Valley lines recommendations

[SandsofEss]

A simple one. I have four spare hours in Cardiff on a weekday afternoon soon. I've never ridden any of the Valley Lines. Which would you recommend I take a ride on?

 

[ValleyLines142]

Cardiff Bay line as it's literally just two minutes, also Barry to Bridgend via Rhoose is scenic over Porthkerry Viaduct.

 

[30907]

Rhymney felt quite remote at the top end a few years ago, Merthyr is the most urbanised I suppose (ignoring Coryton and Bay!)

 

[Gareth Marston]

Upper end of the Rhymney is not too dissimilar to coming up Talerddig in some respects. The line is high on the valley side with some views unlike the others which hug the valley floor.

Went up to Marsteg a while back vegetation encloses it on all sides.

Pontypridds always worth a visit just to marvel at 1913 station rebuild and it's unique platform layout. 7 faces on one island.

 

[cadoxton]

Treherbert, Merthyr, Aberdare & Rhymney are all an hour or more to the top of the Valley so not much time to do anything other than returning on the same unit.
Coryton is just a Cardiff suburb, so not really worth a train journey. Maesteg & Ebbw Vale are outliers.

Depending on what you really want to see or do, I'd suggest Barry Island (30 min from Central). Have a beer, a coffee, or a bag of chips, walk the promenade, or the beach and maybe spend a penny (or two) in the arcades, and back to Central in plenty of time. Most likely to see freight* on this line than most other VL's and the chance sighting of a random visiting Colas engine (or its resident 73) loitering around the Barry Tourist Line (adjacent from Barry Town to Barry Island).

Penarth is also an option (13 min from Central - same general direction ). Have a walk around the town from the station. Or, if you have legs (or a taxi) visit the pier?

You'll also pass ATW Cardiff Canton sheds from the non-mainline side, and the Cogan loops, on the way out and back if that is of interest, not that much will be visible mid afternoon.

(* an assumption only)

 

[contractor1]

Try the western valley line (Ebbw vale) and check out the redoubling work from Crosskeys Junction to Aberbeeg! Shame it's been mothballed but you get the idea of what could have been.

 

[SandsofEss]

Thanks - all useful intel.

I'll pick up a Valley Lines explorer and go nuts!

 

[IanD]

Go up to Rhymney and get the bus to the next valley to return from Merthyr or vv.

 

[krus_aragon]

To elaborate on cadoxton's point, try to catch a train along the city line to Radyr, which goes all the way around the back of Canton depot. A half-hourly City Line stopper (from Coryton) to Radyr will take that route, as do two fast trains to/from Treherbert. Of these, the 1451 departure from Cardiff Central may suit your timings.

 

[IanD]

To elaborate on cadoxton's point, try to catch a train along the city line to Radyr, which goes all the way around the back of Canton depot. A half-hourly City Line stopper (from Coryton) to Radyr will take that route, as do two fast trains to/from Treherbert. Of these, the 1451 departure from Cardiff Central may suit your timings.

Go up to Rhymney and get the bus to the next valley to return from Merthyr or vv. Change at Radyr on the way back as well.

eg
Cardiff Central Dep 1216
Rhymney Arr 1315
Bus 1 From Rhymney High Street 1332
Merthyr Bus Station Arr 1355
Merthyr Tydfil Dep 1408 or 1438
Radyr 1453 or 1523
Dep 1504 or 1534
Central Arr 1520 or 1550

 

[Galvanize]

Haven't been all the way to Rhymney since the Class 37s finished the regular workings in 2005...but I echo the comments made about it. Gilfach Fargoed with it's tiny platforms had a lot of character.

The Vale of Glamorgan Line I quite enjoyed, more gentle countryside as opposed to endless terraced houses or the more industrial looking areas. It was a bit slower than usual because when I did it, I was on a 150 with only half power available, so it really crawled up the hills.

A lot of the areas north of Pontypridd, particularly the Merthyr and Rhondda Valley Lines, I found quite depressing. Didn't seem to be much going on in that part of the world, and many of the stations had quite a run-down look and feel. Still...one positive aspect, when I covered those routes, it was a fine Sunny Autumn day, so the "rural" bits of the Valleys looked quite pretty with deciduous trees gradually changing colour.

At least all the Wetherspoon pubs in the area were well stocked with Gwynt-Y-Draig's Cider, which is produced just outside Pontypridd.

 

[SandsofEss]

Another quick thought - does anybody know how far one has to travel on the ATW Premier Service from Cardiff to get the three course meal in first class? Wondering if I should book a return journey to Abergavenny or Hereford in the evening!

 

[headshot119]

Another quick thought - does anybody know how far one has to travel on the ATW Premier Service from Cardiff to get the three course meal in first class? Wondering if I should book a return journey to Abergavenny or Hereford in the evening!

I've seen people get it served and eaten by Hereford, never seen a full three courses before Abergavenny (though that could just be that no one was travelling there)

 

[krus_aragon]

A lot of the areas north of Pontypridd, particularly the Merthyr and Rhondda Valley Lines, I found quite depressing.

That reminds me: Pontypridd Station is worth a glance at (if you can plan a change of train there, for example) as it was one of the busiest stations in the world: at one time you could see two trains a minute passing through, most of them coal trains.

Much of the station architecture dates from the 1907-1914 rebuild, when the station was rebuilt as a single island platform with numerous bays either side. Sadly, the addition of a ramped footbridge and ticket barriers, along with parts falling into disuse, have left it looking a bit depressing in places, but it's easy to picture the grandeur of the station as it used to be.

(I've said before on this board that if I was given a winning lottery ticket, I'd spend some of the money on restoring Pontypridd station to its former glory.)

 

[Parallel]

My favourite line is probably Cardiff - Ebbw Vale in the Valleys and Cardiff local routes network. The Maesteg line and the Penarth/Barry lines are also not bad. Pontypridd station is worth a look and although there are a few good views north of there, it is a little samey.

I've only gone as far as Bargoed on the Rhymney line. I need to go back at some point though I definitely won't be alighting at Bargoed this time...

 

[berneyarms]

Another quick thought - does anybody know how far one has to travel on the ATW Premier Service from Cardiff to get the three course meal in first class? Wondering if I should book a return journey to Abergavenny or Hereford in the evening!

Realistically neither of those locations.

You would need to travel to Shrewsbury to allow yourself enough time to enjoy it.

It would be impossible by Abergavenny and I'd view asking them to prepare a three course dinner for you to consume by Hereford (70 mins) as frankly unfair on the chef who has to cook dinner for everyone else as well.

 

[mrcheek]

I recommend a trip to Rhymney, the most under-rated scenic line in the whole of the UK.

Ive often wondered why the Welsh Valley lines arent marketed better as tourist attractions. Give me a Welsh Valley line over Settle-Carlisle any day.

 

[Dai Corner]

I recommend a trip to Rhymney, the most under-rated scenic line in the whole of the UK.

Ive often wondered why the Welsh Valley lines arent marketed better as tourist attractions. Give me a Welsh Valley line over Settle-Carlisle any day.

Agreed. Even better when the trains were loco-hauled. If the Valleys hadn't been industrialised they'd be a tourist hotspot now. Though they probably wouldn't have any railways.

 

[IanD]

I recommend a trip to Rhymney, the most under-rated scenic line in the whole of the UK.

Ive often wondered why the Welsh Valley lines arent marketed better as tourist attractions. Give me a Welsh Valley line over Settle-Carlisle any day.

Agreed. Even better when the trains were loco-hauled. If the Valleys hadn't been industrialised they'd be a tourist hotspot now. Though they probably wouldn't have any railways.

Couldn't agree more. When I first did the Valley Lines, I was struck by how similar the scenery was to the Yorkshire Dales, just a bit more industry and far superior public transport and better roads. The trips I did by bus from Rhymney to Merthyr and Neath to Aberdare were both pretty spectacular.

Of course, the Dales had plenty of industrial sites back in the days of lead mining - obviously railways didn't make much of an inroad during that period!

 

[Dai Corner]

Another scenic bus ride which fits nicely into a tour of the Valleys lines is the 172 Aberdare - Bridgend via the Maerdy Mountain Road.

The Valleys Day Explorer ticket is valid on Stagecoach buses too, by the way (but not all drivers seem to know this so go armed with evidence!).

 

[Envoy]

A pity that the Rhymney line could not be extended to Pant to link up with the Brecon Mountain Railway. It would be great for tourists as Caerphilly Castle & Cefn-Onn Park are on the same route. (Cefn-Onn Park is just across the road from Lisvane station. It is best in May & early June).

 

[Gareth Marston]

A pity that the Rhymney line could not be extended to Pant to link up with the Brecon Mountain Railway. It would be great for tourists as Caerphilly Castle & Cefn-Onn Park are on the same route. (Cefn-Onn Park is just across the road from Lisvane station. It is best in May & early June).

Sadly the A465 heads of the Valleys Road is built across a lot of trackbed of the old LNWR Abergavney to Merthyr line. Now that would be scenic railway if it still existed.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Another scenic bus ride which fits nicely into a tour of the Valleys lines is the 172 Aberdare - Bridgend via the Maerdy Mountain Road.

The Valleys Day Explorer ticket is valid on Stagecoach buses too, by the way (but not all drivers seem to know this so go armed with evidence!).

Does that go via Treherbert ? (or Maerdy - Porth) , could be a useful short cut in a circular tour ? finally , how often does it run. Many thanks.

 

[Dai Corner]

Does that go via Treherbert ? (or Maerdy - Porth) , could be a useful short cut in a circular tour ? finally , how often does it run. Many thanks.

It runs hourly M-S , four journeys on a Sunday via Maerdy, Tonypandy, Blackmill and Sarn.

Link to map and timetable
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/routes/south-wales/172/aberdare-bridgend/xrao172.o

 

[ChiefPlanner]

It runs hourly M-S , four journeys on a Sunday via Maerdy, Tonypandy, Blackmill and Sarn.

Link to map and timetable
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/routes/south-wales/172/aberdare-bridgend/xrao172.o

Many thanks - (in the past we tried to do Treherbert - Aberdare by taxi - over "the Bwlch" , but were stymied by non availability of same - thus neccesitating a backwards retreat to Pontypridd) ...

 

[ancientsolar]

Try the western valley line (Ebbw vale) and check out the redoubling work from Crosskeys Junction to Aberbeeg! Shame it's been mothballed but you get the idea of what could have been.

Mothballed ? Where is your source of evidence for this ?

 

[anti-pacer]

Another quick thought - does anybody know how far one has to travel on the ATW Premier Service from Cardiff to get the three course meal in first class? Wondering if I should book a return journey to Abergavenny or Hereford in the evening!

When I went on it last April, I'd finished all three courses by Hereford.

 

[30907]

They were very quick off the mark last time I used the diner.
Coffee before departure, starter on leaving, main at Newport IIRC. 7 or 8 pax.