Wales Valley Lines

[glenbogle]

What is/are the best Valley Line route to go on? I see you can get a Valley Lines Day Ranger which i will get if time permits but if not just wondering what the forumites think is the best route to go on if i had 5/6 hours spare.

Many thanks for any replies.

 

[Intermodal]

Rhymney route is regarded as being the prettiest of them all by people on here. It's the only one I've done myself, it didn't take that long (about 1.5-2 hours) and the scenery certainly was good so I would recommend it. I got a Sprinter as well, so I didn't have to endure a Pacer, but I don't know if that is usual.

 

[Greenback]

There are more Pacers than Sprinters on the rhymney Line in my experience, but here always seem to be some of the latter in operation.

I find all of the lines interesting, if only for the history of the industry and coal mining, though there's a lot less to see now in terms of the old infrastructure than when I first explored the Valleys in the early 1980's. In those days there were still some collieries in operation, and others had closed relatviely recently (Bargoed) and not yet been landscaped.

If you have the time to do two lines, I would recommedn Rhymney and Treherbert. In my opinion you can't visit the Valleys without going up the Rhondda!

 

[glenbogle]

Ok lads thanks for replies, will def have time for 2 so will go for them.

 

[anthony263]

In terms of scenery i would reconmend the Rhymney and the Treherbert lines. I also reconmend a trip on the ebbw vale line, which almost certainly booked for a class 150 and maybe a trip from Cardiff to Maesteg on a class 158.

If you are planning on taking some photos, i wouldnt reconmend any stations on the cityline between Radyr and ninian park.

Be warned however that the ebbw vale line is booked for X2 class 150's on saturdays and trains are normally packed.

No railcard discounts on the valley lines day rover ticket and if you can print out details for the rover ticket as some stagecoach bus drivers have tried to refuse to acept it even though it is valid on stagecoach services. (A bus ride on service 172 Aberdare - Bridgend/Porthcawl is receconmended for the scenery between Aberdare and Tonypandy) - thats if you do plan to use any buses

 

[sonic2009]

A Valley Lines Explorer is valid on Stagecoach in South Wales, so to save yourself doubling backing between Rhymney and Cardiff.

You could take Stagecoach Bus Routes 1,2,3 to Merthyr Tydfil which depart from the Rhymney Royal in the High Street in Rhymney every 25mins Rhymney Local Area Map Each of the Services are actually every hour but equate to running every 25 mins . If you take this Option you could then get the train from Merthyr to Pontypridd then to Treherbert. I've made your own timetable Merthyr to Treherbert via Pontypridd if you choose to do this option i have suggested.

 

[Gareth Marston]

Does the bus link at Ebbw Vale Parkway still run to the town?

Stagecoach run a Bus Service from Abergaveny to Merthyr which uses the A465 road but pops into the Head of The Valleys towns like Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale, Treorchy, Rhymmney, Dowlais. Handy to cut across the top of the lines saves coming back down to Cardiff.

You can still see the remains of the LNWR line from Abergaveny to Merthyr - the Clydach Gorge section in particular is impressive.

Back on the train its worth getting off at Pontypridd just to explore the old station a unique Arrow shaped island - still standing but with only one of the eight original platform faces in use.

 

[anthony263]

Does the bus link at Ebbw Vale Parkway still run to the town?

Stagecoach run a Bus Service from Abergaveny to Merthyr which uses the A465 road but pops into the Head of The Valleys towns like Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale, Treorchy, Rhymmney, Dowlais. Handy to cut across the top of the lines saves coming back down to Cardiff.

You can still see the remains of the LNWR line from Abergaveny to Merthyr - the Clydach Gorge section in particular is impressive.

Back on the train its worth getting off at Pontypridd just to explore the old station a unique Arrow shaped island - still standing but with only one of the eight original platform faces in use.

All the railink bus services on the Ebbw Vale line were withdrawn about 2 years ago. hopefully the link to Ebbw Vale town will be built soon.

Stagecoach bus services i reconmend are:

172 Porthcawl/Bridgend - Tonypandy - Aberdare (Great scenery between Gilfach Goch and Aberdare)

service X4 Cardiff - Merthyr Tydfil - Abergavenny - Hereford (Think valley lines day explorer is only valid between Cardiff & Ebbw Vale, but great scenery along the route i have been told.)

 

[glenbogle]

Brilliant stuff guys, had a Freedom Of Wales ticket last time and that was valid on the buses, done everything bar the Valley Lines. Fell in love with the Ffestiniog and route to Porthmadog and spent more time there than in intended to. Enjoyed the bubble car from Queen Street to the Bay but believe that's not in service anymore which is a great shame.

Any more news on the 2nd loco service that was touted earlier this year ??

 

[extendedpaul]

I use the Valley Lines Explorer regularly and have travelled by bus both to Newport and Abergavenny without any query on validity. The Stagecoach South Wales leaflet states the ticket is valid "for one day's unlimited travel on all Stagecoach in South Wales bus services... and can be purchased on-bus". No mention of the 9.15 weekday start time, though I have been informed that does apply.

The bus from the nearest stop to Ebbw Vale station to the town centre runs half hourly but does not connect with the train arrival - about a 20 minute wait as I recall.

 

[anthony263]

Brilliant stuff guys, had a Freedom Of Wales ticket last time and that was valid on the buses, done everything bar the Valley Lines. Fell in love with the Ffestiniog and route to Porthmadog and spent more time there than in intended to. Enjoyed the bubble car from Queen Street to the Bay but believe that's not in service anymore which is a great shame.

Any more news on the 2nd loco service that was touted earlier this year ??

You must have not see the posts on this forum a few months ago which stated that the class 121 had been repaired and was back in service. I cannot garuntee that you would see it though.

The 2nd loco hauled train has gone quiet although the 1st wag is supposed to finish in december so i am not too sure

 

[bb21]

No mention of the 9.15 weekday start time, though I have been informed that does apply.

Second one from the bottom here.

 

[WelshBluebird]

You must have not see the posts on this forum a few months ago which stated that the class 121 had been repaired and was back in service. I cannot garuntee that you would see it though.

Not sure if it isn't working properly anymore, but certainly yesterday the bay shuttle service was being run with a 153.

 

[glenbogle]

You must have not see the posts on this forum a few months ago which stated that the class 121 had been repaired and was back in service. I cannot garuntee that you would see it though.

The 2nd loco hauled train has gone quiet although the 1st wag is supposed to finish in december so i am not too sure

Hi only joined here last month so sorry i missed the info. Was a 153 when i was down there in March/April time and was last month when my friend was there.

 

[extendedpaul]

I asked Stagecoach South Wales about any time restriction on Valley Line Explorers on their buses. Reply just received reads "Valley Lines Explorer Tickets can be purchased and used on our buses without time restrict (sic) and there are no current plans to change this arrangement"

Good news for me as I will in future purchase my ticket from a station the previous day and start by bus well before 9.15am !

 

[JoeGJ1984]

I was half-thinking of travelling on the ATW premier (the loco-hauled one) in the morning from Shrewsbury and then doing some bashing on the Valley Lines and returning to Shrewsbury the same day (but not necessarily using the return premier service). Off the top of your head, is it possible to cover all the lines?

And I discovered a funny thing: I discovered there is a train arriving at Treherbert at 1514 and a train departing Treherbert at 1513. But the line is single-track from Treherbert to Ystrad Rhondda (and then from there to Porth)! How on earth do they manage that? Would this be the same train? (I presume it must be if it is single track).

 

[Greenback]

Of the top of my head, no, especailly if you include Maesteg, the VoG and Ebbw Vale. It might be possible to do Rhymney, Aberdare, Merthyr and Treherbert using the Stagecoach buses, but I haven't tried that, as I like to go there and back and see both sides of the tracks!

The 1513 is a strange one in the timetable, it seems to be the only one that leaves at 13 minutes past, mostly they arrive at xx14 or xx44 and leave at xx17 or xx47!

 

[87015]

It arrives at 15.10 (WTT) with a more than generous helping of PPM fiddle public differential to make the public time that bit later...

 

[Greenback]

Do you know why it's showing as leaving at 1513 rather than 1517 which would follow the usual pattern?