Merthyr Tydfil railway station
Merthyr High Street station opened in 1853 a little north of the current station, which was built here in 1996 to release land for retail developments.
Merthyr Tydfil was Wales’ biggest town in the first half of the 19th century. Raw materials and iron were moved along 18th-century tramroads, including the Penydarren Tramroad, used in 1804 for the world’s first journey by a steam locomotive – as you can read on our page about the Richard Trevithick monument in Pontmorlais.
The Taff Vale Railway opened Merthyr’s first railway in April 1841, primarily to take goods to Cardiff docks. Passenger trains ran from a station south of here (roughly where the Aldi store is now). Four months later Mr Thomas, an excise officer, was fined for trespass after walking on the railway to transact business at the station.
Engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel ensured the TVR used what is now the standard gauge (1,435mm between the rails), which he felt was best for railways in narrow, twisting valleys. He later engineered the Vale of Neath Railway, using his favoured broad gauge (2,140mm), including a new Merthyr High Street terminus station.
That station, featuring a roof over the platforms, opened in 1853 after a tunnel was excavated from the Cynon Valley. The first station master, Joseph Gunson, stayed in the post until retirement in 1888.
The colour photo, courtesy of John Davies, shows a pannier tank loco and single coach departing for Hirwaun in 1963, after smaller platform canopies had replaced the overall roof.
The aerial photos, courtesy of the Welsh Government, show the station and goods yard in 1947, and a general view of the railways in 1945 - see the footnotes for details.
In 1877 the TVR transferred its trains to High Street station, by then owned by the Great Western Railway and converted to standard gauge. The TVR’s old station was used for goods until after the Second World War.
The Brecon & Merthyr Railway ran into the station over its 1868 line from Pontsticill station, via Cefn Coed viaduct. This line was also used by the London & North Western Railway and Cambrian Railways. The Rhymney Railway opened a line from the south in 1886.
Only the former TVR line to Cardiff survived the 1960s “Beeching axe”. More and more residents needed to travel south for work, and in the 2020s Transport for Wales improved and electrified the railway for tram-train services every 15 minutes. Compare this with the TVR timetable in 1850, when passenger trains left Merthyr at 7.34am, 1.10pm and 5.40pm only!
With thanks to John Davies and the Welsh Government for the photos
Postcode: CF47 0AG View Location Map
Footnotes: Railway routes visible in the 1945 aerial photo
At the bottom of the photo are the Vale of Neath Railway and, joining it from the left, the B&MR line from Pontsticill. Follow the curve to the 1853 station (top left area). Below that station is the original TVR station (goods only after 1877). The TVR line runs left to right beside the river. Above it in the lower right area is the 1877 line which took TVR trains into the 1853 station – the line that’s still used today. On the far right is the long straight line of the Dowlais Railway. A curve connects it to the goods yard beside the 1853 station.