Plans to restore passenger trains to disused line opened for public feedback
Nation.Cymru staff
Plans to restore passenger rail services along an unused railway line, including two new stations, have been opened for public feedback.
Transport for Wales (TfW) and Rhondda Cynon Taf Council are seeking views on extending services from Aberdare to Hirwaun, with proposed stations at Llwydcoed and Hirwaun.
Passenger services to Hirwaun were withdrawn in 1964 as part of the Beeching cuts. Although trains returned to Aberdare in 1988, the route beyond the town remained closed to passengers.
The railway continued carrying coal, with the last coal trains from the Tower washery site to Aberthaw power station running in February 2017.
The proposed extension forms part of plans for future expansion of the South Wales Metro and could improve connections between the Upper Cynon Valley, Pontypridd and Cardiff.
Public engagement runs from 12 October until 22 November, with residents, businesses and other interested groups invited to comment.
Reopening the route has been under consideration for years. In January 2023, the council announced £239,633 in Welsh Government funding for further studies into the extension.
The council had also acquired the former chicken factory site near Llwydcoed in 2021, with a station halt and park-and-ride among the uses being explored.
TfW says the proposals remain at an early stage. Feedback will inform further design work and development of a business case.
Alongside the rail extension, it is exploring better integration with other public transport services and opportunities to improve walking, wheeling and cycling routes.
Rob Jones, strategic development programme manager at TfW, said: “Improving access to jobs, education and healthcare can make a real difference to people’s lives, and we want to ensure local knowledge and local priorities help inform the next stage of development.
“Whether you support the proposals, have questions or concerns, or simply want to share your views, we’d encourage everyone to get involved and have their say.”
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What an excellent idea!
I hope this proposal gets support from all.
An excellant idea while the track is still down and the land not disposed of. And while it goes ahead tobconsultation, so also be a park and ride facility at a reopened Llangefni where the track again still exists. That could help the Menai crossing congestion.
I mean this is great, but what about Carmarthen to Aberystwyth?
Yes please Aberystwyth to Carmarthen!!
We need that too, but the Hirwaun and Llangefni routes are in situ and ready to be restored.
Given the state of the rails and nobody nicking the land yet, seems a cheaper move than some of the other options out there.
Hirwaun is currently at the mercy of an inconsistent Stagecoach monopoly so this would be a huge benefit. It’s crazy to me how woefully disconnected Cwm Cynon seems to be.
I hope that people shall put forward their point of view on this much needed scheme for the Cynon Valley residents,get off facebook and improve your area,
What about bangor to say Aberystwyth? Its insane to have to go to chester ans shrewsbury to ha e to go back in again…. a 2 hour car journey takes 7 hours by train
Reopening for passengers this remnant of the Swansea to Pontypool line that once provided sadly lost west–east rail connectivity through the heart of the south Wales valleys has been talked about for a long time, The Welsh Government commissioned a feasibility study from Network Rail in 2009 (completed 2010). The estimated cost then was ~ £20m. “AberdareOnline” refer to this as “the Election Special”, because it appears like clockwork — before council elections, Senedd elections, Westminster elections, only to be forgotten about afterwards (RCT elections are scheduled for 6-5-2027). One hopes their cynicism is not justified this time.