| Pontypridd | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Place | Pontypridd |
| Local authority | Rhondda Cynon Taf |
| Grid reference | ST071898 |
| Operations | |
| Station code | PPD |
| Managed by | Arriva Trains Wales |
| Number of platforms | 2 |
| Live arrivals/departures and station information from National Rail Enquiries |
|
| Annual rail passenger usage | |
| 2004/05 * | 0.680 million |
| 2005/06 * | 0.704 million |
| 2006/07 * | 0.778 million |
| 2007/08 * | 0.783 million |
| 2008/09 * | 0.793 million |
| 2009/10 * | 0.815 million |
| History | |
| Original company | Taff Vale Railway |
| Pre-grouping | Taff Vale Railway |
| Post-grouping | Great Western Railway |
| 9 October 1840 | Opened as Newbridge Junction |
| March 1866 | Renamed Pontypridd |
| 1924 | Renamed Pontypridd Central |
| 10 July 1930 | Renamed Pontypridd |
| National Rail - UK railway stations | |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | |
| * Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Pontypridd from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Please note: methodology may vary year on year. | |
Pontypridd railway station serves the town of Pontypridd in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It is located on the Merthyr and Rhondda lines and is the main line station for the town.
Until the 1930s, Pontypridd had another two stations. One was just behind the modern day station, known as Pontypridd Graig station and the other at the lower end of the Broadway, which served the Pontypridd to Newport line.
Contents |
The station was built by the Taff Vale Railway (TVR) and opened on 9 October 1840. It was known as Newbridge Junction until March 1866 when it was renamed Pontypridd.[1]
It was progressively remodelled during the 19th century, but its present appearance derives largely from reconstruction carried out between 1907 and 1914. A reflection of both the narrow steep sided geography of the valley, as well as the need to accommodate many converging passenger routes with passing coal trains, it is effectively designed as two back-to-back termini. This gave it the then longest platform in the world capable of accommodating two full-length trains on each side of the island platform, as well as additional trains in bay platforms.
The Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway (PC&NR) was opened for goods on 25 July 1884, providing a route to Newport Docks for Rhondda coal; the trains were worked by TVR locomotives. Passenger services, which used the TVR's station at Pontypridd, began on 28 December 1887, and were operated by the Alexandra (Newport and South Wales) Docks and Railway (ADR), which absorbed the PC&NR in 1897.[2] Between April 1904 and July 1922,[1] passenger services from Caerphilly terminating at Pontypridd used the ADR's own station at Pontypridd Tram Road.
Also known as the Hopkinstown rail disaster, it occurred on 23 January 1911 when a passenger train collided with a coal train at Hopkinstown, outside Pontypridd, resulting in the loss of eleven[3] lives.
The TVR and ADR amalgamated with the Great Western Railway on 1 January 1922, as did the Barry Railway, which also had a station in Pontypridd. To avoid confusion, the two stations were both renamed in 1924, the former TVR station becoming Pontypridd Central, with the ex-Barry Railway station becoming Pontypridd Graig.[4]
On 10 July 1930, Pontypridd Graig was closed, with its services being diverted to Pontypridd Central, which reverted to its former name of Pontypridd.[4]
The former PC&NR route was closed to passengers from 17 September 1956.[5]
With the Beeching Plan reducing passenger traffic, and the outcome of the 1984/5 Miners Strike reducing coal production, modernisation was carried out by British Rail in both 1974, and in 1990-1991.[6]
There are two platforms which are still in use. Platform 1 is the Cardiff bound platform and is one side of a large island platform accessible via the subway. The platform on the other side of this is no longer in action. There are toilets located on Platform 1. Platform 2 is the valleys bound platform and accessible across the footbridge linking Platforms 1 and 2.
On 27 August 2007, the station (along with all stations further up the valleys) was closed to enable work can be carried out to enable longer trains to be accommodated, starting with the northbound platform. This closure continued until completion on 9 September.
During the summer of 2011 maintenance work was carried out at the station including work on the lift, restoration work on the platform canopy as well as improving the station which would allow in the future to accommodate more trains when improvements are made to the valley line network to increase the number of services to Cardiff.
During Monday-Saturday daytimes, there are usually six trains an hour from Cardiff Central to destinations including Treherbert, Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare. There are six trains an hour to Cardiff Central with some trains continuing beyond Cardiff to Penarth, Barry Island or Bridgend via Barry. A reduced service operates on Sundays.
| Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treforest | Arriva Trains Wales |
Abercynon | ||
| Arriva Trains Wales |
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| Treforest | Arriva Trains Wales |
Trehafod | ||
| Disused railways | ||||
| Pontypridd Tram Road Line and station closed |
Alexandra Docks and Railway Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway |
Trehafod Line and station open |
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