The Brecon Mountain Railway is one of The Great Little Trains of Wales, a group of Welsh narrow gauge railways which offers bargain travel through its Wanderer Ticket scheme.

Built on the trackbed of the former Brecon and Merthyr Railway, it operates over 3½ miles of 2-ft gauge track from Pant to Dol-y-Gaer, though its ultimate destination is Torpantau, location of the highest railway tunnel in Britain.

Skirting the picturesque Taff Fechan reservoir at the foot of the Brecon Beacons, there is a small Halt at Pontsticill  (left) where passengers can detrain to picnic or to take a walk into the forest. For a longer stay, holiday accommodation is also provided in the old Pontsticill signal box.

The railway's workshop, souvenir shop and licensed restaurant are located at Pant. They open one hour before the departure of the first train of the day. Ramp access and modified toilets provide excellent facilities for the disabled, while one of the carriages on the train has been specially adapted for wheelchair-bound visitors. At Pant, there is also a free car park, and a new footpath leading to a picnic site with a panoramic view of the valley.

2010/11 Opening dates and times

The Brecon Mountain Railway operates on Saturdays and Sundays between January 2nd and March 31st, also February 15th to 19th and March 23rd, 24th and 25; April 1st to May 31st, except April 19th, 23rd, 26th, 30th, May 7th, 10th, 14th, 17th, 21st, 24th and 28th; and between September 21st and October 21st except on Fridays and Mondays (other than Bank Holidays).
It is open daily between May 29th and September 19th and between September 23rd and October 31st.
On Saturdays and Sundays in November, trains do not run but the restaurant and shop at Pant is open between 10.00am and 4.00pm.
Dates in December between the 1st and the 23rd are Santa Specials, and trains also run between December 27th and 31st.

In Winter 2011, trains run on Saturdays and Sundays between January 2nd and March 28th; and on February 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th; and on April 23rd, 24th, 25th, 30th and 31st.

Times:

With the exceptions given below, trains depart from Pant at 11.00am, 12.15pm, 1.30pm, 2.45pm and 4.00pm. (Last train departs Pontsticill at 4.55pm.)
On dates in January, February and March (and on these months in 2011) and December 27th to 31st 2010,  trains leave Pant at 12 noon, 1.30pm, and 3.00pm. (Last train leaves Pontsticill at 3.55pm.
The round trip takes 65 minutes including a 20 minute stop at Pontsticill, from where trains leave forty minutes after departure from Pant. You may return by a later train, but take care that you do not miss the last train of the day.

Special Events

Birthday Parties
Make your Child's day a special one with a Birthday Party with a difference. Ring the station on 01685 722988 for an information pack.

Contact the Railway for details of Special Event fares and timetable.

How to get there

The railway is located just off the A465 Heads of the Valleys trunk road: just follow the 'Mountain Railway' signs. It is three miles north of Merthyr Tydfil railway station, and is served by a half-hourly bus service (routes 30/31) from the nearby bus station.
For details of connecting services, including travel planner and timetables, visit the Traveline Cymru website.

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Select the link for the Brecon Mountain Railway's official Website.

Copyright © 1996/7/8/9/2000/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10 by Deryck Lewis. Photograph copyright © 1999. All rights reserved.
Page created July 14 1996; Redesigned March 29 1999; Updated May 28 2010
If you have any suggestions, comments, or glitches to report, please contact the author at WalesRails