Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway
In time the Canal became overwhelmed by the volume of traffic, and encouraged by the successful opening of railways with more advanced technology than the horse tramways of previous years, the Taff Vale Railway was promoted. It was authorised by Parliament in 1836 and it opened between Merthyr and Cardiff docks in 1841. The line passed close to the Maesmawr workings but did not make a connection.
Great North of Scotland Railway
Plans to reach fishing ports at Macduff and Banff from Inverurie were proposed when the Great North was first suggested, but failed because of the lack of financial support. A different route, from Milton Inveramsay, allowed for a shorter route with easier gradients. Unable to raise sufficient money for a line to the coast, a shorter line to was built. The Great North invested in the railway, and directors sat on the board of the Junction Railway. The new line, together with a junction station at , opened on 5 September 1857. A separate company, the Banff, Macduff and Turriff Extension Railway, built an extension to a station called . The line was operated by the Great North from 4 June 1860, and served an inconvenient terminus high on a hill from Macduff and from the bridge across the River Deveron to Banff. Four trains a day ran from Inveramsay, taking between 1 hour 30 minutes and 1 hour 50 minutes, with connections with services to Aberdeen. Both railways were absorbed by the Great North of Scotland Railway on 1 August 1866, and the line was extended to a new station in 1872.