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.
Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway
The Government passed the Railways Act 1921 which mandated the "grouping" of most of the railways of Great Britain into one or other of four new large companies. In fact in the area the Great Western Railway name continued; the old Great Western Railway was of course the largest constituent of it, but the Taff Vale Railway was a significant constituent company. Although the grouping is generally considered to have taken place at the beginning of 1923, the necessary negotiations resulted in the Taff Vale's transfer to the new GWR effective from January 1922.