Rhondda Valley
An Arriva Trains Wales class 150 Sprinter DMU is seen passing the former Lewis Merthyr Colliery at Trehafod in the Rhondda Valley, on the Cardiff to Treherbert service. The colliery was one of the most productive mines in South Wales which closed in 1983 and is now preserved as the Rhondda Heritage Park. Today, the Rhondda line is only used by passenger services, but within living memory, substantial tonnages of coal were transported along the line from the collieries in the Rhondda Valley to the ports of Barry, Cardiff and Newport. I believe the last coal train along the line was in 1987 from the nearby Maerdy pit. One of the legacies of coal mining in South Wales is that a substantial rail network has survived, enjoyed today by thousands of commuters to Cardiff and other valley destinations. Indeed, one estimate is that passenger numbers in Cardiff and the valleys will exceed 12m per year by the end of 2015.
Size: 4859px × 2774px
Location: Trehafod, Rhondda Valley, South Wales
Photo credit: © Christopher Davies / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: arriva, colliery, dmu, heritage, lewis, lines, merthyr, pacer, park, rhondda, rhonnda, south, trains, trehafod, valley, wales
