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Wales Online
Wales Online
Lifestyle
David Prince

Inside the abandoned railway tunnels in the valleys and the stories behind them

Wales has plenty of mystery and history to keep you intrigued for a very long time. There are various abandoned railway stations and tunnels, and not forgetting the viaducts that were and still are a massive part of our heritage which will hopefully continue to amaze generations to come.

Obviously, the list below is not exhaustive as there are many more derelict railways and tunnels out there, but here are a selection that have been explored in recent years, and the history they hold.

Graig Tunnel

The Pontypridd / Graig tunnel mouth as it looks today in the car park of Dewi Sant Hospital (David Prince)

The Graig tunnel is one of the last remains of the old Barry railway line. The Pontypridd Graig station was closed in May 1930 and the tunnel was left to rot. Most of the station became what is now the Dewi Sant Hospital which was built in the 1960s. You can read more about it here.

The Gelli Houses Railway Tunnel

Gelli Tunnel - pictures taken by Ceri Jones From Various dates The outside of the Gelli Tunnel January 22, 2014 (Ceri Jones)

This tunnel which can be found in Neath Port Talbot and linked Cymmer and Blaengwynfi together. For 70 years the tunnel welcomed trains along its short distance but it has been left unused since the 1960s You can read more about these stations here.

The Cefn Glas Tunnel

The Cefn Glas tunnel connecting Abercynon with Quakers Yard (Ceri Jones)


This is the 640m long Cefn Glas tunnel and was previously used to link Abercynon with the Quakers Yard High-Level station. The single-track tunnel was believed to have opened in 1851 and then closed in June 1964, followed by the demolition of the Quakers Yard viaduct. Find out more about this tunnel here.

The Morlais Tunnel

Upside Down car August 2009 Morlais Tunnel - Taken by Ceri Jones (Ceri Jones)

This is the eerie abandoned tunnel that since its closure in 1958, several cars have been dumped there before it was eventually closed up. This tunnel has been left derelict and appears to be quite dangerous in parts. You can read more about the tunnel and see more pictures - here.

The Pencaedrain Tunnel

The beginning of the tunnel is unusually green. This tunnel was part of the Vale Of Neath Railway the entrance to the tunnel has the code VON 2865 - April 2010 (Ceri Jones)

This tunnel dates back more than 150 years and runs alongside the A465 on the way up from Glynneath to Hirwaun. You can read more about the tunnel and see more pictures here.

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