Pontyclun railway station
Encyclopedia
Pontyclun railway station is an unstaffed, minor railway station in Pontyclun
, in the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales
. The station is at street level, on Station Approach, Pontyclun. It is a stop on the South Wales Main Line
, served by trains on the Maesteg Line
, and occasionally by the Swanline Cardiff
to Swansea
regional services, as well as one early-morning daily service to Manchester and a late-night daily service to Carmarthen
. The station and all trains are operated by Arriva Trains Wales
.
The station was rebuilt and reopened as Pontyclun on 28 September 1992. It was previously called Llantrisant station and was originally two separate railway stations that were merged in 1925, those originally belonging to the South Wales Railway
and the Cowbridge Railway, whose successors, the Great Western Railway
and the Taff Vale Railway
respectively, had amalgamated in 1922.
(SWR), that between and , opened on 18 June 1850. The original stations on that line included one named Llantrissant for Cowbridge.
The station became a junction with the opening of the first section of the Ely Valley Railway
(EVR) to on 2 August 1860, although passenger services along that line did not begin until 1 August 1865. The EVR opened a branch to Brofiskin Colliery in 1862, and another railway, the Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway
, which opened in December 1863, intended to use part of that branch to gain access to Llantrisant via a connection at Maesaraul Junction, but in order to do this, the Brofiskin branch had to be altered to mixed gauge - this occurred in December 1864.
The station name was simplified to Llantrissant , by which time the SWR had amalgamated with the Great Western Railway
(GWR) in 1863. Adjacent to this station was the terminus of the Cowbridge Railway, which opened on 18 September 1865, originally being named Llantrissant. The Cowbridge Railway was leased by the Taff Vale Railway
(TVR) in 1876, and absorbed by that concern in 1889. Both the GWR and TVR stations had their names amended to Llantrisant by 1902. The TVR in its turn amalgamated with the GWR on 1 January 1922, and on 21 September 1925 their respective stations were merged as a single station.
Llantrisant was a major intermediate station on the South Wales Main Line. It consisted of two central through platforms and bays for the Ely Valley line, the Llantrisant & Taff Vale Junction line and the branch to Cowbridge and Aberthaw. The station was closed on 2 November 1964.
The station was rebuilt and reopened as Pontyclun on 28 September 1992.
Extensive sidings existed around the station for the coal and mineral traffic generated by the mines in the area. At least the line to Cwm Colliery was in regular use until 1984.
. The track turns west at Talbot Green
to run roughly parallel to the Afon Clun
, alongside the north of the A473
, which runs between Pontypridd
and Bridgend
. At Cross Inn
the track turns north east, running south of Llantrisant
and north of Caerau Hillfort, an Iron Age
enclosure. Originally, it ran to the Cwm Coking Works at Tynant, Beddau
, just past the former station
Llantwit Fardre
, although the track has been dismantled to the east of Cross Inn. The original railway paraphernalia remains intact between Talbot Green and Pontyclun, including the track, signals and bridges with cages above the track to prevent people throwing things (or themselves) onto the trains, tracks or coal wagons. The track remains embedded in the road where it crosses the A473, warning lights are at the roadside and roadsigns warn drivers to stop if they see warning lights flash at the level crossing
. A consultative study in 2006 (Sewta Rail Strategy Study) considered the possibility of reopening the Pontyclun to Beddau
branch line, as a passenger line rather than just for freight. This would require new stations at Talbot Green, Llantrisant, Gwaun Meisgyn and Beddau (Tynant).
, as well as an early-morning service to Manchester via Cardiff
, Newport
and the Welsh Marches Line
via and .
Westbound there is an hourly service to and , as well as occasional Swanline regional services from to . There is also one early-morning (0551)service to and a late-night (2329) service to via , Port Talbot
, and .
On Sundays the service decreases dramatically. There are just three trains per day westbound, all of which are services. These depart at 1003, 1414 and 1824. This is the same eastbound, with only three trains, all of which go to Manchester, departing at 1220, 1621 and 1818.
Pontyclun station is unstaffed. It has neither ticket gates nor barriers. The station has no ticket office or self-service ticket machines; passengers must either purchase tickets on board trains, or at their destinations. Both platforms have shelters. The station car park is free-of-charge to rail users.
A locomotive depot, known as Llantrisant, was situated between the station and Mwyndy Junction, on the eastern side of the curve. It housed around 20 locomotives, and closed in October 1964.
Pontyclun
Pontyclun is a village in the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It is served by the South Wales Main Line and has its own local rugby union club...
, in the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. The station is at street level, on Station Approach, Pontyclun. It is a stop on the South Wales Main Line
South Wales Main Line
The South Wales Main Line , originally known as the London, Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway or simply as the Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway, is a branch of the Great Western Main Line in Great Britain...
, served by trains on the Maesteg Line
Maesteg Line
The Maesteg Line is commuter rail line in South Wales from Cardiff to Bridgend and Maesteg. The line follows the South Wales Main Line as far as Bridgend, where it then diverges to continue to Maesteg.-History:...
, and occasionally by the Swanline Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
to Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
regional services, as well as one early-morning daily service to Manchester and a late-night daily service to Carmarthen
Carmarthen railway station
Carmarthen railway station is situated south of the River Towy on the edge of the town of Carmarthen. It is located on the West Wales Line and is managed by Arriva Trains Wales, who operate most of the passenger trains serving it...
. The station and all trains are operated by Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
.
The station was rebuilt and reopened as Pontyclun on 28 September 1992. It was previously called Llantrisant station and was originally two separate railway stations that were merged in 1925, those originally belonging to the South Wales Railway
South Wales Railway
The South Wales Railway was a broad gauge railway that linked the Gloucester and Dean Forest Railway with Neyland in Wales.-History:The need for the railway was created by the need to ship coal from the South Wales Valleys to London, and secondly to complete Brunel's vision of linking London with...
and the Cowbridge Railway, whose successors, the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
and the Taff Vale Railway
Taff Vale Railway
The Taff Vale Railway is a railway in Glamorgan, South Wales, and is one of the oldest in Wales. It operated as an independent company from 1836 until 1922, when it became a constituent company of the Great Western Railway...
respectively, had amalgamated in 1922.
History
The first section of the South Wales RailwaySouth Wales Railway
The South Wales Railway was a broad gauge railway that linked the Gloucester and Dean Forest Railway with Neyland in Wales.-History:The need for the railway was created by the need to ship coal from the South Wales Valleys to London, and secondly to complete Brunel's vision of linking London with...
(SWR), that between and , opened on 18 June 1850. The original stations on that line included one named Llantrissant for Cowbridge.
The station became a junction with the opening of the first section of the Ely Valley Railway
Ely Valley Railway
The Ely Valley Railway was a small railway in south Wales, which was originally operated as part of the Great Western Railway system and later absorbed by that company...
(EVR) to on 2 August 1860, although passenger services along that line did not begin until 1 August 1865. The EVR opened a branch to Brofiskin Colliery in 1862, and another railway, the Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway
Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway
The Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway was a railway located in south Wales which broadly ran between Pontypridd and Llantrisant. It opened to freight traffic in 1863 and to passenger traffic in 1875...
, which opened in December 1863, intended to use part of that branch to gain access to Llantrisant via a connection at Maesaraul Junction, but in order to do this, the Brofiskin branch had to be altered to mixed gauge - this occurred in December 1864.
The station name was simplified to Llantrissant , by which time the SWR had amalgamated with the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
(GWR) in 1863. Adjacent to this station was the terminus of the Cowbridge Railway, which opened on 18 September 1865, originally being named Llantrissant. The Cowbridge Railway was leased by the Taff Vale Railway
Taff Vale Railway
The Taff Vale Railway is a railway in Glamorgan, South Wales, and is one of the oldest in Wales. It operated as an independent company from 1836 until 1922, when it became a constituent company of the Great Western Railway...
(TVR) in 1876, and absorbed by that concern in 1889. Both the GWR and TVR stations had their names amended to Llantrisant by 1902. The TVR in its turn amalgamated with the GWR on 1 January 1922, and on 21 September 1925 their respective stations were merged as a single station.
Llantrisant was a major intermediate station on the South Wales Main Line. It consisted of two central through platforms and bays for the Ely Valley line, the Llantrisant & Taff Vale Junction line and the branch to Cowbridge and Aberthaw. The station was closed on 2 November 1964.
The station was rebuilt and reopened as Pontyclun on 28 September 1992.
Extensive sidings existed around the station for the coal and mineral traffic generated by the mines in the area. At least the line to Cwm Colliery was in regular use until 1984.
Cwm Colliery branch line
A single track railway runs north from Pontyclun station - the remnants of the Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction RailwayLlantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway
The Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway was a railway located in south Wales which broadly ran between Pontypridd and Llantrisant. It opened to freight traffic in 1863 and to passenger traffic in 1875...
. The track turns west at Talbot Green
Talbot Green
Talbot Green is a village just north of the M4 motorway, in the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales in the United Kingdom...
to run roughly parallel to the Afon Clun
Afon Clun
The Afon Clun is a long tributary of the River Ely , in the counties of Cardiff and Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. Its bedrock is predominantly of sandstone...
, alongside the north of the A473
A473 road
The A473 is a main road linking Pontypridd with Bridgend in Wales.The route begins in Upper Boat just south of Pontypridd, at the junction with the A470 and A4054 roads...
, which runs between Pontypridd
Pontypridd
Pontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
and Bridgend
Bridgend
Bridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town...
. At Cross Inn
Cross Inn railway station
Cross Inn railway station was situated on the line between and , about half a mile to the east of Llantrisant village. Typically for this line, the station had a single passenger platform a few goods sidings.-Today:...
the track turns north east, running south of Llantrisant
Llantrisant
Llantrisant is a town in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf in Wales, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales, lying on the River Ely and the Afon Clun. The town's name translates as The Parish of the Three Saints. The three saints in question are St Illtyd, St Gwynno and St...
and north of Caerau Hillfort, an Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
enclosure. Originally, it ran to the Cwm Coking Works at Tynant, Beddau
Beddau
Beddau is a large village around 1.5 miles from Llantrisant and 4 miles from the larger town of Pontypridd in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales.-Education:Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Castellau is the village's Welsh speaking primary school...
, just past the former station
Llantwit Fardre railway station
Llantwit Fardre was a station on the Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway.The station consisted of a single platform and station buildings. A small bridge crossed over Crown Hill to the west of the station followed by the Dyffryn Red Ash Colliery sidings and a spur to Cwm Colliery. There were...
Llantwit Fardre
Llantwit Fardre
Llantwit Fardre is a large village situated on the A473, Pontypridd to Bridgend , road near the Welsh towns of Pontypridd and Llantrisant. Confusingly, Llantwit Fardre is also the name of the old parish and the community area that takes in the villages of Llantwit Fardre, Tonteg and Church...
, although the track has been dismantled to the east of Cross Inn. The original railway paraphernalia remains intact between Talbot Green and Pontyclun, including the track, signals and bridges with cages above the track to prevent people throwing things (or themselves) onto the trains, tracks or coal wagons. The track remains embedded in the road where it crosses the A473, warning lights are at the roadside and roadsigns warn drivers to stop if they see warning lights flash at the level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
. A consultative study in 2006 (Sewta Rail Strategy Study) considered the possibility of reopening the Pontyclun to Beddau
Beddau Halt railway station
Beddau Halt railway station consisted of a single platform and shelter reached by steps leading from the road over which the line crossed. Its position was quite a distance from Beddau which limited its patronage, though all trains stopped at the station as a matter of course.-Modern Day:The...
branch line, as a passenger line rather than just for freight. This would require new stations at Talbot Green, Llantrisant, Gwaun Meisgyn and Beddau (Tynant).
Services
Mondays to Saturdays there is an hourly service eastbound to , , , , and CheltenhamCheltenham Spa railway station
Cheltenham Spa railway station is in Gloucestershire, England, on the Bristol-Birmingham main line. It is managed by First Great Western and is about one mile from the town centre.-History:...
, as well as an early-morning service to Manchester via Cardiff
Cardiff Central railway station
Cardiff Central railway station is a major railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Wales and one of the major stations of the British rail network, the tenth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London , based on 2007/08...
, Newport
Newport railway station
Newport railway station is the 3rd busiest railway station in Wales , situated in Newport city centre. It is part of the British railway system owned by Network Rail and is operated by Arriva Trains Wales, although First Great Western and CrossCountry also provide services...
and the Welsh Marches Line
Welsh Marches Line
The Welsh Marches Line , known historically as the North and West Route, is the railway line running from Newport in south-east Wales to Shrewsbury in the West Midlands region of England by way of Abergavenny, Hereford and Craven Arms, and thence to Crewe via Whitchurch...
via and .
Westbound there is an hourly service to and , as well as occasional Swanline regional services from to . There is also one early-morning (0551)service to and a late-night (2329) service to via , Port Talbot
Port Talbot Parkway railway station
Port Talbot Parkway railway station is a railway station in Port Talbot, Wales. The station is located at street level near Station Road in Port Talbot town centre.-History:...
, and .
On Sundays the service decreases dramatically. There are just three trains per day westbound, all of which are services. These depart at 1003, 1414 and 1824. This is the same eastbound, with only three trains, all of which go to Manchester, departing at 1220, 1621 and 1818.
Facilities
The station has 2 platforms:- Platform 1, for westbound trains towards MaestegMaesteg railway stationMaesteg railway station is one of two railway stations that serve the town of Maesteg in South Wales. The 1992 built station is located in the centre of the town, adjacent to the Somerfield Supermarket store and on former sidings.-History:...
- Platform 2, for eastbound trains towards CardiffCardiff central stationCardiff Central Station can refer to:*Cardiff Central railway station*Cardiff central bus station...
Pontyclun station is unstaffed. It has neither ticket gates nor barriers. The station has no ticket office or self-service ticket machines; passengers must either purchase tickets on board trains, or at their destinations. Both platforms have shelters. The station car park is free-of-charge to rail users.
A locomotive depot, known as Llantrisant, was situated between the station and Mwyndy Junction, on the eastern side of the curve. It housed around 20 locomotives, and closed in October 1964.