Cardiff Railway, Pontypridd extension

[GCC504]

In retrospect it does seem incredible that the TVR was able to frustrate the CR for so long (for ever in fact) by preventing the junction of the two lines at Treforest from coming into use. However, Mountford (“The Cardiff Railway” Headington 1987) explains this well and describes both companies’ preoccupation at the time in negotiating a possible tri-partite merger with the Rhymney Railway. The object of the CR was to link the coalfield with its docks and a merger with the TVR and RR would equate with the successful Barry model of a combined dock and railway company. Mountford’s is the best railway history (and a good docks history too) but you should also refer to Davies (“Cardiff and the Marquesses of Bute” Cardiff 1981) and the earlier Daunton (“Coal Metropolis Cardiff 1870-1914” Leicester 1977) for your academic business histories that both include financial analyses. You can read the newspapers of the period on-line on the National Library of Wales web site. Was the CR a foolish project? Unlike Barry, Cardiff had a legacy of old docks and had to build the Queen Alexandra dock and the connecting railway to remain competitive.

[Rhobat Bryn]

Sounds like the perfect opportunity to do some research of your own.