INTRODUCTION Today I will be suggesting the Merythr Line & Rhondda by Transport for wales ( owned by Welsh Government). This route will have 34 stations in total and will be 44 miles (67 km) long. THE ROUTE The route starts in Cardiff Central, located in Cardiff , ending at Treherbert, Aberdare & Merythr Tydfil, STATIONS •Cardiff Central • Cardiff Queen street •Cathays •Llandaf •Ninian Park •Waun-Gron-Park •Fairwater •Danescourt •Radyr •Taff's Well •Trefforest Estate •Trefforest •Pontypridd •Trehafod •Dinas Rhondda •Tonypandy •Llwynypia •Ystard Rhondda •Ton Pentre •Treorchy •Ynyswen •Treherbert •Abercynon •Penrhiwceiber •Mountain Ash •Fernhill •Cwmbach •Aberdare •Quakers Yard •Merythr Vale •Troed-y-rhiw •Pentre-bach •Merythr Tydfil MAIN ROLLING STOCK 756/0 765/1 The class 756 manufactured by Stadler Rail as part of the FLIRT family built from 2021-2023 24 units were built with 7 of them being /0s and 17 being /1s the top speed of this tri mode train is 75 mph (121 km/h) and the safety systems used are TPWS/AWS and ETCS 756/0 (Tri mode 3 car , used on electrifiedand un electrified lines) 756/1 (Tri mode 4 car,used on electrified and un electrified lines) 756/0 - 118 seats & 24 tip ups with 148 standees 756/1- 158 seats & 32 tip ups with 204 standees Services : Cardiff via ninian park Aberdare - Cardiff Central via ninian park Treherbert via Llandaf Merthyr via ninian park 231/0 (occasionally runs services on the line) The class 231 manufactured by Stadler Rail as part of the FLIRT family built from 2021-2022 11 units were built with all of them being /0s the top speed of this diesel electric multiple unit is 90 mph (145 km/h) and the safety systems used are TPWS/AWS and ETCS 231/0 (DEMU 4 car,used on electrified and un electrified lines occasionally runs on this line along with the 150) 231/0 - 170 seats & 36 tip ups with 180 standees Services : Cardiff via ninian park Aberdare - Cardiff Central via ninian park Treherbert via Llandaf Merthyr via ninian park LAYERS 150/2 DEPOTS Cardiff canton TMD CONCLUSION Thanks for reading my suggestion I hope you enjoyed reading it
The only hope of seeing this now that DTG have effectively done Cardiff with the Network short route, is if said route was to get extended. And, as we keep being told, extensions are “not a thing”. Seems unlikely it would be offered as a fresh route effectively duplicating part of one that now exists.
O Or yk, wild call but, maybe a stand alone route…. I mean it doesn’t have to be an extension. WCMLOS wasn’t an extension of BPO. Yet they both still featured a key station and route hop. Why it has to be an extension I have no idea. I personally think it’s a great suggestion and a great route.
