Trip to the Welsh Valleys

[Gathursty]

I will be using my car and this Ranger ticket - http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/pr74d6511aca42fd8c6e17e4e3e78f8a.aspx

My aim is to tick off the Maesteg via Pontyclun, Barry Island, Penarth, Treherbert, Aberdare, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhymney, Coryton, Radyr via Danescourt and Ebbw Vale Lines. Cardiff Bay branch and Barry to Bridgend already done.

I'm looking for a good strategy for hitting all or most of the lines in one day. I'll be arriving from the north but if it is better parking at Penarth for example, I'm flexible. I'm happy to start as early as possible on a Saturday to avoid the Mon-Fri 9.15am restriction. I am happy to ignore Ebbw Vale if it is too hard to fit in to one day.

Thanks in advance.

 

[cactustwirly]

I'd suggest doing the Rhymney line first, as that only has a frequency of hourly, then do the Treherbert & Merthyr lines after that (changing at Pontypridd and Abercynon)
Then do the city line to Coryton from Radyr, then come back to Queen Street to do Penarth and Barry Island.

Be aware that the first few will take 3-4 hours to do.

 

[30907]

I'd consider strategic use of buses. A quick look at Googlemaps suggests that Rhymney-Merthyr is a good bet and Bridgend-Tonypandy-Aberdare possible. It doesnt throw up a Maesteg-Treherbert route sadly.
I would guess that Rhymney would be a logical start point coming from the NW.

Years ago when I ticked off the Valleys (pre Ebbw Vale) I had an overnight in Cardiff and came down from Up North by rail - if you can spare 2 days you could consider that and aim to finish at Cardiff in time for the 1716SX Holyhead.

 

[iantherev]

Currently 3 Buses an hour Rhymney -Merthyr. Merthyr -Aberdare is another possibility -4buses per hour. Bridgend -Aberdare is a bit of a marathon -probably just as quick by train.

 

[Gathursty]

The rover isn't valid on the buses AFAIK. How much is a fare between Treherbert/Aberdare/Merthyr/Rhymney/Ebbw Vale pairs or is there an appropriate area ticket that I should ask for?

 

[Kite159]

The rover isn't valid on the buses AFAIK. How much is a fare between Treherbert/Aberdare/Merthyr/Rhymney/Ebbw Vale pairs or is there an appropriate area ticket that I should ask for?

Depends which bus company, covers Stagecoach & Rhondda Buses

 

[30907]

Depends which bus company, covers Stagecoach & Rhondda Buses

That's what I thought too, but the current product seems to be rail only, unlike the former Valleys Day Ranger. On that basis I would say Rhymney-Merthyr is the most useful in terms of saving time.

 

[IanD]

I used one last month, it is valid on Stagecoach buses (but the drivers aren't always aware). I had a short thread about it, still awaiting a response from Stagecoach and Arriva. I used the bus from Ebbw Vale Town to Merthyr Tydfil, runs half hourly I think. It stops close to Ebbw Vale Town station then goes in to the town and over the top to Merthyr.

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/explore-cardiff-valleys.153255/

 

[Gathursty]

I see what you mean about Stagecoach and Rhondda Buses. I've looked at the other thread and I'm not exactly filled with confidence over using the Rover on the bus but ATWs website does say you can use it on the bus so I'll have that page bookmarked on my phone. It's a shame that there is lack of joined up thinking with companies, particularly with mixed-mode rovers.

 

[rg177]

Rhymney to Merthyr from memory is £2.80 single.

 

[37078xotTE]

I will be using my car and this Ranger ticket - http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/pr74d6511aca42fd8c6e17e4e3e78f8a.aspx

My aim is to tick off the Maesteg via Pontyclun, Barry Island, Penarth, Treherbert, Aberdare, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhymney, Coryton, Radyr via Danescourt and Ebbw Vale Lines. Cardiff Bay branch and Barry to Bridgend already done.

I'm looking for a good strategy for hitting all or most of the lines in one day. I'll be arriving from the north but if it is better parking at Penarth for example, I'm flexible. I'm happy to start as early as possible on a Saturday to avoid the Mon-Fri 9.15am restriction. I am happy to ignore Ebbw Vale if it is too hard to fit in to one day.

Thanks in advance.

I would begin at Cardiff if possible.
05:46 Cardiff Cen - Penarth 06:00
06:02 Penarth - Grangetown 06:08
06:29 Grangetown - Barry Island 06:56
07:25 Barry Island - Merthyr (Via Cathays) 09:03
09:08 Merthyr - Abercynon 09:29
09:48 Abercynon - Aberdare 10:19
10:21 Aberdare - Pontyprid 10:52
11:05 Pontyprid - Treherbert 11:43
11:47 Treherbert - Cardiff QS 12:44
12:54 Cardiff QS - Coryton 13:14
13:15 Coryton - Radyr (via Ninian Park) 13:56
14:04 Radyr - Cardiff Cen 14:20
Then:- a + 1 at Cardiff for
14:21 Cardiff Cen - Maesteg 15:14
15:19 Maesteg - Cardiff Cen 16:10
16:14 Cardiff Cen - Rhymney 17:19
17:27 Rhymney - Cardiff Cen 18:29
19:04 Cardiff Cen - Ebbw Vale Town 20:07
20:10 Ebbw Vale Town - Cardiff 21:13
Or if you miss the +1
115:19 Cardiff Cen - Maesteg 16:11
16:15 Maesteg - Cardiff Cen 17:12
17:31 Cardiff Cen - Rhymney 18:36
19:43 Rhymney - Cardiff Cen 20:47
121:34 Cardiff Cen - Ebbw Vale Town 22:35
22:37 Ebbw Vale Town - Cardiff 23:30
A really long day but last part based around Cardiff gives you the cahnce to quit if you feel like it

 

[30907]

Worth mentioning that minus connections at Barry Island work, owing to it being a single track dead end a la Wrexham C.

 

[Gathursty]

Many thanks for this contribution!

I'm wondering about taking the 1147 Treherbert to Radyr and walking to Coryton to see if I can improve on the late finish. How long is the walk between Radyr and Coryton? I do have a smartphone but is the route well signposted and easy to walk (no muddy bits)?

Thanks.

 

[30907]

Many thanks for this contribution!

I'm wondering about taking the 1147 Treherbert to Radyr and walking to Coryton to see if I can improve on the late finish. How long is the walk between Radyr and Coryton? I do have a smartphone but is the route well signposted and easy to walk (no muddy bits)?

Thanks.

Googlemaps says 24min. Cant help with signposting etc. Still think you should look at the Merthyr-Rhymney bus.

 

[Gathursty]

I've looked up bus routes between the termini and found these are most useful.

Aberdare - Merthyr Tydfil
Stagecoach
Route 6
Every 30 mins
Route 9 (longer route)
Every 30 mins

Merthyr Tydfil - Rhymney
Stagecoach
Routes 1,2,3
Every 20 mins (combined)

I just need to think about how to combine it with 37078xotTE's great itinery.

 

[Kite159]

Just watch out for any gaps in service for Aberdare due to having paths in the timetable for freight services to Tower (even if not used).

I might steal your plan for a random revisit next year, although it will be cut back due to the timings (9:40 to 20:30 IIRC) of GWR services from Salisbury, as it would be nice to revisit that area

 

[30907]

Assuming you opt for Merthyr-Rhymney by bus, which will be a timesaver (Merthyr-Aberdare probably wont), then you only do Radyr-Pontypridd once, and then Treherbert and Aberdare on the way to (or from) Merthyr.
The walk Radyr-Coryton MAY be a timesaver.
The disadvantage of my early suggestion of parking up at Rhymney is that you will have to finish with the bus from Merthyr, which in turn means being committed to the last 4 hours or so of your day.

 

[daodao]

Many thanks for this contribution!

I'm wondering about taking the 1147 Treherbert to Radyr and walking to Coryton to see if I can improve on the late finish. How long is the walk between Radyr and Coryton? I do have a smartphone but is the route well signposted and easy to walk (no muddy bits)?

Thanks.

I have walked between Whitchurch station and Radyr station via Coryton on a number of occasions when I used to live very close to Whitchurch station. It is a reasonably pleasant and interesting semi-rural walk, partly along the River Taff, but it is not straightforward and not signposted (a detailed map is needed), with unpaved paths (occasionally muddy) in places and no street lighting. Fine for an afternoon stroll, but not recommended as part of a journey to make rail connections, as it is easy to get lost; I would allow 40 minutes. Radyr station used to have impressive signal gantries, but I suppose they have now been removed.

It is much simpler to walk on urban pavements from Llandaf station to Whitchurch (or Coryton); I did this once when returning from Aberdare by train (generally I used the bus if travelling north from Whitchurch by public transport). It took longer than I anticipated, but I had been on a strenuous hike in the Brecon Beacons.

 

[Gathursty]

I forgot about Llandaff station. Now I have three viable pairs: Radyr to Coryton (22 mins by foot - Google), Llandaff to Coryton (20 mins by foot) and Llandaff to Whitchurch (23 mins by foot).

I would prefer to walk Coryton and the pavemented route from Llandaff is a bonus.