The Amman Valley Railway ( : Rheilffordd Dyffryn Aman) runs alongside the River Amman, some 10 miles (16 km) north of Swansea in west Wales. It is based around a heritage railway project on one of a number of railway lines that formerly served the various collieries of the area north of Swansea and Llanelli. Some of these lines also carried passengers. As of 2010 the line is being restored to its former condition, with the intention of running light rail trials in the coming year.
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The Amman Valley project aims to attract tourists and trade to the valley, one of the many areas that suffered after the collapse of most heavy industry in South Wales. The project differs in many ways from most other volunteer-run railways.
AVRS (Amman Valley Railway Society) was formed in 1992 with 84 founder members, became a registered charity in 2004, incorporated in 2006 and grew to become a Social Enterprise Company in 2008, after opening charity shops in Brynamman, Ammanford and Pontardawe, most recently (2009) also in Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen.
The railway intends over the next 13 years to reintroduce public passenger services using "low carbon footprint" diesel/methane rail-bus or tram services over a 26 mile (42 km) loop comprising:
Since 1992 the aim of the Board has been for all railways of the Amman Valley to be reopened to traffic. The Society also engages in non-railway social activities, and is progressing towards developing allotments, giving new life to an old school, enhancing local biodiversity, environment and general quality of life.
In mid-2006, a British Rail Class 103 diesel multiple unit (DMU) vehicle was saved from scrapping in Coventry by AVRS, moving it to Swansea for later restoration and possible eventual use on the line, but was passed over to an Essex Museum for resoration in 2008. This was M50397, of the Denbigh & Mold Junction Railway.
The Society presently owns 3 tank wagons (ex Swansea Vale Railway) at Cwmgors being refurbished ready for use on the heritage line section, and has offers of several locomotives from various organizations and patrons, which AVR will take up when the line is re-laid, the mile or so of track still extant needing extensive overhaul.
As at February 2010 the vehicle likely to be used for trials initially on the Garnant Branch is the PPM unit used at Stourbridge as part of a joint venture between AVR, Pre-Metro, Parry Associates, and Lightweight Community Transport. AVRS are being assisted in their efforts (to re-establish suitable halts and stations) by Network Rail in their Community Scheme projects.
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