports Centre (see
Ystrad Rhondda below)
Ystrad Rhondda
The
newest (with Ynyswen) station on the branch, it was opened in 1988. This is the location
of the only passing loop on the branch, and trains wait here for the service in the
opposite direction before proceeding (pictured right). A short distance down-line is
Ystrad Sports Centre, which offers swimming and a full range of indoor sports. Sports of
the outdoor variety - football, rugby and cricket - is catered for in surrounding
Gelligaled Park, which also has tree-lined walks and a children's paddling pool.
From the station forecourt, the Railink bus runs over the mountain to connect with
communities in the Rhondda Fach Valley.
The footbridge over the river opens out in Nantgwyddion Road, from where there is access
to extensive walks on the mountainside.
Ton Pentre
Until Ynyswen and Ystrad stations opened in 1988, this station was known as Ystrad
Rhondda, but was renamed as more appropriate to the community it served. The Phoenix
Cinema - run as a co-operative - was once the Ton Pentre Workmens' Hall.
Treorchy
World-famed for choral singing and brass bands, Treorchy
has developed on a broad floodplain - a rarity in the steeply contoured valley terrain -
and is the main shopping centre for the upper Rhondda Fawr. Immediately outside the
station is the Parc and Dare Theatre (pictured left), a beautifully restored former
Workmen's Hall, rapidly establishing itself as the cultural hub of valley communities. The
Parc and Dare collieries were situated at Cwmparc, set in a side valley to the west of
Treorchy. Running almost parallel to Cwmparc is the Bwlch (the Gap), a high mountain pass
which links the Rhondda with the neighbouring Llynfi and Ogmore valleys, and offers
splendid views for the agile summer visitor.
Ynyswen
Opened in 1988, the station serves a small industrial estate and nearby houses. A short
distance away is a Taff Vale Railway lattice footbridge, one of the increasingly rare
original artefacts which survive on the Branch.
Treherbert
Now the terminus of the branch, the line once continued to Blaenrhondda then tunnelled
through the mountain and on to Port Talbot, Aberavon and Swansea. There is little evidence
of the engine and carriage sheds that once stood here. Treherbert was part of the
Bute estate, a fact reflected in the names of many places and institutions in the town -
for example the Ninian Stuart Club is passed on the way to Bute Street. The Rhigos
mountain pass links the Rhondda with Aberdare, and like the Bwlch, offers splendid views.
Though, with varying degrees of ease, there is access to the open mountain moorland from
all of the stations along the route, Treherbert is the start of spectacular walks to
waterfalls at the head of the valley.
The Aberdare branch runs through the Cynon Valley, by which name the route is also
known.
A new station at Mountain Ash with two platforms linked by a ramped footbridge opened on
January 29, releasing the site of the old single platform station to redevelop access to
the main thoroughfare.
Please note. The period of validity of the National Network timetables has
changed.
Any times and travel details given apply only for the currency of the
timetable valid until May 17 2008.
From Aberdare, Monday to Saturday services to Cardiff
operate half-hourly at 22 and 52 minutes past the hour between 06.22am and
9.52pm and at 10.52pm.
On Sundays, there are departures at 9.52am then two-hourly between 10.52am and 8.52pm.
From Cardiff Central, Monday to Saturday, there are half-hourly
departures at 11 and 41 minutes past the hour between 6.11am and 7.11pm, then
at 8.11pm, 8.41pm and 9.41pm and 10.41pm. There is also a 6.15am service between
Pontypridd and Aberdare.
On Sundays, there there is a service at 8.41am, then two-hourly departures between 9.41am and 7.41pm.
Special fares and/or timetables will apply to all Valley Line services on event days at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Other stations on the branch (with journey times from Aberdare in minutes) are: Cwmbach (3 minutes); Fernhill (6); Mountain Ash (9); Penrhiwceiber (12); Abercynon North (19); and Pontypridd (25). Select here for stations between
Cardiff and Pontypridd.
Pictured
(left) is a Valley Fun Days Pacer train crossing the River Cynon at Tynte, near
Penrhiwceiber
Stations along the route include the market towns of Aberdare and Mountain Ash.
Aberdare
The market is at the far end of the covered footbridge outside the station, which also
leads to the main shopping area. Close to the station are the swimming pool and Michael
Sobell leisure centre.
St John's Church is of great antiquity, in the churchyard of which David Watkins, who died
in 1789, is buried in a standing position so that, come resurrection day, he will be able
to get a head start on the rest of us!
A new retail and light-industrial complex has been built on the site of Gadlys iron works,
the surviving buildings of which have been turned into a museum.
In Trecynon, the Coliseum Cinema has been restored to its former glory, mixing top-class
live theatre with the latest cinema blockbusters. Nearby, Aberdare Park has wooded walks
and, for one weekend every Summer, stages the spectacular Aberdare Park
motorcycle Road Races.
Beyond the western edge of the town, the 500-acre Dare Valley Country Park has camping and
caravanning sites, which can be used as a base from which to explore the region. There is
a visitor and inheritance centre which allows hands-on investigation of Aberdare's natural
history and industrial past, while the park itself has facilities for fishing and pony
trekking. For ramblers and walkers there are several trails, including Coed Morgannwg Way,
a 33 mile trail which runs to Margam in the County of Neath and Port Talbot.
From the village of Penderyn, three miles outside the town, it is possible to
walk over mountain moorland to Ysgwyd-yr-eira (the Fall of Snow), a waterfall on
the Hepste River, remarkable because it is possible to walk behind the torrent
of water from one side of the valley to the other.
Hirwaun
Linked by feeder bus from Aberdare station, Hirwaun was the location of Tower Colliery, the last
deep mine in the once-extensive South Wales coalfield. A visitor centre at the mine tells
the story of how a successful employee buy-out saved the pit from certain closure when it
was put up for sale by British Coal. On January 25 2008, almost exactly thirteen
years after the proud miners marched for the first time to their pit, a
march in the opposite direction marked the closure of the pit after remaining
coal stocks became uneconomic to recover. Now the focus of a possible revival
for the coal industry shifts over the mountain into the Vale of Neath, where new
drift mines are due to open or already have been opened, although there remains
the possibility of Tower being the base for an opencast site in the area.
Whatever, the pithead winding gear (right) will remain at the site, a permanent
reminder of one of the most remarkable episodes in the history of South Wales
coalmining
Cwmbach
serves mainly residential areas, but there are also a number of small industrial units
close by. In a side valley to the south-west is Cwmaman, birthplace of Welsh
super-group the Stereophonics. At the opposite end of the cultural spectrum,
close by is the scenery and costume store of the Royal Opera House in London.
Fernhill
serves mainly residential areas, and also Mountain Ash Comprehensive School at
Dyffryn.
Mountain Ash
This is the second largest town in the Cynon Valley, though the cultural importance it
enjoyed with the celebrated choral and music festivals staged in the first half of the
Twentieth century has long evaporated. There is an outdoor market every Friday, but the highlight in
the town's calendar is the Nos Galan road races, run through the streets on December 31st
every year. The races commemorate legendary 19th-century athlete Guto Nythbran whose
statue stands in Oxford Street. He is buried, however, in the churchyard at Llanwonno,
reached by the mountain road which leads westward from the town.
Penrhiwceiber
is another station which serves residential communities.
Abercynon North
also serves residential communities, but there is also a sports and leisure centre.
A walk of some 200m leads to Abercynon South station, where connections to the Merthyr Tydfil branch can be made.
The Merthyr Tydfil Branch runs through the upper Taff Valley, and is the oldest line in South Wales, opened by the Taff Vale Railway in 1841.
Please note. The period of validity of the National Network timetables has
changed.
Any times and travel details given apply only for the currency of the
timetable valid until May 17 2008.
From Merthyr Tydfil, Monday to Saturday services to Cardiff
operate hourly at 39 minutes past the hour between 06.39am and
10.39pm.
On Sundays, there are two-hourly departures between 9.39am and 9.39pm.
From Cardiff Central, Monday to Saturday, the first train is hourly
at 26 minutes past the hour between 5.26am and 9.26pm.
On Sundays, there are two-hourly departures between 8.26am and 8.26pm.
Special fares and/or timetables will apply to all Valley Line services on event days at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Other stations on the branch (with journey times from Merthyr) are: Pentrebach (3 minutes); Troedyrhiw (6); Merthyr Vale ((9); Quakers Yard (14); Abercynon South (18) and Pontypridd (24). Select here for stations between Cardiff and Pontypridd.
...on the route include the town of Merthyr Tydfil itself,
which has many sites of historic significance such as Cyfarthfa Castle and the Ynysfach
engine house. Iron working made it the largest town in South Wales, until the late-1840s
when the growth of coal mining in the valleys areas led to the development of Cardiff as
one of the world's major ports. It was from the Penydarren ironworks that the world's
first steam-hauled train ran in 1804 when ten tons of pig iron and some seventy passengers
were hauled nine-and-a- half miles to join the Glamorgan Canal basin at Navigation House
(present-day Abercynon), and a number of
commemorative events were planned for the bicentenary in 2004.
Near Pentrebach station is the world's first railway tunnel through which the
Penydarren locomotive hauled its train on its pioneering run. At Tramroad in Merthyr
Tydfil and alongside the fire station in Abercynon are monuments commemorating the event;
while between Edwardsville (near Quakers Yard) and Mount Pleasant (near Merthyr
Vale) it is possible to walk part of the original route which, in places, still has
some of the stone rail chairs in situ (pictured left.
Rhydycar Sports Centre at Merthyr offers indoor leisure facilities, while all of the
stations on the route give access to the Taff Trail which runs from Cardiff to Brecon (the
section pictured right is near Aberfan). Designed specifically for cyclists and walkers,
walks of any length can be taken by getting off at one station and walking to another.
There is a cycle hire facility at Radyr (see Cardiff and Pontypridd
section below).
Across the valley from Merthyr Vale station is Aberfan cemetery, which
has a memorial to the 144 people (mostly children) who lost their lives in October 1966
when a colliery waste tip slid down the mountainside and engulfed the village primary
school.
Pontypridd to Cardiff
Known as the Taff corridor, the route remains close to the River Taff for most of its
length. At Pontypridd - which has one of the longest platforms in the United Kingdom - the
route diverges to serve the Treherbert and the Aberdare/ Merthyr Tydfil branches. One of
the busiest junctions on the network in the heyday of coal traffic, trains funnelled
through the station at three-minute intervals. Always a bottle-neck on the system,
congestion has been eased by the provision of a new Up platform, and a resignalling scheme
which was officially inaugurated on March 18th 1998.
1999 saw the completion of a complete upgrade of the station and infrastructure.
Please note. The period of validity of the National Network timetables has
changed.
Any times and travel details given apply only for the currency of the
timetable valid until May 17 2008.
Mondays to Saturdays, there are five/six trains an hour at roughly 10-minute intervals,
two of which travel to/from Treherbert, two to/from Aberdare and one to/from Merthyr
Tydfil.
On Sundays, trains from Pontypridd run two-hourly to Cardiff at 48 minutes past the hour
from Treherbert between 8.48am and 8.48pm; 24 minutes past the hour from
Aberdare at 10.24 then two-hourly between 11.24am and 9.24pm; and 9 minutes past the hour from Merthyr
Tydfil between 10.09pm and 10.09pm.
From Pontypridd, two-hourly Sunday trains to Treherbert leave at
36 minutes
past the hour between 9.36am and 10.36pm; to Aberdare at 9.11am, then at
11 minutes past the hour two-hourly between 10.11am and 8.11pm; and to Merthyr Tydfil
at 58 minutes past the hour between 8.58am and 8.58pm.
Special fares and/or timetables will apply to all Valley Line services on event days at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
The other stations on the route (with journey times from Pontypridd in minutes are: Treforest (2 minutes); Treforest Estate (limited service Monday to Friday) (6); Taffs Well (9); Radyr (12); Llandaf (15); Cathays (19); Cardiff Queen Street (22); Cardiff Central (26).
Places of interest
Places of Interest
Pontypridd
(called Newbridge until the 1860s) has a unique place in the industrial, cultural and
religious heritage of South Wales, all brought together in the Cultural and Historical
Centre housed, fittingly perhaps, in a converted chapel. The centre stands at one end of
the single-span bridge erected at the fourth attempt by William Edwards in 1746; the 'new
bridge' which gave the town its old name. In present-day Pontypridd, markets are held on
Wednesdays and Saturdays. In the terraces behind the station is Laura Street, birthplace
of Tom Jones, the 'sixties rock idol whose career shows no sign of flagging. Ynysangharad
Park offers swimming and paddling pools, tennis cricket, bowls and a putting green.
National pride, too, is exemplified here with a memorial to father and son Evan and John
James, the composers of Yr Hen Wlad Fy Nhaddau (Land of my Fathers), the Welsh National
Anthem.
Above the park, on the common, is the rocking stone and druidic circle, a reminder of the
1926 eisteddfod. There is another druidic connection in Glyntaff Road where the 'round
houses' once guarded the home of nineteenth century mystic Dr William Price who
scandalised the neighbourhood by holding satanic rituals on the common. Even this paled in
comparison to the outcry when he burnt the remains of his son, named Iesu Grist (the Welsh
form of Jesus Christ), who died in infancy. The Doctor's subsequent trial paved the
way to the legalisation of cremation as a means of disposing of human remains.
It is only by coincidence that
Treforest
is the location of Glyntaf Crematorium, close to which is the Pontypridd College of Art,
Design and Technology. Outside the station, the former school of mining has now evolved
into the University of Glamorgan. From the train, on the left-hand side, the embankment
built by the Cardiff Railway, which became the subject of bitter controversy with the Taff
Vale Railway, can be seen just beyond the children's playground. It was used by only one
train.
Treforest Estate
serves an industrial complex opened in 1936, the first such estate in Wales built to
counter the effects of the Great Depression.
The name Taffs Well
provides a clue to the town's almost-forgotten eminence as a mid-Victorian spa, though the
well itself still exists in the park which is a little over half-a-mile north of the
station. In the opposite direction, in the village of Tongwynlais, is Castell Coch (the
Red Castle) built on the ruin of a thirteenth century castle and modelled on a Rhineland
chateau as a summer retreat and hunting lodge for the Marquis of Bute, whose town 'house'
was at Cardiff Castle. The architect was William Burges, whose work includes Cardiff
Castle itself, the library of Hartford University in Connecticut, and stained glass
windows at Cork Cathedral in Ireland. The grounds of the Castle have free access and a
number of pleasant walks, but care should be exercised to the west where a quarry
with a sheer drop awaits the unwary.
Radyr
was an important marshalling yard on the valleys network, in the heyday of the coal
traffic era. Today, the yard is closed and housing development is taking place on the
land, and it serves only as a connecting point for passenger trains on City Line. The station has been shortened, with a third platform
face introduced as part of resignalling on the City Line, and the route to Queen Street
via Llandaff.
The village cricket pitch is just outside the station, and there are pleasant walks along
the River Taff to Radyr Weir (pictured right) where salmon may be seen leaping in season.
The path also gives access to the Forest Farm and Glamorganshire Canal nature reserves.
Llandaf
station is more conveniently located for the village of Whitchurch, rather than for
Llandaf Cathedral as may be presumed. Nevertheless, the Cathedral can be reached, either
by bus or on foot. Along the way, rowers from Llandaf Rowing Club often add a touch of
colour when glimpsed from the bridge over the Taff, or from the riverside pathway.
Cathays
is convenient for the northern end of Cathays Park, which includes the Welsh
Office, the Temple of Peace, and the College of Music and Drama, behind which is
Coopers Field and Bute Park. Outside the station is the University College and
the Sherman Theatre. Just before the station is reached, the site of Cathays
Carriage and Wagon Works is seen on the left. The oldest such works in
existence, it was much slimmed down before its final closure.
Cardiff Queen Street
is the station which serves the eastern end of the city centre, giving access to the
shopping thoroughfare of Queen Street, and the Capital Shopping Mall. It is also the
interchange for trains serving the Rhymney Valley and Cardiff Bay.
Cardiff Central
is Cardiff's main railway station, which links to the national network, with trains
operated by Central Trains, Great Western Trains
and the Virgin Trains company
The line was built by the Bute estate and opened in 1858, but the original route to
Cardiff ran via present-day Aber to join the Taff Vale Railway's branch at Taff's Well.
Any involvement with the fractious TVR was fraught with potential acrimony, and the
Rhymney Railway's agreement was no exception. Taff Vale accusations that Rhymney Railway
traffic received preferential treatment at Bute Docks were countered by a Rhymney Railway
challenge to the surcharge which the Taff Vale placed on trains using the shared track.
The Rhymney Railway sought to open its own direct route into Cardiff, but cash flow
problems resulting from the slower-than-anticipated development of the Upper Rhymney
Valley coalfield, and, subsequently, the hitting of a hidden spring while driving a tunnel
through the Caerphilly mountain, meant that it was not until 1871 that the new route
opened and dependency on the TVR ceased.
Please note. The period of validity of the National Network timetables has
changed.
Any times and travel details given apply only for the currency of the
timetable valid until May 17 2008.
From Rhymney, Monday to Saturday services to Cardiff
operate at 6.14am, 6.33am, 7.02am, 7.24am, 7.44am and 8.30am, then hourly at 29 minutes past the hour between 09.29am and
5.29pm, and at 8.33pm and 9.33pm
On Sundays, there are two-hourly departures between 9.29am and 7.29pm.
From Cardiff Central, Monday to Saturday, there are trains at 6.16am,
6.46am, 7.16am and 8.01am to Bargoed, then hourly
to Rhymney at 16 minutes past the hour between 8.16am and 4.16pm, then 5.01pm,
5.31pm, 5.46pm, 6.31pm, 7.31pm, 8.31pm, 9.31pm and 10.35pm.
On Sundays, there are two-hourly departures at 16 minutes past the hour between
10.16am and 8.16pm then at 9.16pm.
Special fares and/or timetables will apply to all Valley Line services on event days at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Stations on the branch (with journey times from Rhymney) are :
Pontlottyn (2 mins); Tir Phil (7); Brithdir (9); Bargoed (13); Gilfach Fargoed (16);
Pengam (18); Hengoed (22); Ystrad Mynach (24); Llanbradach (30); Aber (35); Caerphilly
(37); Lisvane and Thornhill (42); Llanishen (44); Heath High Level (46); and Cardiff Queen
Street (50).
From Queen Street station the line heads north through the suburbs of Cathays and
Roath. Shortly before
Heath High Level
is reached, trees at the northern edge of Roath Park can be seen, while the suburb of
Cyncoed rises from the shallow valley beyond.
From Heath High Level, the train travels high above the village over Three Arches viaduct
beyond which there are extensive views of north-western Cardiff and, ahead, Caerphilly
mountain through which the track will later tunnel.
Passing under a rusticated arched bridge, the train enters
Llanishen station, serving a mainly residential area
then on through a high cutting to
Lisvane and Thornhill
Close by is Cefn On park - famed for its in-season displays of rhododendron and azaleas -
and Lisvane Tennis Club.
Soon, the train enters Caerphilly Tunnel, at just over a mile in length, the longest of
the two tunnels on the Valley network (the other is at Cogan).
Emerging from the tunnel,
the train track curves west to enter Caerphilly station.
Caerphilly...
...is famed throughout the world for its cheese and the imposing castle (pictured left)
which dominates the northern part of the town. The castle is second only to Windsor as the
largest in Europe. Started in the latter half of the 13th century, it is one of the best
examples of the concentric castle style introduced to Britain by the returning Crusaders.
Its inner and outer wards were further fortified by a moat and earthwork defences on an
island in the lake which protects its western flank. Its most famous feature, the Leaning
Tower - 80 ft high and 13 ft from the vertical - is believed to result from a gunpowder
assault during the Civil War, though to which army the 'credit' should be given is
uncertain.
Opposite the castle, is the new shopping precinct.
The station is part of the interchange which links the surrounding area to the
railway from the bus station.
Cheese-making has recently return to the town after an absence of several decades.
From Caerphilly the track again heads northward first to
Aber
where a side valley leads to Senghenydd, the scene of the British coalfield's greatest
disaster in 1913 when 439 men and boys were killed in an underground explosion at the
Universal Colliery - and then to
Llanbradach.
Beyond here, the route is almost rural with the occasional conurbation superimposed on the
route.
Ystrad Mynach
is the largest of these, the approach to the station heralded (on the left) by Ystrad
Mynach signal box, unusual in the complex system of levers and pivots which transfers the
signaller's actions down the embankment on which the box is perched, to the infrastructure
at the bottom. A few miles to the west is Llancaiach Fawr, a reputedly-haunted manor house
where visitors are greeted and entertained in the style of the English Civil War period.
Hengoed
station is overshadowed by Maesycymmer viaduct which spans the valley, while the ambiguous
rural/urban character of the valley is exemplified at
Pengam
which has a farm on one side of the station, and houses and factories on the other.
Gilfach Fargoed
is the Valley Lines equivalent of Budapest, and serves the communities of Gilfach (to the
west) and Bargoed to the north.
Bargoed
was once an important junction for the long-closed branches from the surrounding valleys,
but is now the end of the double-track line from Cardiff. Until last year, only one platform
was
in use, but the former Up platform has been brought back on line. The station is
somewhat inconveniently located for the main residential focus of the town, so there also
are plans to build another station further south, in which case, Gilfach Fargoed would
close.
From Bargoed the line passes over a high masonry viaduct before becoming single-track for
the rest of the journey to Rhymney.
Brithdir
is the first stop on the single-line section near which is the George Inn, the name the
station bore until 1892.
Tir Phil
also serves New Tredegar - and the Elliott Colliery Engine House tourist
attraction - on the opposite side of
the valley.
Pontlottyn
With its colliery long-closed (though its site is commemorated by two of the sheaves
(winding wheels) embedded in a concrete plinth) until a few years ago, Pontlottyn's claim
to fame was the Railway Inn, which nestled in the arches of the viaduct just north of the
station (left).
This curiosity resulted from the strict temperance of the former landowner, who refused
any drinking establishment on his property. The directors of the Rhymney Railway, however,
had no such qualms, and allowed the inn to be built in its relatively restricted position.
Closed for many years, the pub consisted of three bars linked by a long corridor but has
been demolished, despite a vigorous local campaign to retain it.
Rhymney
is the terminus of the line, and consists of a station and sidings where trains are
stabled overnight. About a mile to the north, Butetown, a former iron-workers village
consisting basically of parallel terraced cottages, has been restored. A conservation
area, it incorporates a church, post office and public house, but the cottages themselves
are privately owned and have no public access.
Cardiff...
...is the gateway to the coast and Valley areas of south east Wales.
A city since 1905, and the capital of Wales since 1955, Cardiff is celebrating
both anniversaries this year.
The city stands at the mouth of the
River Taff (part of which was diverted in the mid-nineteenth century to clear a site for the what is now Cardiff
Central station). Noted for its Victorian arcades and pedestrianised shopping areas, it
also offers top class facilities for sport, theatre and the cinema.
Cardiff Castle is presently undergoing an £8m refurbishment, to include a new
visitor centre. The castle has Roman and Norman connections, but, apart from Roman remains
at the base of the south east walls and the Norman Keep, what you
see is mostly a Victorian reconstruction. Nearby, the civic centre is considered among the
finest in Europe, and incorporates the museum, law courts, the former Welsh Office
(now the secretariat of the Welsh Assembly), university
buildings and the City Hall. With a referendum in September 1997 narrowly voting for the
establishment of a Welsh Assembly to govern Wales, the City Hall was one of the venues
under consideration to house the body, but the Assembly - which first sat on June 1 1999 -
is presently housed in Crickhowell House in Cardiff Bay (see below). Behind City Hall is
Alexandra Gardens with its imposing War Memorial commemorating two World Wars and more
recent conflicts.
In the city centre, the other building of great antiquity is St John's Church, dating from
the thirteenth century.
There are several malls off the pedestrianised shopping area, which also has St David's
Hall - renowned for concerts by top-class orchestras and entertainers - and the Cardiff
International Arena, the venue for conferences, pop concerts, ice shows, and the like. The New Theatre
celebrated its centenary a few years ago, and stages plays and other productions, including those
by the internationally-celebrated Welsh National Opera, until the WNO moved into
its new home: the Wales Millennium Centre for the Performing Arts (see below).
Close
to the city centre, on the banks of the river, the Millennium Stadium (left) is the new
home of Welsh Rugby. Opened for a Wales v South Africa friendly in June 1999, it took on
an international importance when it staged early rounds of the Rugby World Cup in October,
and the Final on 6 November of the same year. It is now used to stage Wales' home games in
the Six Nations Rugby Tournament, international football matches, concerts and other
high-profile events. While Wembley Stadium is being developed it also been the venue of prestigious
football matches, including the Worthington and FA Cup Finals. A very
versatile building, it also stages speedway, concerts and religious
conventions.
A mile to the south, the Cardiff Bay development is transforming the derelict docklands
area into a leisure, residential and light-industrial complex, while the barrage which
dams the mouths of the Taff and Ely rivers was
brought into operation on November 4 1999 to create a 500-acre freshwater lake.
To the north of the city, is Llandaff Cathedral, which has been a place of worship for
more than 1,400 years. Partly destroyed by bombs during World War II, the cathedral was
rebuilt and rededicated in 1958, its nave overarched by the sculpture of Christ in Majesty by
Jacob Epstein.
On the city's western boundary is the Museum of Welsh Life at St Fagan's, which
recreates the Welsh way of life in authentic buildings from all over Wales. Dismantled
from their original locations and reassembled at St Fagan's - itself a manor house dating
from the Civil War era - they provide a base for many practitioners of old crafts such as
pottery and woodcarving, and also includes a blacksmith's forge.
Please note. The period of validity of the National Network timetables has
changed.
Any times and travel details given apply only for the currency of the
timetable valid until May 17 2008.
Cardiff Bay station is reached via a short spur from Cardiff Queen Street with a journey time of three minutes, and has a 15 minute service frequency at 12, 27, 42 and 57 minutes past the hour between 6.42am and 11.42pm Monday to Saturday.
From Cardiff Bay to Queen Street, Monday to Saturday, trains run at 4, 19, 34 and 49 minutes past the hour between 6.49am and 11.49pm.
On Sundays trains run to Cardiff Bay at 10.57am, then every 15 minutes between 11.12am and 4.27pm; with return journeys at 4, 19, 34 and 49 minutes past the hour between 11.04am and 4.34pm.
Nearby attractions
The Cardiff Bay area has been developed as a waterfront park with leisure, residential
and light-industrial complexes on reclaimed derelict dockland, and is the start of the
Taff Trail which can be followed as far as Brecon, 57 miles away.
The major feature is the Barrage which can be reached by road train from its
stop outside the car
park in Stuart Street.
The Welsh assembly meets in
Crickhowell House (pictured left) while a new debating chamber has been built
alongside. Close by, the Pierhead Building is a striking
terracotta edifice that was once the headquarters of the Bute Dock Company, which opened
the first of the docks in 1839, and was the prime influence behind the Taff Vale Railway
Company. It is now used as the Visitor Centre for the National Assembly.
Both are now put in the shade by the new Wales Millennium Centre for the
Performing Arts (right, with the former Bute Dock and Railway Company
headquarters in the right foreground), which opened in November 2004. It is the home of Welsh
National Opera and seven other performing arts groups including the Urdd, the
Welsh organisation for the youth of Wales. Outside the Millennium Centre is
Roald Dahl Place - named after the children's writer who was born in Cardiff - built on the site of the basin of the Bute West Dock, now used
for street theatre and open-air concerts. The steel column with water cascading
down it will be recognised by fans of Torchwood - the spin-off from the
successful BBC Wales television series Dr Who, both of which are filmed
largely in Cardiff and the surrounding area - as supposedly the entrance to
Torchwood.
A coffee bar and art gallery has been established in the Norwegian Seamen's Church where Roald Dahl was baptised as a child. A short distance away is 'The Tube' - a
cigar-shaped structure which houses the Cardiff Bay visitors' centre, and was the base for
the Spirit of Cardiff, a powerboat which attempted the fastest circumnavigation
of the world in 2002. The target was almost 25,000 miles in 50 days, calling at 26 different
countries, but a series of misadventures culminating in a heart attack suffered by one of
the crew, led to the attempt being abandoned, though not before a number of records were
broken,
Tied up permanently at the quay alongside The Tube is the Helwick Lightship, which was
stationed off the Gower Peninsular guarding a treacherous sandbank 50 miles
northwest of Cardiff, but is now used as a Christian Fellowship centre.
A little farther away,
Techniquest is a unique hands-on science centre which demonstrates scientific principles
and phenomena in colourful and surprising ways, while at Harry Ramsden's restaurant, it
is claimed, are served the best fish and chip meals in the world.
The St David's Hotel is one of only two Five-Star rated establishment in the city. Mermaid
Quay a is modern eating and shopping complex which also overlooks Plas Roald Dahl (Roald Dahl Place)
an open arena where concerts are held and street artists often perform.
Boats and water taxis (pictured left) ply their trade around the bay and up-river as far
as the Castle near the city centre. They will also land you on the Barrage itself, where
you can see the massive sluice gates in operation.
Passenger trains last ran on the branch in 1966, but on February 6 2008 the line reopened with trains running to Cardiff. In the second phase of the opening, alternate trains will travel to Newport or Cardiff. Meanwhile, new intermediate stations will come on line over the coming months.
Please note. The period of validity of the National Network timetables has
changed.
Any times and travel details given apply only for the currency of the
timetable valid until May 17 2008.
From Ebbw Vale Parkway, Monday to Saturday services to Cardiff
operate hourly at 40 minutes past the hour between 6.40am and
10.40pm.
On Sundays, there are two-hourly departures at 41 minutes past the hour between
8.41am and 8.41pm.
From Cardiff Central, Monday to Saturday, there are hourly
departures at 35 minutes past the hour between 6.35am and 10.35pm.
On Sundays, there is a departure at 7.40am, then two-hourly departures between 9.30am and
7.30pm.
Special fares and/or timetables will apply to all Valley Line services on event days at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Other opened stations to Cardiff (with approximate journey times from Ebbw Vale in minutes) are: Newbridge (14); Risca and Pontymister (25); Rogerstone (38)
.Stations which are not included in the Phase One opening are enclosed in [square brackets].
[Ebbw Vale]
Ebbw Vale Parkway
As may be gathered from the Parkway suffix, the terminus will be distant
from the town of Ebbw Vale itself. A dedicated shuttle bus will link the
station and the town.
Close to Ebbw Vale Parkway are industrial and housing estates, many
built on land recovered when the extensive steel and tinplate works were
dismantled. Ebbw Vale hosted the Garden Festival in 1991, and a retail
Park now occupies the site. Nearby there is also an Owl Sanctuary.
[Cwm]
Mostly residential, this was formerly the site of Marine Colliery which
dominated the village.
[Abertillery]
This is a proposed new station in the second phase of development
which will be on a short branch diverging from the main route at
Aberbeeg
[Llanhilleth]
The Workingmen's Institute has been refurbished and is a vital part of
the community. A regeneration scheme is set to provide new business and
sporting facilities in the area.
Newbridge
Newbridge town centre and Newbridge Comprehensive School are close to
the station, but perhaps the most famous building in the town is The
'Memo.' This is a
former miners' hall - the Celynen Collieries Institute and Memorial Hall
- which featured in the BBC TV Restoration programme in 2004,
running in a close second but missing out on the £4m prize which would
have paid for a full and speedy revamp. Now it's slow but sure progress,
but the Hall is already firmly placed at the cultural heart of the
entire Ebbw valley.
[Crosskeys]
Nearby is the Crosskeys campus of Gwent College. About two miles
distant is the start of the scenic Cwmcarn Forest drive.
Risca and Pontymister
The Monmouth and Brecon Canal is close by, allowing extensive walks
along the tranquil towpaths
Rogerston
This is the station for the bus link to Newport, which will remain
in operation until the Phase Two opening of the rail link to Newport
station comes online.
Nearby is the Fourteen Locks Canal Centre, part of the former Monmouth
and Brecon Canal.
[Pye Corner]
This long-term Phase Two station will serve mainly residential areas
on the outskirts of Newport.
Earlier this century, both Penarth and Barry Island were noted holiday resorts, but their
individual character couldn't be more different: while Penarth maintained an air of
gentility, Barry Island offered a lively anything-goes atmosphere of comic postcards,
candy floss, and kiss-me-quick hats.
Today, both resorts are pale shadows of their former selves. Penarth still goes primly
about its business, enlivened only by the occasional visit of the cross channel steamers;
Barry Island is striving to lose its run-down image, thanks largely to the entrepreneurial
spirit of a local businessman.
Please note. The period of validity of the National Network timetables has
changed.
Any times and travel details given apply only for the currency of the
timetable valid until May 17 2008.
From Barry Island, Monday to Saturday services to Cardiff
operate at 5.56am, 6.26am, and 6.56am, then at 26, 41 and 57 minutes past the
hour between 7.26 am and 7.26pm then at 7.56pm, 8.56pm 9.56pm and 10.56pm.
On Sundays, there are departures at 8.57am and 9.57am, then at 27 and 57
minutes past the hour between 10.57am and 9.57pm, and at 10.57pm.
From Cardiff Central, Monday to Saturday, there are departures at 5.25am,
5.55am, 6.25am and 6.55am, then at 10, 25 and 55 minutes past the hour between
7.10am and 6.55pm, then at 7.25pm, 8.20pm, 9.25pm, 10.25pm and 11.30pm.
Departures from Cardiff Central at 41 minutes past the hour between
5.41am and 10.41pm serve stations on the Vale of Glamorgan Line with an hourly service
to/from Bridgend, calling at Llantwit Major and Rhoose Cardiff International
Airport.
On Sundays, there is a basic hourly service to/from Barry Island
- half hourly between mid morning and early evening. On the Vale of Glamorgan
Line, services are two-hourly.
On weekdays, services to Penarth are three per hour.
Sunday services to Penarth
leave Cardiff Central two-hourly between 10.29am; and
8.29pm. Trains return from Penarth two-hourly between 10.47am and 8.47pm.
Special fares and/or timetables will apply to all Valley Line services on event days at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Stations on the routes (with journey times from Cardiff Central) are:
Grangetown (4 minutes); Dingle Road (to Penarth) 8 minutes; Penarth 11 minutes; Cogan (to
Barry Island) 7 minutes; Eastbrook (10); Dinas Powys (12); Cadoxton 16); Barry Docks (18);
Barry 21); Barry Island (26); Rhoose Cardiff International Airport (33);
Llantwit Major (44); Bridgend (59).
Places of Interest
Soon after leaving Cardiff Central the train passes Canton locomotive and
rolling stock depot where Valley lines trains and freight locomotives are serviced and
maintained.
Grangetown is the first stop on the route, which serves a mainly residential area,
though turn left outside the station, and Penarth Road bristles with second-hand car
dealers and do-it-yourself superstores.
From Grangetown station the view is rather uninspiring until the train passes over the
River Ely, which allows a brief glimpse (left) of the marina and Cardiff Bay Barrage down
river.
Soon the routes divide, trains for Penarth taking the left-hand fork, and travelling in a
cutting until
Dingle Road Halt
is reached. Dingle Road serves the eastern fringe of Penarth.
Penarth
is a short distance further along the line. The promenade and pier are reached via the
Dingle, a flight of tree-lined steps at the top of which is Turner House, a satellite of
the Museum of Wales famed for its watercolour displays. Halfway down the Dingle is one of
the entrances to Alexandra Park. The Yacht Club is at the southern end of the promenade,
which also gives access to a cliff-top walk which gives excellent views across the Bristol
Channel to the islands of Flat Holm and Steep Holm, and the coast of Somerset and North
Devon.
Taking the line to Barry Island, soon after the divergence of the Penarth branch
Cogan
station is reached. Close at hand is Penarth Leisure Centre, which offers swimming and a
wide selection of indoor sports. At the top of the hill overlooking the village is
Llandough Hospital.
From Cogan station the line travels atop an embankment until it enters a short tunnel.
Eastbrook
station is soon reached after the train emerges from the tunnel. The newest station on the
branch, it opened in 1987 as part of the Mid and South Glamorgan joint rail development
strategy, to serve the eastern part of
Dinas Powys
which is the next station along. Dinas Powys is a semi-rural village with the common
located behind the houses on the right-hand side of the railway. The remains of Dinas
Powys Castle overlook the golf clubhouse, northeast of the station.
Cadoxton
is a suburb of Barry surrounded by steep hills, but dominated on the seaward side by a
refinery and other industrial works. It was once an important rail junction with
the Barry Railway's line carrying coal to Barry docks from mines in the Rhondda.
Soon after leaving Cadoxton, on the left of the train can be seen the start of the Barry
docks complex, one line diving into a cutting to gain access to the docks.
Barry Dock
station consists of a long curved island platform reached via a subway which once was
thronged with workers going on and off shift. From the train, the view left is dominated
by the Docks Office Building, the headquarters of the Barry Railway Company. Outside the
building is the statue of David Davies, a typical Victorian businessman who started his
railway career in Mid Wales, founded the Ocean Colliery complex in the Upper Rhondda, and
went on to co-found the Barry Railway and docks.
The locomotive Davies the Ocean was named in his honour, but, while his
entrepreneurial spirit cannot be denied, it can be argued that had he persisted with his
initial reluctance to get involved with the venture, the new docks at Barry may not have
materialised. Perhaps more credit should go to his fellow coal owners such as Archibald
Hood, who urged the Barry cause. Hood's role has been overshadowed and he becomes just a
sad footnote in the South Wales coalfields history: though even sadder is the neglect of
his statue - imperiously pointing to the site of his Glamorgan 'Scotch' colliery - in the
grounds of the demolished library he built for the education of his workers not far from Llwynypia station on the Treherbert branch.
On route to Barry station, a bridge over the tracks marks the site of a possible
new station to be called Barry Central, which will also be the eventual terminus of the
Barry Island Railway (BIR). The present
terminus of the BIR is soon seen to the left of the train. Woodham Halt -
named after Dai Woodham, the scrap metal dealer who help save over 200
locomotives for the railway preservation movement - which stands in front of the
Skills Centre, a workshop where engineering trainees will carry our restoration of the
heritage centre's wagons and locos. Prestigious housing
estates are going up on the development springing up around the old No 1 Dock,
now renamed The Waterfront.
Barry
A
Barry Railway signal box stands at the end of the Down platform at Barry station, while
behind the station is the Barry Railway loco shed, now used for storage of the Barry Ten
Collection of locomotives (right) which operated in Wales during the steam era.
Turn right outside the station, then right under the arched bridge, and you have
arrived at the Waterfront terminus of the Barry Island
Railway.
Outside the station is Broad Street behind which is the High Street shopping area.
To the
west is Romilly Park, and Cold Knapp lake and pebble beach. Further along the coast is
Porthkerry Park and the viaduct which carries the Vale of Glamorgan branch
services to Bridgend while freight trains carry coal to Aberthaw
Power Station.
From Barry station, the route ahead leads to Bridgend, and will reopen to
passenger service in 2005. For the present, the line curves sharply left before heading out along the causeway,
once flanked by the docks on the left (now filled in) and the Old Harbour on the right.
Before the causeway was constructed in 1889, Barry Island really was an island,
developed as a resort with the coming of the railway on August 3 1896.
Barry Island
The station building has been completely refurbished to become part of the
Barry Island Railway's heritage centre, opened on June
1st 1997.
Visitors are taken on a three kilometre ride from the Valley Lines platform
across the causeway, alternate trains running to The Waterfront or Woodham Halt, the latter close to the Skills Centre where the BIR volunteers are
undertaking restoration work on, among other projects, a Taff Vale Railway
coach, and to the present terminus at Gladstone Bridge.
Not far from the Heritage Centre's Paget Road entrance is Fun Harbour, a
three-storey family amusement centre, while directly opposite the entrance to Barry Island
station is Barry Island pleasure park which is in a state of flux at the moment
while the owner considers various options to revamp the site..
Beyond the pleasure park is the promenade, with amusement arcades and the Barry Rollerdrome, South Wales' premier
rollerblading centre, and the futuristic laser combat game Quasar.
Below the promenade is the broad sweep of Whitmore Bay, one of two bathing beaches in the
resort. The other is Jackson's Bay, reached via the road which skirts the site of the
Majestic Holiday Camp which closed after the 1996 season, but which has been
developed by the
Vale of Glamorgan County Council and used for residential and leisure redevelopment.
Since June 12 2005, some trains from Cardiff Central use the reopened Vale of Glamorgan branch to Bridgend. Continuing from Barry station:
The route passes through the scenic Vale of Glamorgan, though unfortunately
much of this aspect is lost as many stretches of the track are located in
cuttings. However, soon after leaving Barry and passing through Porthkerry
Tunnel, the line passes over Porthkerry Viaduct , with a pleasing view to the
left of the train over Porthkerry Park (from which a train on the viaduct is pictured, left) and the Bristol Channel. To the right,
the view looks up a small valley with Cardiff International
Airport on the skyline at the top.
The following stations on the Vale of Glamorgan branch are served: (Figures after the stations show the journey times from Barry, with the times from Bridgend in brackets)
Rhoose Cardiff International Airport 6 mins (23)
Rhoose is linked with a bus shuttle service to the
airport which by road is about a mile away.
The village of Rhoose itself is about 400 metres north of the station. There are
a number of caravan parks in the area.
South of the station there is a pebble beach, to the east of which is Rhoose
Point, the most southerly point of mainland Wales (out in the Bristol Channel is
the island of Flat Holm, administered by Cardiff County Council, and thus the most southerly
point of the principality).
Situated on the Glamorgan Coastal path, the coastline
consists of rocky headlands breached only where rivers flow into the Bristol
Channel, except a couple of miles to the west where Aberthaw Power Station is
located.
Llantwit Major
17 mins
(12)
Llantwit Major is one of the principal towns in the Vale of Glamorgan, and
has a great significance in the county's religious history.
St Illtyd's Church is the largest in Glamorgan, parts of which date from the
12th century, but was founded around 500AD and contains Celtic crosses of the
9th century.
The ruined Grange with its intact dovecote also dates from the 13th century
while streets and houses can be traced back to the 16th century - some of the
latter are now the town's
public houses. Castle Street contains, not a castle, but the Old Place, a 16th
century manor house.
Bridgend 30 mins
A market town, Bridgend gives access to the Vale of Glamorgan, and has a number of
medieval castle ruins in the area. Among these are Coity and Ogmore, the latter close to
stepping stones across the River Ogmore which also gives access to the Glamorgan Coastal
Path. Two miles from Bridgend is the village of Ewenny, with its pottery and Norman
Priory. North of the town are the formerly industrialised valleys of Llynfi, Garw and
Ogmore, while to the west is the traditional seaside resort of Porthcawl. Arriva
Trains Wales run services into the Llynfi Valley serving stations to
Maesteg.
City Line
Please note. The period of validity of the National Network timetables has
changed.
Any times and travel details given apply only for the currency of the
timetable valid until May 17 2008.
Between Radyr and Cardiff Central via Danescourt, trains run
at 4 and 34 minutes past the hour between 7.04am and 7.04pm, then at 8.04pm,
9.04pm and
10.04pm.
From Cardiff Central, trains to Radyr run at 6 and 36 minutes past the
hour between 7.06am and 6.36pm, then at 7.36pm, 8.36pm and 9.36pm.
There is no service on Sundays.
Special fares and/or timetables will apply to all Valley Line services on event days at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Stations on the branch (with journey times from Cardiff Central) are:
Ninian Park (4 minutes); Waungron Park (7); Fairwater (9); Danescourt (11); and Radyr
(15).
City Line serves the western suburbs of Cardiff, linking with the Cardiff-Pontypridd
Route at Radyr.
Although the line was opened in 1859 to provide a though route for Taff Vale Railway
mineral trains bound for Penarth Docks, it was not until 1987 that the line saw its first
regular passenger service. Previously it had been used as a diversionary route and for
football specials to the Halt near Cardiff City's ground at Ninian Park, but the provision
of passenger trains on the branch was an important plank in the joint rail strategy of Mid
and South Glamorgan County Councils, and called for the building of four new stations and
the refurbishing of disused Ninian Park halt. The branch opened to passengers on 'Funday'
the 4th October 1987, but Waungron Park station did not open until 6th November.
At the northern end of the line, was Radyr marshalling yard which controlled the countless
millions of coal wagons on their way to the ports of Cardiff Penarth and Barry.
Places of interest
From Cardiff Central, the line heads west to skirt the southern boundary of the Rolling
Stock maintenance depot where Valley Line trains are serviced.
Ninian Park is the first stop, near which is the ground of Cardiff City football
club. Also close at hand is Cardiff Athletic stadium, and the shopping centre of Canton.
St John's Church is easily found by aiming for its lofty spire.
Waungron Park - unusual for its staggered platforms, one of which straddles a
bridge over the roadway - serves the eastern parts of Fairwater and Ely. There are a
number of small factories close by.
Fairwater is within reach of Cantonian Upper High and the Bishop of Llandaff High
Schools, while in nearby Fairwater Park there is a dry ski slope.
Danescourt is almost entirely residential, though there is a pleasant walk from the
north of the housing estate to Radyr, which passes through a wooded area with picnic
tables. In the heyday of coal traffic, there was an important marshalling yard at Radyr,
where City Line trains link with those on the Pontypridd-Cardiff
corridor, but now all traces are disappearing under a web of residential estates.
From Radyr station there are pleasant walks along the River Taff to Radyr
Weir where salmon may be seen leaping in season. The path also gives access to Forest Farm
and the Glamorganshire Canal nature reserves.
Please note. The period of validity of the National Network timetables has
changed.
Any times and travel details given apply only for the currency of the
timetable valid until May 17 2008.
From Coryton into Cardiff Central, there is a half-hourly
service at 15 and 45 minutes past the hour between 6.45am and 7.15pm,
then at 8.15pm and 9.15pm.
Trains from Cardiff Central to Coryton leave half-hourly at 21 and 51
minutes past the hour between 6.21am and 6.51pm; then at 7.51pm and 8.55pm.
There is no service on
Sundays.
Special fares and/or timetables will apply to all Valley Line services on event days at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Stations on the branch (with journey times to Cardiff Queen Street Are: Coryton (14mins); Whitchurch (13mins); Rhiwbina (11mins); Birchgrove (9mins); Ty Glas (8mins) and Heath Low Level (5mins).
Places of interest
From Queen Street station trains share the same track as those on the Rhymney branch.
The track threads through the northern suburb of Roath until, just beyond Cathays Cemetery
(once served by a halt with a specially sloped platform to facilitate the transfer of
coffins from trains into the burial ground) the Coryton branch diverges left from the main
line.
Heath Low Level
(to distinguish it from the High Level station a short distance away on the Rhymney branch), like most of the stations on the branch, mainly
serves residential areas. However, the northern edge of Roath Park - the largest Park in
Cardiff - is not too far away.
Ty Glas
is the newest station on the branch and was opened in 1987 as part of the joint rail
strategy. It serves a number of light-industrial units as well as offices and a bakery.
From Ty Glas, the track is unusual in that it runs in a straight line almost to Coryton,
2½ kilometres away, and the remaining stations on the branch are within sight of each
other.
Birchgrove
serves a mainly residential area, as well as Hill Snook Park.
Caedelyn Park is south of
Rhiwbina
station, while
Whitchurch
is convenient for the nearby golf club.
Coryton
serves Coryton and the north of Whitchurch, with Whitchurch and Velindre Hospitals, and
the British Telecom training centre nearby. A little further afield, there is access to
the Glamorganshire Canal nature reserve.
The Coryton branch is the only section of the valleys network which provides an
historical link with present-day Cardiff Railway Company. It is the only surviving stretch
of line which was built by the original Cardiff Railway Company.
Opened in 1909, the route extended from Heath Junction to Treforest, joining the Taff
Vale Railway's line via a 450-ft skew bridge over the river Taff to a point just south of Treforest station. This immediately put the CR in legal dispute
with the ever-litigatious TVR, so only one train ever ran over the northern section of the
line. Today, only a low embankment glimpsed among the trees near the children's playground
south of Treforest station and a pair of bridge abutments are the only reminders of the
CR's venture. Passenger services commenced in 1911 but only as far as Rhydfelin. The
section between here and Coryton was closed twenty years later in July 1931, though
development of Nantgarw Colliery in 1938 saw the reopening of part of the route for
mineral traffic.
In 1952 a new link to the colliery was built from just north of Taffs Well station on the
Pontypridd-Cardiff branch, and the Coryton-Nantgarw section was closed the
following year.
For details of connecting bus and rail services, including travel planner and timetables, visit the Traveline Cymru website.
Copyright © 1996/7/8/9/2000/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8 by Deryck Lewis.
All rights reserved.
Page created July 15 1996; Redesigned March 29 1999; Last updated February 6
2008
If you have any suggestions, comments, or glitches to report, please contact the author at
WalesRails
