Pontypridd railway station
Encyclopedia
Pontypridd railway station serves the town of Pontypridd
in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales
. It is located on the Merthyr
and Rhondda
lines and is the main line station for the town.
Until the 1930s, Pontypridd had another two stations. One was just behind the modern day station, known as Pontypridd Graig station
and the other at the lower end of the Broadway, which served the Pontypridd to Newport line.
(TVR) and opened on 9 October 1840. It was known as Newbridge Junction until March 1866 when it was renamed Pontypridd.
It was progressively remodelled during the 19th century, but its present appearance derives largely from reconstruction carried out between 1907 and 1914. A reflection of both the narrow steep sided geography of the valley, as well as the need to accommodate many converging passenger routes with passing coal trains, it is effectively designed as two back-to-back termini. This gave it the then longest platform in the world capable of accommodating two full-length trains on each side of the island platform
, as well as additional trains in bay platforms.
for Rhondda coal; the trains were worked by TVR locomotives. Passenger services, which used the TVR's station at Pontypridd, began on 28 December 1887, and were operated by the Alexandra (Newport and South Wales) Docks and Railway (ADR), which absorbed the PC&NR in 1897. Between April 1904 and July 1922, passenger services from terminating at Pontypridd used the ADR's own station at .
rail disaster, it occurred on 23 January 1911 when a passenger train collided with a coal train at Hopkinstown
, outside Pontypridd, resulting in the loss of eleven lives.
on 1 January 1922, as did the Barry Railway, which also had a station in Pontypridd. To avoid confusion, the two stations were both renamed in 1924, the former TVR station becoming Pontypridd Central, with the ex-Barry Railway station becoming .
On 10 July 1930, Pontypridd Graig was closed, with its services being diverted to Pontypridd Central, which reverted to its former name of Pontypridd.
With the Beeching Plan reducing passenger traffic, and the outcome of the 1984/5 Miners Strike reducing coal production, modernisation was carried out by British Rail
in both 1974, and in 1990-1991.
bound platform and is one side of a large island platform
accessible via the subway. The platform on the other side of this is no longer in action. There are toilets located on Platform 1. Platform 2 is the valleys bound platform and accessible across the footbridge linking Platforms 1 and 2.
On 27 August 2007, the station (along with all stations further up the valleys) was closed to enable work can be carried out to enable longer trains to be accommodated, starting with the northbound platform. This closure continued until completion on 9 September.
During the summer of 2011 maintenance work was carried out at the station including work on the lift, restoration work on the platform canopy as well as improving the station which would allow in the future to accommodate more trains when improvements are made to the valley line network to increase the number of services to Cardiff.
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...
in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It is located on the Merthyr
Merthyr Line
The Merthyr Line is a commuter railway line in South Wales from central Cardiff to Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare. The line is part of the Cardiff urban rail network, known as the Valley Lines...
and Rhondda
Rhondda Line
The Rhondda Line is a commuter railway line in South Wales from Cardiff to Treherbert. The line follows the Merthyr Line as far as Pontypridd, where it then diverges to continue along the Rhondda Valley.The places served by the line are listed below:...
lines and is the main line station for the town.
Until the 1930s, Pontypridd had another two stations. One was just behind the modern day station, known as Pontypridd Graig station
Pontypridd Graig railway station
Pontypridd Graig railway station was a railway station located in the South Wales valleys town of Pontypridd, on the Barry Railway. It opened in 1896 and closed to passengers in 1930.-History:The station was opened by the Barry Railway on 16 March 1896....
and the other at the lower end of the Broadway, which served the Pontypridd to Newport line.
History
Taff Vale Railway
The station was built by the Taff Vale RailwayTaff 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) and opened on 9 October 1840. It was known as Newbridge Junction until March 1866 when it was renamed Pontypridd.
It was progressively remodelled during the 19th century, but its present appearance derives largely from reconstruction carried out between 1907 and 1914. A reflection of both the narrow steep sided geography of the valley, as well as the need to accommodate many converging passenger routes with passing coal trains, it is effectively designed as two back-to-back termini. This gave it the then longest platform in the world capable of accommodating two full-length trains on each side of the island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
, as well as additional trains in bay platforms.
Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway
The Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway (PC&NR) was opened for goods on 25 July 1884, providing a route to Newport DocksNewport Docks
Newport Docks is the collective name for a series of docks in the city of Newport, South Wales.-Background:Newport was a small fishing port and market town until the coming of the industrial age at the beginning of the 19th century...
for Rhondda coal; the trains were worked by TVR locomotives. Passenger services, which used the TVR's station at Pontypridd, began on 28 December 1887, and were operated by the Alexandra (Newport and South Wales) Docks and Railway (ADR), which absorbed the PC&NR in 1897. Between April 1904 and July 1922, passenger services from terminating at Pontypridd used the ADR's own station at .
1911 accident
Also known as the HopkinstownHopkinstown
Hopkinstown is a small village to the west of Pontypridd town centre in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales situated alongside the banks of the River Rhondda. Hopkinstown is a former coal mining industrial community and is a district in the town of Pontypridd within the Rhondda...
rail disaster, it occurred on 23 January 1911 when a passenger train collided with a coal train at Hopkinstown
Hopkinstown
Hopkinstown is a small village to the west of Pontypridd town centre in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales situated alongside the banks of the River Rhondda. Hopkinstown is a former coal mining industrial community and is a district in the town of Pontypridd within the Rhondda...
, outside Pontypridd, resulting in the loss of eleven lives.
Great Western Railway
The TVR and ADR amalgamated with the Great Western RailwayGreat 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...
on 1 January 1922, as did the Barry Railway, which also had a station in Pontypridd. To avoid confusion, the two stations were both renamed in 1924, the former TVR station becoming Pontypridd Central, with the ex-Barry Railway station becoming .
On 10 July 1930, Pontypridd Graig was closed, with its services being diverted to Pontypridd Central, which reverted to its former name of Pontypridd.
British Rail
The former PC&NR route was closed to passengers from 17 September 1956.With the Beeching Plan reducing passenger traffic, and the outcome of the 1984/5 Miners Strike reducing coal production, modernisation was carried out by British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
in both 1974, and in 1990-1991.
Present day
There are two platforms which are still in use. Platform 1 is the CardiffCardiff
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...
bound platform and is one side of a large island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
accessible via the subway. The platform on the other side of this is no longer in action. There are toilets located on Platform 1. Platform 2 is the valleys bound platform and accessible across the footbridge linking Platforms 1 and 2.
On 27 August 2007, the station (along with all stations further up the valleys) was closed to enable work can be carried out to enable longer trains to be accommodated, starting with the northbound platform. This closure continued until completion on 9 September.
During the summer of 2011 maintenance work was carried out at the station including work on the lift, restoration work on the platform canopy as well as improving the station which would allow in the future to accommodate more trains when improvements are made to the valley line network to increase the number of services to Cardiff.