Valley Lines

300px
Franchise(s):	Valley Lines 1995 – 2001
Main region(s):	South Wales
Other region(s):	None
Fleet size:	?
Stations:	?
Parent company:	Prism Rail
Web site:	[http:// ]

The Valley Lines is the commonly-known name for the network of local train services in valleys of South Wales from Cardiff, Wales. It was the trading name of the Cardiff Railway Company, the franchise which operated most of these services (the Maesteg Line being the exception, which was operated by Wales and West) from privatisation in 1995 until 2001, when it became part of the new Wales and Borders franchise. Both franchises were part of the National Express Group. Since 2003, the franchise has been run by Arriva Trains Wales who have officially dropped the Valley Lines brand and are in the process of applying a new livery to the local fleet based on their corporate colours of turquoise and cream.

The old Vale of Glamorgan Line, on which passenger services were closed under the Beeching Axe, have now re-opened for passenger service, with services from Cardiff to Bridgend, via Barry, Rhoose Cardiff Airport and Llantwit Major. These services were originally advertised to start in April 2005, but commenced on 12 June 2005.

Services on these routes are provided with class 142, 143, 150 and 153 trains, and are typically end-to-end, in that they run from one branch terminus, through Queen Street station (the notional 'hub' of the network), to another branch terminus, e.g. from Pontypridd to Barry Island

Routes

The colours used below are from the official network map (see External links).

Butetown branch	City line	Coryton line	Maesteg line	Merthyr line	Rhondda line	Rhymney line	Vale line
Cardiff Queen St. Cardiff Bay (formerly Butetown)	Cardiff Central Ninian Park Waun-Gron Park Fairwater Danescourt Radyr	Cardiff Central Cardiff Queen St. Heath Low Level Ty Glas Birchgrove Rhiwbina Whitchurch Coryton	Cardiff Central Pontyclun Pencoed Bridgend Wildmill Sarn Tondu Garth Maesteg Ewenny Rd. Maesteg	Cardiff Central Cardiff Queen St. Cathays Llandaf Radyr Taffs Well Trefforest Estate Trefforest Pontypridd    Abercynon North    Penrhiwceiber    Mountain Ash    Fernhill    Cwmbach    Aberdare Abercynon South Quakers Yard Merthyr Vale Troed-y-rhiw Pentre-bach Merthyr Tydfil	Cardiff Central Cardiff Queen St. Cathays Llandaf Radyr Taffs Well Trefforest Estate Trefforest Pontypridd Trehafod Porth Dinas Rhondda Tonypandy Llwynypia Ystrad Rhondda Ton Pentre Treorchy Ynyswen Treherbert	Cardiff Central Cardiff Queen St. Heath High Level Llanishen Lisvane & Thornhill Caerphilly Aber Llanbradach Ystrad Mynach Hengoed Pengam Gilfach Fargoed Bargoed Brithdir Tir-Phil Pontlottyn Rhymney	Cardiff Central Grangetown    Dingle Road    Penarth Cogan Eastbrook Dinas Powys Cadoxton Barry Docks Barry    Barry Island Rhoose (for the airport) Llantwit Major Bridgend

External links

• Detailed summary of all the Valley Lines
• Arriva Trains Wales
• BBC News: New stations in £155m rail plans

Template:Start box |- style="text-align: center;" |- style="text-align:center;" |width="30%" align="center" rowspan="1"|Preceded by
Regional Railways
As part of British Rail |width="40%" style="text-align: center;" rowspan="1"|Operator of Valley Lines franchise
1995-2001 |width="30%" align="center" rowspan="1"| Succeeded by
Wales and Borders
Wales and Borders franchise |- |}