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.
Taff Vale Railway
On 23 January 1911, a passenger train ran into the rear of a coal train at Coke Ovens, near Pontypridd. Eleven people were killed and five were seriously injured. The accident was due to irregularities in the block working by the signalman, who forgot that he had admitted the first train into the section and had not received Train Out of Section for it. The block instruments were of the two-position type.