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Merthyr line
The Merthyr line is a suburban rail line in South Wales; it connects Cardiff Central with Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare. The line is part of the Cardiff suburban rail network, known as the Valley Lines.
Historically, the line was the Taff Vale Railway (TVR), the first rail development in the Valleys in the 1840s. It was associated with the notorious Taff Vale Judgment in 1901, when the courts penalised trade unions for losses caused by strikes.
The Aberdare line was closed in 1964 under the Beeching Axe. The line was reopened in 1988, in an attempt to stimulate jobs and employment in the valley in response to the closure of the last few coal mines.
In 2005, following further grant from the Welsh Assembly, the stations at Abercynon, Penrhiwceiber, Fernhill, Cwmbach and Aberdare were extended to four-car length to accommodate longer peak trains in an initiative to relieve overcrowding; train leasing/running costs were funded by the Welsh Assembly Government.
The line follows the Rhondda line as far as Pontypridd, serving Cathays, Llandaf, Radyr, Taffs Well and Treforest. It then divides at Abercynon, with separate branches to Merthyr and Aberdare up diverging valleys.
The Merthyr branch serves Quakers Yard, Merthyr Vale, Troed-y-rhiw, Pentre-bach and Merthyr Tydfil. The Welsh Assembly confirmed in February 2007 that it was grant funding a scheme to upgrade the line north of Abercynon, in conjunction with European Union Objective 1 assistance. This included reinstatement of two miles of double track, to enable the introduction of a half-hourly train service; the revenue costs of which the Welsh Assembly also met. The enhanced service was said to commence in 2008 but was postponed to May 2009.
The Aberdare branch serves Penrhiwceiber, Mountain Ash, Fernhill, Cwmbach and Aberdare. Although following the original TVR route, beyond the former Abercwmboi Halt to access Tower Colliery, the line diverts onto the route of the former Vale of Neath Railway. The line continues beyond Aberdare, for goods purposes only, to serve Tower Colliery, which was the last deep coal mine to remain open in South Wales. Mountain Ash station was redeveloped with a grant from the Welsh Assembly Government in the early part of the decade, the scheme including the provision of a new station and a passing loop to permit an upgrade of the passenger service to two trains per hour from late 2003. There are a few gaps in the half-hourly service to enable coal/stone trains to run to/from Tower Colliery/Hirwaun.
The line is currently operated by Transport for Wales (TfW), as part of the Valley Lines network.
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Merthyr line
The Merthyr line is a suburban rail line in South Wales; it connects Cardiff Central with Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare. The line is part of the Cardiff suburban rail network, known as the Valley Lines.
Historically, the line was the Taff Vale Railway (TVR), the first rail development in the Valleys in the 1840s. It was associated with the notorious Taff Vale Judgment in 1901, when the courts penalised trade unions for losses caused by strikes.
The Aberdare line was closed in 1964 under the Beeching Axe. The line was reopened in 1988, in an attempt to stimulate jobs and employment in the valley in response to the closure of the last few coal mines.
In 2005, following further grant from the Welsh Assembly, the stations at Abercynon, Penrhiwceiber, Fernhill, Cwmbach and Aberdare were extended to four-car length to accommodate longer peak trains in an initiative to relieve overcrowding; train leasing/running costs were funded by the Welsh Assembly Government.
The line follows the Rhondda line as far as Pontypridd, serving Cathays, Llandaf, Radyr, Taffs Well and Treforest. It then divides at Abercynon, with separate branches to Merthyr and Aberdare up diverging valleys.
The Merthyr branch serves Quakers Yard, Merthyr Vale, Troed-y-rhiw, Pentre-bach and Merthyr Tydfil. The Welsh Assembly confirmed in February 2007 that it was grant funding a scheme to upgrade the line north of Abercynon, in conjunction with European Union Objective 1 assistance. This included reinstatement of two miles of double track, to enable the introduction of a half-hourly train service; the revenue costs of which the Welsh Assembly also met. The enhanced service was said to commence in 2008 but was postponed to May 2009.
The Aberdare branch serves Penrhiwceiber, Mountain Ash, Fernhill, Cwmbach and Aberdare. Although following the original TVR route, beyond the former Abercwmboi Halt to access Tower Colliery, the line diverts onto the route of the former Vale of Neath Railway. The line continues beyond Aberdare, for goods purposes only, to serve Tower Colliery, which was the last deep coal mine to remain open in South Wales. Mountain Ash station was redeveloped with a grant from the Welsh Assembly Government in the early part of the decade, the scheme including the provision of a new station and a passing loop to permit an upgrade of the passenger service to two trains per hour from late 2003. There are a few gaps in the half-hourly service to enable coal/stone trains to run to/from Tower Colliery/Hirwaun.
The line is currently operated by Transport for Wales (TfW), as part of the Valley Lines network.