Merthyr line
| Merthyr Line | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Overview | |
| Type | Heavy rail |
| System | National Rail |
| Locale |
Cardiff Rhondda Cynon Taff |
| Termini | Cardiff 51°28′33″N 3°10′44″W / 51.4759°N 3.1790°W Merthyr Tydfil 51°44′41″N 3°22′38″W / 51.7446°N 3.3773°W Aberdare 51°42′52″N 3°26′31″W / 51.7145°N 3.4420°W |
| Operation | |
| Owner | Network Rail |
| Technical | |
| Number of tracks |
Double track Cardiff to Abercynon, single track with loops on Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil branches |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
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. It is historically the Taff Vale Railway, the first rail development in the Valleys in the 1840s and associated with the notorious Taff Vale Judgment in 1901 when the courts penalised trade unions for losses caused by strikes.
The line follows the Rhondda line as far as Pontypridd, serving Cathays, Llandaf, Radyr, Taff's Well, Treforest and Pontypridd. 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 Government confirmed in February 2007 that it is grant funding, in conjunction with European Union Objective 1 assistance, a scheme to upgrade the line north of Abercynon, including reinstatement of 2 miles of double track, to enable the introduction of a half-hourly train service, the revenue costs of which the Welsh Assembly Government will also meet. The enhanced service is said to commence sometime in 2008 (since postponed to May 2009 ).
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Wikipedia