Llantrisant–Aberthaw line

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 mainline 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. The passenger service from Cowbridge to Aberthaw was discontinued in 1932; that from Llantrisant to Cowbridge in 1951. A mine working with a private siding remained in operation until 1975, but when that closed, the line ceased to have any railway activity.