Taff Vale Railway

Taff Vale Railway

Overview
Headquarters	Queen Street, Cardiff (Workshops: West Yard, Butetown, Cathays)
Reporting mark	TV
Locale	South Wales
Dates of operation	1840 (1840)–1921 (1921)
Successor	Great Western Railway
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Length	124 miles 42 chains (200.4 km) (1919)[1]
Track length	403 miles 41+1⁄2 chains (649.40 km) (1919)[1]
Route map Legend Cyfartha Iron Works Brecon and Merthyr Railway to Brecon Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Plymouth Street to Dowlais Ironworks Pentre-bach Rhymney Railway to Merthyr Troed-y-rhiw Quakers Yard & Merthyr Jt Rly to Aberdare Merthyr Vale Quakers Yard Low Level │ High Level Rhondda Fawr Collieries Rhymney Railway to Nelson Rhondda & Swansea Bay Rly to Neath and Swansea Maerdy Colliery Maerdy Treherbert Ferndale Ynyswen Tylorstown Treorchy Pontygwaith Halt Pentre Platform Wattstown Platform Ton Pentre Ynyshir Ystrad Rhondda Taff Valley Collieries and Tower Colliery Gelli Platform Aberdare Llwynypia Cwmbach Tonypandy Fernhill Dinas Rhondda Mountain Ash Pandy Rhondda Fach Junction Penrhiwceiber Porth (1st station) Matthewstown Halt Porth Pontycynon Halt Hafod Abercynon North Aerw Valley Industrial Railway Trehafod Abercynon South Old Ynysybwl Ynysybwl   Llancaiach Branch Robertstown Halt Ynysybwl New Road Halt   Stormstown sidings Barry Railway Company to Barry Cilfynydd Clydach Court Halt Gyfeillon Platform Coedpenmaen Berw Road Halt Pontypridd Pontypridd, Caerphilly & Newport Rly to Caerphilly Treforest Llantrisant & Taff Vale Jn Rly to Llantrisant Maesmawr Treforest Estate Taffs Well Rhymney Railway to Caerphilly Penarth Harbour & Dock Rly to Penarth │ to Rhymney Radyr Radyr Junction Llandaff Penarth Harbour & Dock Rly Rhymney Railway to Cardiff Maindy Halt Cathays depot Carriage & Wagon works Woodville Road Halt Danescourt Cathays Waterhall Junction Llantrisant & Taff Vale Junction Railway Rhymney Railway to Caerphilly Fairwater Cardiff Queen Street Waun-Gron Park South Wales Railway to Newport and London Cardiff Central Bute Road Queen Alexandra Dock P & A Campbell ferries Cardiff Canton TMD Grangetown Ninian Park Penarth Dock Barry Junction Railway to Barry Dingle Road Penarth Harbour & Dock Rly to Taffs Well Penarth South Wales Railway to Swansea Alberta Place Halt Lower Penarth Lavernock Swanbridge Sully Barry Railway to Barry

The Taff Vale Railway (TVR) was a standard gauge railway in South Wales, built by the Taff Vale Railway Company to serve the iron and coal industries around Merthyr Tydfil and to connect them with docks in Cardiff. It was opened in stages in 1840 and 1841.

In the railway's first years, the coal mining industries expanded considerably and branches were soon opened in the Rhondda valleys and the Cynon Valley. The conveyance of coal for export and for transport away from South Wales began to dominate and the docks in Cardiff and the approach railway became extremely congested. Alternatives were sought and competing railway companies were encouraged to enter the trade.

In the following decades further branch lines were built and the TVR used "motor cars" (steam railway passenger coaches) from 1903 to encourage local passenger travel.

From 1922 the TVR was a constituent of the new Great Western Railway (GWR) at the grouping of the railways, imposing its own character on the larger organisation. The decline in the coal and iron industries took its toll on the mainstay of the network, but passenger trains still operate on most of the main line sections.