Maerdy railway station

Maerdy railway station was a railway station in Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. It served the town of Maerdy between 1889 and 1964.

Maerdy
General information
Location	Maerdy, Rhondda Cynon Taf Wales
Coordinates	51.6761°N 3.4842°W / 51.6761; -3.4842
Grid reference	SS975987
Platforms	1
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	Taff Vale Railway
Post-grouping	Great Western Railway
Key dates
18 June 1889	Opened
1 March 1956	Closed to goods
15 June 1964	Closed to passengers

History and description

Maerdy was the highest railway station on the Taff Vale system, located at 900 feet at the head of the valley. Maerdy was the upper terminus of the Maerdy Branch (or Rhondda Fach branch). The station had a single platform with large brick buildings and a signal box. The sidings for Mardy Colliery also ran through the station and terminated just beyond. Maerdy also had a large carriage shed built of corrugated iron. This initially housed autotrains, and was latterly used for diesel locomotives.^[1]

Closure and after

Goods traffic ended in 1956. In the later years of the line's life, there were hourly passenger workings between Maerdy and Porth, the six-mile journey taking around 20 minutes. As part of the Beeching Axe, these services were withdrawn in 1964 and the station closed.^[2] In the years after closure, traffic from the colliery continued, and a number of enthusiast specials ran over the line to Maerdy. The colliery closed in 1990 after 115 years. The platform was still intact in 1988,^[3] but after the colliery closed, the station site was completely cleared and landscaped.

Preceding station		Disused railways		Following station
Ferndale Line & station closed		Taff Vale Railway Maerdy Branch		Terminus

References

1. Hutton, John (2006). The Taff Vale Railway Volume II. Kettering: Silver Link. p. 59. ISBN 1857942507.
2. Hall, M. (2009). Lost Railways of South Wales. Newbury: Countryside Books. p. 78. ISBN 9781846741722.
3. Hutton, John (1988). The Taff Vale Railway Miscellany. Sparkford: Oxford Publishing Company. ISBN 0860934144.