 Already in November 1863 the "Central Wales Extension Railway" had approached the Vale of Towy about a lease; this line was to connect from the north, and eventually formed part of the Central Wales line, on which the passenger operation is marketed at the present time as the Heart of Wales Line.The Swansea Vale Railway had started life as a mineral line running north-east from Swansea.In 1861 it obtained Parliamentary authorisation to extend to Brynamman, approaching from the east; this part of the line was known as the "Swansea Vale Extension Railway", and it opened on 1 January 1864 for mineral traffic.