Pantyffynnon railway station
Encyclopedia
Pantyffynnon railway station is a railway station serving the village of Pantyffynnon
, in Carmarthenshire
, West Wales
. It is situated on the Heart of Wales Line
at its junction with the branch lines to Brynamman
and Abernant.
, freight yard and from 1931 a small railway locomotive shed. The signal box is the only surviving example on the HoW route and since 1986, it has supervised the entire line north of here to using a system of working known as No Signalman Token Remote (NSTR). It is also a 'fringe box' for the power box at , which controls the line south from here towards .
The Llanelly Railway first reached the village as long ago as 1839, continuing eastwards to Garnant
following within a year and the main line being extended to Duffryn (the current Ammanford
) in May 1841. The station on the current site was first built at this time, although it has undergone several significant alterations since then. Brynamman would be reached (under GWR
auspices) in 1886, some 45 years after the opening of the mineral line from Garnant to Gwaun-cae-Gurwen
, whilst the network of routes reached from Pantyffynnon would be completed in 1922 with the opening of the short branch to the colliery at Abernant. This was planned to be a through route to connect the coalfield with the Swansea District Line
but was never completed. Neither it nor the GcG branch was ever used by passenger services, even though a number of stations were built on both lines.
The old Brynamman branch closed to passengers in August 1958 (complete closure following five years later) and the old branch platform has been disused since then (the GcG branch line remains in use for freight traffic - see below). The former northbound platform is also derelict (the passing loop having been lifted in the late 1960s) and the footbridge linking it with the remaining operational platform demolished.
, who also manage it. There are four trains a day in each direction from Monday to Saturday, and two services on Sundays.
which joined here to the other side of the current platform was closed in its entirety along with the yard after the closure of Abernant Colliery. The railway shed (closed 1964) and turntable are also gone, with nothing to reveal their former existence. The junction was reinstated for freight services only in 2006 as EWS
requested that part of the line be reinstated to serve Tairgwaith Colliery.
The Amman Valley Railway Society has also been attempting to reinstate the Amman valley line as a heritage railway
, although EWS plans prevent this in the short term. EWS started running coal trains to Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen
in 2009, using EWS Class 66
locomotives and MEA open box wagons.
Pantyffynnon
Pantyffynnon is a small village in Carmarthenshire, Wales, located half a mile south-west of Ammanford, and a mile east of Tycroes. It lies between the rivers Loughor and Amman at the foot of Mynydd y Betws....
, in Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
, West Wales
West Wales
West Wales is the western area of Wales.Some definitions of West Wales include only Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, an area which historically comprised the Welsh principality of Deheubarth., an area called "South West Wales" in the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics....
. It is situated on the Heart of Wales Line
Heart of Wales Line
The Heart of Wales Line is a railway line running from Craven Arms in Shropshire to Llanelli in South Wales. It runs, as the name suggests, through some of the heartlands of Wales. It serves a number of rural centres en route, including several once fashionable spa towns, including Llandrindod Wells...
at its junction with the branch lines to Brynamman
Brynamman
Brynamman is a village sitting on the south facing side of the Black Mountain, part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The village is split in two into Upper Brynamman and Lower Brynamman by the River Amman which also acts as the boundary between the counties of Carmarthenshire and Neath Port...
and Abernant.
History
The station was originally fairly large and built adjacent to the Dynevor tinplate works and included station buildings, signal boxSignal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
, freight yard and from 1931 a small railway locomotive shed. The signal box is the only surviving example on the HoW route and since 1986, it has supervised the entire line north of here to using a system of working known as No Signalman Token Remote (NSTR). It is also a 'fringe box' for the power box at , which controls the line south from here towards .
The Llanelly Railway first reached the village as long ago as 1839, continuing eastwards to Garnant
Garnant
Garnant is a village in Carmarthenshire, West Wales about 5 miles east of Ammanford on the A474 road.During the early part of the 20th century it was the site of a tinplate works and several anthracite coal mines. It lies on the edge of the Black Mountain, in the westernmost part of the Brecon...
following within a year and the main line being extended to Duffryn (the current Ammanford
Ammanford railway station
Ammanford railway station serves the town of Ammanford in Carmarthenshire, Wales. Situated 12 miles north of Swansea on today's Heart of Wales Line, the station was first opened in 1841 as a temporary terminus of the Llanelly Railway's line to Llandeilo , making it one of the country's earliest...
) in May 1841. The station on the current site was first built at this time, although it has undergone several significant alterations since then. Brynamman would be reached (under GWR
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
auspices) in 1886, some 45 years after the opening of the mineral line from Garnant to Gwaun-cae-Gurwen
Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen
Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen is a village in Neath Port Talbot, south Wales. Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen is also a parish made up of the electoral wards of Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen and Lower Brynamman.-Location:...
, whilst the network of routes reached from Pantyffynnon would be completed in 1922 with the opening of the short branch to the colliery at Abernant. This was planned to be a through route to connect the coalfield with the Swansea District Line
Swansea District Line
The Swansea District Line is a section of line running through the northern part of Swansea, and is used for freight transportation, and minimal passenger transport. It was built by the Great Western Railway in 1912 to provide a faster and less steeply graded route between London and Fishguard, in...
but was never completed. Neither it nor the GcG branch was ever used by passenger services, even though a number of stations were built on both lines.
The old Brynamman branch closed to passengers in August 1958 (complete closure following five years later) and the old branch platform has been disused since then (the GcG branch line remains in use for freight traffic - see below). The former northbound platform is also derelict (the passing loop having been lifted in the late 1960s) and the footbridge linking it with the remaining operational platform demolished.
Services
All trains serving the station are operated by Arriva Trains WalesArriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
, who also manage it. There are four trains a day in each direction from Monday to Saturday, and two services on Sundays.
Amman Valley branch
The old Amman Valley branch line through Ammanford and Gwaun-cae-GurwenGwaun-Cae-Gurwen
Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen is a village in Neath Port Talbot, south Wales. Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen is also a parish made up of the electoral wards of Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen and Lower Brynamman.-Location:...
which joined here to the other side of the current platform was closed in its entirety along with the yard after the closure of Abernant Colliery. The railway shed (closed 1964) and turntable are also gone, with nothing to reveal their former existence. The junction was reinstated for freight services only in 2006 as EWS
EWS
DB Schenker Rail , before 2009 known as English, Welsh and Scottish Railway is a British rail freight company. EWS was established by a consortium led by Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation in 1996 by acquisition of five of the six freight companies created by the privatisation of British...
requested that part of the line be reinstated to serve Tairgwaith Colliery.
The Amman Valley Railway Society has also been attempting to reinstate the Amman valley line as a heritage railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
, although EWS plans prevent this in the short term. EWS started running coal trains to Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen
Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen
Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen is a village in Neath Port Talbot, south Wales. Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen is also a parish made up of the electoral wards of Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen and Lower Brynamman.-Location:...
in 2009, using EWS Class 66
British Rail Class 66
The Class 66 is a six axle diesel electric freight locomotive developed in part from the British Rail Class 59, for use on the railways of the UK. Since its introduction the class has been successful and has been sold to British and other European railway companies...
locomotives and MEA open box wagons.