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Passenger services to Hirwaun were withdrawn in 1964 as part of the Beeching cuts.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.”

Further information and the opportunity to comment are available on the Aberdare to Hirwaun page of TfW’s Have Your Say website.