Brecon Mountain Railway

The Brecon Mountain Railway allows you to travel on steam trains from Pant, 3 miles North of Merthyr Tydfil, to Torpantau and follows part of the route of the original Brecon & Merthyr Railway which closed in 1964. The various steam Locomotives take you through Brecon in all-weather observation carriages into the Brecon Beacons National Park, through Pontsticill and along the Taf Fechan Reservoir, then climbing up to Torpantau in the Brecon Beacons to the summit of the original line. There is a gift shop and licensed tea rooms in the main station at Pant and you can also visit the workshop where the steam engines and carriages are repaired. The route goes non-stop from Pant to Torpantau and all returning trains stop off at an intermediate station in Pontsticill which houses the Lakeside Cafe. Here you can sit and relax while the children amuse themselves in the play area or admire the stunning scenery on a walk alongside the reservoir. The dam of the lower Pontsticill Reservoir can be seen to the left hand side of the station with the water treatment works in the valley below. The original signal box and station house are on the right hand side here. However the original stone waiting room has been converted and extended and now houses a small museum with a collection of small stationary steam engines and 3 small steam locomotives. The trains stop for either 25 or 35 minutes here dependent upon the timetable before returning to Pant but passengers wishing to remain here can return on a later train. One of the benefits of the line is that tourists can access and experience part of the Brecon Beacons National Park without driving their cars through it. Car parking for railway passengers is only available at Pant Station, outside the Brecon Beacons National Park.