R&SBR[edit] The merchants of Swansea had wanted to tap into the coal fields of the Rhondda Fawr for some time, but proposals brought to them until that point had all required massive construction in the Afan Valley, and steep gradients into Treherbert restricting train loads. Eventually a proposal was made to cut a tunnel from Blaengwynfi to Treherbert, which would allow easier access to Rhondda Fawr.[2] Construction[edit] Incorporated in 10 August 1882,[3] the line connected the coalfields of the Rhondda Valley to the Swansea Bay ports. It connected with the Taff Valley Railway at Treherbert and had branches to Aberavon and Porth Talbot docks. It was later extended to Swansea and a branch to Neath was added, bringing the total length to 31 miles (50 km). By the time the R&SBR arrived in the Afan Valley, the GWR had built the Abergwynfi branch in the easier route. The construction of the R&SBR necessitated the construction of the 160-metre (525 ft) long Gelli tunnel.[4] On 2 July 1890 the Rhondda Tunnel, a distance of 3,443 yards (3,148 m) (the longest railway tunnel in Wales, and the seventh longest in the United Kingdom), was completed. The single-line tunnel split into double track on emerging from Rhondda reaching Blaenrhondda, the RSBRs only station in the Rhondda. From there, the line continued to the Taff Vale Railway at Treherbert. After the completion of the Briton Ferry to Swansea link on 14 December 1894 Treherbert was connected to Swansea docks.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 15:17:02 +0000
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