Pontypridd railway station serves the town of Pontypridd in Rhondda Cynon Taff, Wales. It is located on the Merthyr and Rhondda lines and is the main line station for the town.

Until the 1930s, Pontypridd had another station, just behind the modern day station, known as Pontypridd Graig station.

History

Taff Vale Railway

The station was built by the Taff Vale Railway in 1840, and was known as Newbridge Station until 1891 when it was renamed Pontypridd.^[1]

It was progressively remodelled during the 19th century, but its present appearance derives largely from reconstruction carried out between 1907 and 1914. A reflection of both the narrow steep sided geography of the valley, as well as the need to accommodate many converging passenger routes with passing coal trains, it is effectively designed as two back-to-back termini. This gave it the then longest platform in the world capable of accommodating two full-length trains on each side of the island platform, as well as additional trains in bay platforms.

British Rail

With the Beeching Plan reducing passenger traffic, and the outcome of the 1984/5 Miners Strike reducing coal production, modernisation was carried out by British Rail in both 1974, and in 1990-1991.^[2]

Present day

There are two platforms which are still in use. Platform 1 is the Cardiff bound platform and is one side of a large island platform accessible via the subway. The platform on the other side of this is no longer in action. There are toilets located on Platform 1. Platform 2 is the valleys bound platform and accessible across the footbridge linking Platforms 1 and 2.

On 27 August 2007, the station (along with all stations further up the valleys) was closed to enable work can be carried out to enable longer trains to be accommodated, starting with the northbound platform. This closure continued until completion on 9 September.

1911 accident

Also known as the Hopkinstown rail disaster.

On Monday 23 January 1911, a collision between a passenger train and coal train on the Taff Vale Railway line at Hopkinstown, outside Pontypridd, resulted in the loss of eleven^[3] lives. The accident occurred at 9:48am, when the Pontypridd bound passenger train, carrying roughly 100 people on board, rounded the bend at Gyfeillion Lower signal box with a clear signal ahead. The train collided with a stationary coal train that was using the same line. The impact caused the underframe of the lead carriage to rise up and pierce through the carriage directly behind it.^[4]

On 14 January a preliminary hearing was conducted at the New Inn Hotel in Pontypridd, where interviews and witness statements were taken. On the following Thursday a coroner's inquest was opened at Pontypridd Police Court. The inquest heard conflicting reports from signalman Hutchings of the Gyfeillion Lower and signalman Quick of the Rhondda Cuttings, the other signal box in control of the stretch of line where the accident took place. Due to lack of definite evidence an open verdict was returned; though the fireman of the coal truck was censured for not alerting the signal box of the stationary train's position as he was required under Rule 55.