Garw Valley Railway presses ahead to complete first length at Pontycymer station despite setbacks
THE GarwValley Railway remains determined to complete its first 650 yardsof running line, despite its tracklaying having been stalled by coronavirus andvandals.
Volunteers have beenmaking progress in their bid to link the yard and platformat their Pontycymer headquarters to the Garw branch, near Bridgend.
The task has involved easing a severe bend created by the difference in alignment of the original line and that of the railway’s new platform line, grading and levelling the ground, clearing the first 500 yards of vegetation, cleaning the ballast and installing fencing along the path that runs alongside the track.
The railway had hoped to have 450 yards of usable track ready by December, but the project ground to a halt because of Covid- 19.
During lockdown, there has been at least one break- in at Pontycymer, and vandals set fire to a consignment of sleepers, further impeding progress ( HR Issue 267).
Works trains
Valley line followed three years later, but only to allow its use for land reclamation north of Pontycymer, which led to the uppermost mile of the branch to Blaengarwbeing removed permanently.
The last train from the reclamation site ran on March 6, 1997, and a special charter passenger train, the ‘ GarwGuru’, ran on April 7 that year.
On March 23, 2001, the Welsh Assembly made its first Transport & Works Act order in favour of the BVRS, and six days later Railtrack formally signed over the route to the society. However, Network Rail severed the connection to Tondu at Brynmenyn Level Crossing, just south of BryngarwCountry Park, in 2007.
Developments