page_title: Llantrisant–Aberthaw line
section_title: Cowbridge and Aberthaw Railway
hierarchical_section_title: Llantrisant–Aberthaw line / Cowbridge and Aberthaw Railway
caption_attribution_description: English: System map of the Cowbridge and Aberthaw Railway, Wales
context_page_description: The Llantrisant – Aberthaw line was a railway line built in two parts.
  The Cowbridge Railway was a locally promoted railway line in South Wales, intended to connect the town to the nearby main line network at Llantrisant. The company was desperately short of money to construct the line, and a subscription of £10,000 from the Taff Vale Railway towards the construction costs ensured alignment to that company's system, so that Pontypridd, and not Cardiff, was the destination of through passenger trains. The line opened in 1865 and operated as a through line from Pontypridd in association with the Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway. The Company was always impoverished and from 1876 leased its line to the Taff Vale Railway. The TVR absorbed the Company in 1889.
  High quality limestone workings at Aberthaw encouraged thoughts of a Cowbridge and Aberthaw Railway. This opened in 1892, and was absorbed by the Taff Vale Railway in 1895. The Cowbridge and the Aberthaw sections were operated as a single entity.
  The Taff Vale Railway introduced railmotors, which it called "motor cars", on the lines in 1905 and although they were successful, the lines remained loss-making.
context_section_description: Aberthaw had long been a source of high quality limestone, which was in demand for burning to make lime. In 1881 Stephen Collier and David Owen went into partnership with a view to establishing lime kilns at Aberthaw. This was not immediately fruitful, but in 1888 works and equipment were provided and the industry took hold. At this time further railway developments in the general area were under consideration, and in November 1888 proposals were published for the Vale of Glamorgan line, which would connect Barry and Bridgend via Aberthaw.
  The preparations for this motivated the Taff Vale Railway to give support to Collier and Owen, and proposals form a Cowbridge and Aberthaw Railway were deposited in the same month. The TVR guaranteed ​3 ¹⁄₂% on the construction cost, and the Cowbridge and Aberthaw Railway Act was passed on 12 August 1889, with capital of £90,000.
  Construction of the line proceeded, and on 2 September 1892 Major Yorke of the Board of Trade inspected the line and passed it for passenger operation; it opened on 1 October 1892. The line was 6 miles 53 chains in length, and had cost £120,000 to build. A new station was provided at Cowbridge as the location of the old one did not lend itself to extending the line, and it was downgraded to the status of goods station. There were new stations on the line at St Mary Church Road, St Athan Road, and Aberthaw. There were three passenger trains a day, running between Aberthaw and Pontypridd.
  The Taff Vale Railway was persuaded to acquire the Cowbridge and Aberthaw Railway company, which it did from 1 January 1895, authorised by Act of 17 August 1894.
  The lack of a loop to cross trains on the single line at Cowbridge proved to be an operational inconvenience, and a loop was installed, being commissioned in October 1897. The Vale of Glamorgan line opened in that year. It had an Aberthaw station adjacent to the Cowbridge one, but there was no direct connection between the two, for trains or for the public.
caption: Cowbridge and Aberthaw Railway
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