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.

2008 Opening dates and times

The Brecon Mountain Railway operates between March 22st and May 24th, and between September 25th and October 31st except on Fridays and Mondays (other than Bank Holidays).
It is open daily from May 24th to September 21st.

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 Bank Holiday Sundays and Mondays, departures from Pant are at 11.00am, 12.15pm, 1.30pm, 2.45pm and 4.00pm and 5.15pm (not Easter Sunday). (Last train departs Pontsticill at 6.10pm)
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.

Return to top of page

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 by Deryck Lewis. Photograph copyright © 1999. All rights reserved.
Page created July 14 1996; Redesigned March 29 1999; Updated July 5 2008
If you have any suggestions, comments, or glitches to report, please contact the author at WalesRails