Celebrate 200 Years of Railway History!
In 1825, the Stockton & Darlington Railway opened the world’s first passenger railway station on Tuesday 27th September — a milestone that transformed travel forever. Steam locomotives carried passengers and goods at unprecedented speed, sparking a transport revolution that connected towns, boosted industry, and shaped modern Britain.
This special SideTracked Railway 200 event at Pont-rhyd-y-fen is part of a nationwide celebration running from Wednesday 24th to Tuesday 30th September 2025. All finds and hides from this event count towards your SideTracked statistics, and a unique profile badge will be created especially for this event. Whether your chosen location is old, disused, miniature, or still bustling today, it’s part of a railway story that’s been 200 years in the making.
The station was opened on 25 June 1885 by the Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway. The nearby railway cutting was locally known as Rock of Gibraltar. It closed on 3 December 1962.
A collision occurred with a freight train and a passenger train. The freight was headed to Cwmavon. It was set to stop at the down platform but it went out of control when it was on the steep gradient. It carried on through Cwmavon and collided head-on with the passenger train. Both trains were traveling at 20 miles per hour. The driver of the passenger train and the fireman of the freight train were killed and twenty passengers, including the guards for both trains, were injured, three being seriously injured, including the driver of the freight train.
Now down to the important business of this CITO event where we will be picking up some litter using Keep Wales Tidy's litter picking kit and will be collected by Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council afterwards. The area is suitable for wheelchair users and dogs under control are welcome. There are some steep drops so you will need to keep an eye on little ones. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided afterwards for your hard work but you are welcome to bring something to share. Be aware that there is little cover in case of inclement weather so cross your fingers.