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107-779: The name comes from the fact that the original line was part of the Rhymney Railway 's system. The line is currently operated by Transport for Wales Rail Services as part of the Valley Lines network. TfW replaced the previous franchise , Arriva Trains Wales in October 2018. In March 2007 the latest in a series of infrastructure improvements on the Valley Lines was announced, which included lengthening of platforms between Rhymney and Penarth to allow Class 150 units to operate in multiples of 3 (6 cars). However, this

214-683: A coal preparation plant . Technical and economic feasibility are evaluated based on the following: regional geological conditions; overburden characteristics; coal seam continuity, thickness, structure, quality, and depth; strength of materials above and below the seam for roof and floor conditions; topography, especially altitude and slope; climate; land ownership as it affects the availability of land for mining and access; surface drainage patterns; groundwater conditions; availability of labor and materials; coal purchaser requirements in terms of tonnage, quality, and destination; and capital investment requirements. Surface mining and deep underground mining are

321-705: A 70% increase over the 20 years since 1999. In 2018, the world production of brown coal (lignite) was 803.2 Mt, with Germany the world's largest producer at 166.3 Mt. China is most likely the second largest producer and consumer of lignite globally although specific lignite production data is not made available. Coal production has grown fastest in Asia, while Europe has declined. Since 2011, world coal production has been stable, with decreases in Europe and US offset by increases from China, Indonesia and Australia. The top coal mining nations are: Energy production from coal mining

428-638: A branch known as the Zig-zag Branch on the south-west side of Dowlais; the zig-zag climbed at 1 in 35 to gain height to reach another part of the Dowlais complex. Much of the main line of the Taff Bargoed line climbed to Dowlais at 1 in 40 and 1 in 49, against loaded traffic. The summit on the line is at an altitude of 1,250 feet (381 m) above sea level. The stations on the line were Bedlinog and Cwm Bargoed but halts were built later for

535-440: A coal mine and its structures are a colliery , a coal mine is called a "pit", and above-ground mining structures are referred to as a " pit head ". In Australia , "colliery" generally refers to an underground coal mine. Coal mining has had many developments in recent years, from the early days of men tunneling, digging, and manually extracting the coal on carts to large open-cut and longwall mines. Mining at this scale requires

642-467: A coal seam occurring near the top of a ridge or hill, the entire top is removed in a series of parallel cuts. Overburden is deposited in nearby valleys and hollows. This method usually leaves the ridge and hilltops as flattened plateaus. The process is highly controversial for the drastic changes in topography, the practice of creating head-of-hollow-fills , or filling in valleys with mining debris, and for covering streams and disrupting ecosystems. Spoil

749-479: A connection there with the tramroad network of the Dowlais Iron Company. There were serious labour difficulties in constructing the line, however, and it did not open until 10 January 1876. A short branch from Cwm Bargoed on the Taff Bargoed line to Fochriw Colliery was opened as part of the works. At Dowlais, as well as connecting directly to the Dowlais Iron Company's network, the new railway had

856-403: A greater proportion of the coal deposit than underground methods, as more of the coal seams in the strata may be exploited. This equipment can include the following: Draglines which operate by removing the overburden, power shovels, large trucks in which transport overburden and coal, bucket wheel excavators, and conveyors. In this mining method, explosives are first used in order to break through

963-481: A higher amount of energy per unit mass, specific energy or massic energy, and can often be obtained in areas where wood is not readily available. Though it was used historically as a domestic fuel, coal is now used mostly in industry, especially in smelting and alloy production, as well as electricity generation . Large-scale coal mining developed during the Industrial Revolution , and coal provided

1070-440: A land use condition is not equal to the original use. Existing land uses (such as livestock grazing, crop and timber production) are temporarily eliminated in mining areas. High-value, intensive-land-use areas like urban and transportation systems are not usually affected by mining operations. If mineral values are sufficient, these improvements may be removed to an adjacent area. Strip mining eliminates existing vegetation, destroys

1177-440: A large dining-room table, but with hydraulic jacks for legs. After the large pillars of coal have been mined away, the mobile roof support's legs shorten and it is withdrawn to a safe area. The mine roof typically collapses once the mobile roof supports leave an area. There are six principal methods of underground mining: Coal is mined commercially in over 50 countries. 7,921 million metric tons (Mt) of coal were produced in 2019,

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1284-447: A method that currently accounts for about 60 percent of world coal production. In deep mining, the room and pillar or bord and pillar method progresses along the seam, while pillars and timber are left standing to support the mine roof. Once room and pillar mines have been developed to a stopping point limited by geology, ventilation, or economics, a supplementary version of room and pillar mining, termed second mining or retreat mining ,

1391-689: A monopoly of the direct routes from Merthyr to the south and east. Now the Quakers Yard and Merthyr line was opened on 1 April 1886 from the Taff Vale Extension line at Quakers Yard running up the west side of the River Taff to Merthyr, ending at the GWR station there. Colliery and ironstone pit connections were made intermediately, and a branch line spur crossed the Taff to get access to

1498-589: A result of occupational exposures is coined occupational hearing loss . To protect miners' hearing, the US Mine Safety and Health Administration 's (MSHA) guidelines for noise place a Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for noise at 90 dBA time-weighted over 8 hours. A lower cutoff, 85 dBA, is set for a worker to fall into the MSHA Action Level which dictates that workers be placed into hearing conservation programs. Noise exposures vary depending on

1605-485: A surface (also called an open cast) mine. Additionally, coal seam thickness and geology are factors in the selection of a mining method. The most economical method of coal extraction for surface mines is the electric shovel or drag line. The most economical form of underground mining is the long wall, which involves using two spinning drums with carbide bits that runs along sections of the coal seam. Many coals extracted from both surface and underground mines require washing in

1712-575: Is accomplished by drilling holes into the overburden, filling the holes with explosives, and detonating the explosive. The overburden is then removed, using large earth-moving equipment, such as draglines , shovel and trucks, excavator and trucks, or bucket-wheels and conveyors. This overburden is put into the previously mined (and now empty) strip. When all the overburden is removed, the underlying coal seam will be exposed (a 'block' of coal). This block of coal may be drilled and blasted (if hard) or otherwise loaded onto trucks or conveyors for transport to

1819-427: Is commonly started. Miners remove the coal in the pillars, thereby recovering as much coal from the coal seam as possible. A work area involved in pillar extraction is called a pillar section. Modern pillar sections use remote-controlled equipment, including large hydraulic mobile roof-supports, which can prevent cave-ins until the miners and their equipment have left a work area. The mobile roof supports are similar to

1926-418: Is dedicated to mining activities until it can be reshaped and reclaimed. If mining is allowed, resident human populations must be resettled off the mine site; economic activities, such as agriculture or hunting and gathering food and medicinal plants are interrupted. What becomes of the land surface after mining is determined by the manner in which the mining is conducted. Usually reclamation of disturbed lands to

2033-516: Is highly concentrated in certain jurisdictions, which also concentrates much of the social and economic impacts of the industry to these regions. The industry directly employs over seven million workers worldwide, which, in turn, creates millions of indirect jobs. In several parts of the world, producers have reached peak coal as some economies shift away from fossil fuels to address climate change. A 2020 study found that renewables jobs could feasibly be created in these geographies to replace many of

2140-484: Is mostly used to generate electricity, and 75% of annual coal production is exported, mostly to eastern Asia. In 2007, 428 million tonnes of coal was mined in Australia. In 2007, coal provided about 85% of Australia's electricity production. In the fiscal year 2008/09, 487 million tonnes of coal was mined, and 261 million tonnes was exported. In the fiscal year 2013/14, 430.9 million tonnes of coal

2247-417: Is partially economically recoverable. Coal refuse is distinct from the byproducts of burning coal, such as fly ash . Piles of coal refuse can have significant negative environmental consequences, including the leaching of iron, manganese, and aluminum residues into waterways and acid mine drainage . The runoff can create both surface and groundwater contamination. The piles also create a fire hazard, with

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2354-593: Is placed at the head of a narrow, steep-sided valley or hollow. In preparation for filling this area, vegetation and soil are removed and a rock drain constructed down the middle of the area to be filled, where a natural drainage course previously existed. When the fill is completed, this underdrain will form a continuous water runoff system from the upper end of the valley to the lower end of the fill. Typical head-of-hollow fills are graded and terraced to create permanently stable slopes. Most coal seams are too deep underground for opencast mining and require underground mining,

2461-487: Is postponed indefinitely due to the sub-lease by the Department for Transport , to Great Western Railway , of the units that would have allowed this extra capacity. The line currently has a 15-minute daytime headway between Bargoed and Cardiff, with most journeys terminating at Barry Island or Bridgend. Prior to re-signalling early in 2006, a 20-minute headway was operated. North of Bargoed, two trains per hour runs over

2568-436: Is referred to as 'overburden' and is removed in long strips. The overburden from the first strip is deposited in an area outside the planned mining area and referred to as out-of-pit dumping. Overburden from subsequent strips is deposited in the void left from mining the coal and overburden from the previous strip. This is referred to as in-pit dumping. It is often necessary to fragment the overburden by use of explosives. This

2675-515: Is removed and overburden dumped to the side. Dust, vibration, and diesel exhaust odors are created (affecting sight, sound, and smell). Residents of local communities often find such impacts disturbing or unpleasant. In case of mountaintop removal , tops are removed from mountains or hills to expose thick coal seams underneath. The soil and rock removed is deposited in nearby valleys, hollows and depressions, resulting in blocked (and contaminated) waterways. Removal of soil and rock overburden covering

2782-712: Is still common, with 4,000 new cases of black lung every year in the US (4 percent of workers annually) and 10,000 new cases every year in China (0.2 percent of workers). The use of water sprays in mining equipment reduces the risk to miners' lungs. Build-ups of a hazardous gas are known as damps, possibly from the German word Dampf which means steam or vapor: Noise is also a contributing factor to potential adverse effects on coal miners' health. Exposure to excessive noise can lead to noise-induced hearing loss . Hearing loss developed as

2889-435: Is used for both thermal and metallurgical coals . In New South Wales open casting for steam coal and anthracite is practiced. Surface mining accounts for around 80 percent of production in Australia, while in the US it is used for about 67 percent of production. Globally, about 40 percent of coal production involves surface mining. Strip mining exposes coal by removing earth above each coal seam. This earth to be removed

2996-670: The Rhymney Railway (Amendment) Act 1855 ( 18 & 19 Vict. c. cx). The engineer for the works was Joseph Cubitt ; the Earl of Bute was the owner of the Bute Docks and his trustees built the branch to the docks, leasing it to the Rhymney Railway at 4% on capital of £67,633. Construction proceeded but the cost of the work proved to be considerably underestimated, and in 1857 an act of Parliament giving authority

3103-472: The Monmouthshire Canal . Tramroads were already in existence to bring the minerals to the ironworks, and now they could be built to convey the finished product to the canals. The authorising acts of Parliament for the canals included clauses empowering pit owners to build a connecting tramroad to the canals if the canal company failed to do so, provided the pit was within a certain distance of

3210-589: The Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway opened its Taff Vale Extension Railway, a long route from Pontypool in the east to Crumlin in the west at first, then extended into the Aberdare valley intersecting many valleys and connecting with many railways. In 1850 the South Wales Railway opened part of its main line , between Chepstow and Swansea . This was built to the broad gauge and

3317-574: The Vale of Neath Railway , also now controlled by the GWR. As part of the deal when the Taff Bargoed line was agreed with the GWR, the Rhymney Railway had secured running powers through Aberdare to Hirwaun . The new line would therefore give it access, from Ystrad Mynach, to the hugely expanding mineral resources of the Aberdare region, as well as to the Taff Bargoed line at a junction near Llancaiach . The line opened on 27 September 1871. Apart from

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3424-503: The global energy economy . The major coal producing countries, though, such as China , Indonesia, India and Australia , have not reached peak production, with production increases replacing falls in Europe and the United States and proposed mines under development. The coal mining industry employs almost 2.7 million workers. The History of coal mining goes back thousands of years, with early mines documented in ancient China,

3531-400: The 1860s onward. By the late 20th century, coal was, for the most part, replaced in domestic as well as industrial and transportation usage by oil , natural gas or electricity produced from oil, gas, nuclear power or renewable energy sources. By 2010, coal produced over a fourth of the world's energy. Coal extraction methods vary depending on whether the mine is an underground mine or

3638-588: The B&;MR acquired the Old Rumney Railway, with the obvious intention of reaching the docks at Newport and competing directly with the Rhymney Railway. In self-defence the Rhymney Railway, seeing this coming, had obtained Parliamentary powers for a Bargoed Rhymney branch line, covering pretty much the same terrain as the B&MR intentions. The wasteful competition was abated when the two companies agreed reluctantly to cooperate. The Rhymney Railway built

3745-592: The Bedlinog, Nantwen, Nantyffin and Penydarren collieries. On 1 April 1871 the Rhymney Railway was at last able to open its own direct Caerphilly to Cardiff line. It had a falling gradient all the way to Cardiff, where it made a junction with its own line to the Bute Docks. It was double track. Crockherbtown junction had been the point of divergence of the Taff Vale Railway and the Rhymney lines to

3852-700: The LNWR got running powers to Pontypridd, and the PC&;NR got running powers into Cardiff over the Rhymney Railway. The Rhymney's powers to Pontypridd were rendered unusable by the obstructive attitude of the TVR. A further joint venture with the Great Western Railway led to Merthyr Tydfil. Although the GWR already had a presence at Merthyr through the Vale of Neath line, up to that point the Taff Vale Railway had

3959-574: The NA&;HR at Hengoed. In addition there was a 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 -mile (2.0 km) branch from Crockherbtown Junction, immediately north of the present Cardiff Queen Street station , to the Bute Dock. Running powers were granted over the Taff Vale Railway between Walnut Tree Bridge and Crockherbtown Junction. The authorised share capital was more than doubled, an additional £130,000 being authorised by this second act of Parliament of 2 July 1855,

4066-541: The Rhymney Railway and a physical connection was obviously desirable, so the Rhymney Railway (Northern Lines) Act 1864 ( 27 & 28 Vict. c. cclxxv) of 25 July 1864 authorised a line northward from Rhymney to Nantybwch on the MT&;AR. The Rhymney Railway and the LNWR agreed to construct the connecting line jointly, and running powers were granted to the Rhymney along the MT&AR as far as Ebbw Vale , although in practice these were not used. The LNWR did well out of

4173-504: The Rhymney Railway and the Brecon and Merthyr Railway . The Rhymney part of that was a relatively short transit from Penrhos Junction through Caerphilly to an end-on junction with the B&M 1 ⁄ 2 mile (0.8 km) east of Caerphilly. The Rhymney had to improve its Caerphilly–Penrhos Junction line, which had not been kept up to a standard suited to passenger work since its own trains over this line had ceased in 1871. The RR and

4280-481: The Rhymney Railway was considering how it might reach Dowlais and Merthyr directly. The trade in the iron industry was changing, and no longer was locally extracted iron ore dominant in the iron foundries of Dowlais: imported ore was being used to an increasing extent, and being hauled up the gradient from the coastal ports. The obvious route appeared to be the Taff Bargoed valley, as yet without railway access. At

4387-565: The Rhymney ironworks, down the west bank of the River Rhymney , to a junction with the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway near Hengoed . This main line was to be 9 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (15.3 km) long, and there was also to be a 2 + 3 ⁄ 4 -mile (4.4 km) branch from Pont Aberbargoed up the Bargoed Rhymney valley to Ysgwyddgwyn . Share capital was to be £100,000. The maritime destination which

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4494-521: The Rhymney's case as far as Pantywaun Junction, 4 miles (6 km) above Deri (where the Dowlais Ironworks railway system made a junction with the B&MR line), although in practice they were only used as far as Fochriw Colliery. The Deri branch of the Rhymney Railway was doubled in 1909. The Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway was building its line across the heads of the valleys , giving an exit for Merthyr and Dowlais iron to

4601-579: The Roman Empire and other early historical economies. It became important in the Industrial Revolution of the 19th and 20th centuries, when it was primarily used to power steam engines, heat buildings and generate electricity. Coal mining continues as an important economic activity today, but has begun to decline due to the strong contribution coal plays in global warming and environmental issues, which result in decreasing demand and in some geographies, peak coal . Compared to wood fuels , coal yields

4708-467: The Taff Vale Railway that it would convey the Rhymney traffic over its line from Llancaiach. Separate dock facilities at Cardiff would be provided, at what became Bute East Dock . A bill for the Rhymney Railway went to Parliament in the 1854 session and received royal assent on 24 July 1854 as the Rhymney Railway Act 1854 ( 17 & 18 Vict. c. cxciii). It was to build a railway from

4815-812: The U.S., Examples include the Sago Mine disaster of 2006, and the 2007 mine accident in Utah 's Crandall Canyon Mine , where nine miners were killed and six entombed. In the decade 2005–2014, US coal mining fatalities averaged 28 per year. The most fatalities during the 2005–2014 decade were 48 in 2010, the year of the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster in West Virginia, which killed 29 miners. Chronic lung diseases, such as pneumoconiosis (black lung) were once common in miners, leading to reduced life expectancy . In some mining countries black lung

4922-624: The US Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) show that between 1990 and 2004, the industry cut the rate of injuries by more than half and fatalities by two-thirds. But according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , even in 2006, mining remained the second most dangerous occupation in America, when measured by fatality rate . These numbers, however, include all mining activities, and oil and gas mining contribute to

5029-662: The area, and had been expanding continuously for some time. The owners naturally wished to maximise the mineral traffic through their docks, and were held back by the difficult connection from the Taff Vale. On 25 July 1884 the Pontypridd Caerphilly and Newport Railway was opened, encouraged by the Alexandra (Newport and South Wales) Docks and Railway . It formed a junction with the Taff Vale Railway near Pontypridd , and connected to Newport by running powers over

5136-422: The budget for the work, and interest and other prior charges exceeded the net income, particularly as mineral traffic did not develop as rapidly as had been hoped. Friction developed with the Taff Vale Railway from an early date, and the Rhymney's dependency on the TVR for working its traffic over the TVR main line left the Rhymney vulnerable. The Bute Trustees approached the Rhymney company with an offer: to lease

5243-593: The canal. Compensation was to be paid to landowners over whose property the tramroad might pass, but no further legislative authority needed to be sought. In 1800 the iron-founding industry was established at Rhymney, and this encouraged the inclusion in the Monmouthshire Canal Navigation Act 1802 ( 42 Geo. 3 . c. cxv) of a tramroad connecting Nantybwch to the Union Iron Works in Rhymney. There were soon several ironworks in

5350-581: The coal mining jobs as part of a just transition ; however, renewable energy was not suitable in some of the geographies with high concentrations of miners, such as in China, which is far and away the leading coal-mining nation. Coal refuse (also described as coal waste, rock, slag, coal tailings, waste material, rock bank, culm, boney, or gob ) is the material left over from coal mining, usually as tailings piles or spoil tips . For every tonne of hard coal generated by mining, 400 kg (880 lb) of waste material remains, which includes some lost coal that

5457-497: The coal preparation (or wash) plant. Once this strip is empty of coal, the process is repeated with a new strip being created next to it. This method is most suitable for areas with flat terrain. Equipment to be used depends on geological conditions. For example, to remove overburden that is loose or unconsolidated, a bucket wheel excavator might be the most productive. The life of some area mines may be more than 50 years. The contour mining method consists of removing overburden from

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5564-863: The coal resource may cause burial and loss of topsoil, exposes parent material, and creates large infertile wastelands. Soil disturbance and associated compaction result in conditions conducive to erosion. Soil removal from the area to be surface-mined alters or destroys many natural soil characteristics, and reduces its biodiversity and productivity for agriculture. Soil structure may be disturbed by pulverization or aggregate breakdown. Top 10 hard and brown coal producers in 2012 were (in million metric tons): China 3,621, United States 922, India 629, Australia 432, Indonesia 410, Russia 351, South Africa 261, Germany 196, Poland 144, and Kazakhstan 122. Coal has been mined in every state of Australia, but mainly in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. It

5671-429: The developed world. Modern coal mining in the US has an average 23 deaths per year due to mine accidents (2001–2020). However, in lesser developed countries and some developing countries, many miners continue to die annually, either through direct accidents in coal mines or through adverse health consequences from working under poor conditions. China , in particular, has the highest number of coal mining related deaths in

5778-401: The difficulties of operating over the TVR into Cardiff, the Rhymney Railway submitted a bill in the 1861 session to build an independent line between Walnut Tree and Cardiff, but this failed in committee, although a further extension of authorised capital was permitted. The Bute Trustees evidently wished the Rhymney Railway to succeed, for they now agreed "in consideration of the capitalisation of

5885-455: The disruptive activities of blasting, ripping, and excavating coal. Stripping of overburden eliminates and destroys archeological and historic features, unless they are removed beforehand. The removal of vegetative cover and activities associated with the construction of haul roads, stockpiling of topsoil, displacement of overburden and hauling of soil and coal increase the quantity of dust around mining operations. Dust degrades air quality in

5992-419: The docks that it sought. It returned to Parliament the following year. It almost doubled its extent by obtaining an act of Parliament giving sanction to build on from Hengoed to Walnut Tree Bridge, joining the Taff Vale Railway near Taffs Well , a line of 9 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (15.3 km), with a 1-mile (1.6 km) branch to Caerphilly and a 30-chain (0.60 km) branch connecting north to west on to

6099-400: The docks. Now the new line joined in there, but without the facility of running direct from Caerphilly to the TVR docks. The Cardiff station at Adam Street was closed to passengers, and a new Cardiff station, Cardiff Crockherbtown , north of the present-day Cardiff Queen Street was established. The TVR Cardiff station was on the south side of the thoroughfare. In 1871 another, short branch

6206-477: The electrification of the south Wales Valley Lines at a total cost of £350 million. The investment will require new trains and should result in reduced journeys times and a cheaper to maintain network. Work was expected to start between 2014 and 2019, but was then pushed back to between 2019 and 2024. Preliminary re-signalling work on the route, which saw the remaining manual signal boxes at Heath, Ystrad Mynach and Bargoed abolished in favour of remote control from

6313-545: The end of loco haulage on the line has finally come. This service is now operated with Transport for Wales since 2018. Loco-hauled stock hauled by Class 37s returned between June 2019 and March 2020. On 16 July 2012 plans to electrify the line were announced by the UK Government. The announcement was made as an extension of the electrification of the South Wales Main Line from Cardiff to Swansea and

6420-423: The end of locomotive-hauled trains. Two Class 37s (nos. 37425 and 37408) were involved in a runaway situation and collided at Rhymney Sidings on 30 July 2005. Number 37408 was withdrawn, and replaced by previously stored no. 37419. Number 37425 was repaired, but whilst it was out of traffic, Class 47 locomotives were hired from Riviera Trains as cover. Class 37-hauled trains finished on 10 December 2005, however in

6527-534: The exchange of running powers, receiving the right to run to Cardiff and Penarth over the RR system, although this required the acquiescence of the Taff Vale Railway , which was not easily obtained. The 3-mile (5 km) line was opened formally on 5 September 1871, although the public opening was not until 2 October 1871. The line climbed at 1 in 35 to Rhymney Bridge station, and from there to Nantybwch

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6634-571: The fatalities occurring in the first half of the 20th century. 3,242 died in 1907, the worst year ever; in 2020 there were five. Open cut hazards are principally mine wall failures and vehicle collisions; underground mining hazards include suffocation, gas poisoning, roof collapse, rock burst , outbursts , and gas explosions. Firedamp explosions can trigger the far more dangerous coal dust explosions, which can engulf an entire mine. Most of these risks are greatly reduced in modern mines, and multiple fatality incidents are now rare in most parts of

6741-457: The genetic soil profile, displaces or destroys wildlife and habitat, alters current land uses, and to some extent permanently changes the general topography of the area mined. Adverse impacts on geological features of human interest may occur in a coal strip mine. Geomorphic and geophysical features and outstanding scenic resources may be sacrificed by indiscriminate mining. Paleontological, cultural, and other historic values may be endangered due to

6848-606: The immediate area, and a small network of tramroads developed to serve them. In 1815 the Bryn Oer Tramway was opened, connecting the ironworks northward to Trefil and on over the hills to Talybont , where a connection was made with the Abergavenny Canal . In 1825 the Rumney Railway was incorporated. It is usually referred to as the "Old Rumney Railway", and had no organisational connection with

6955-450: The immediate area, has an adverse impact on vegetative life, and constitutes health and safety hazards for mine workers and nearby residents. Surface mining disrupts virtually all aesthetic elements of the landscape. Alteration of land forms often imposes unfamiliar and discontinuous configurations. New linear patterns appear as material is extracted and waste piles are developed. Different colors and textures are exposed as vegetative cover

7062-478: The important Merthyr Vale colliery. Colliery Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United Kingdom and South Africa ,

7169-419: The industrial Midlands and North of England over the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway and associated companies further north. The London and North Western Railway had certain rights over the NA&HR line, and seeing now an opportunity to get access to South Wales, it acquired a lease of the MT&AR in 1862. By 1864 the LNWR had pushed as far west as Nantybwch . The LNWR was friendly towards

7276-481: The ingredients were close at hand: iron ore , coal , timber and limestone . One particular resource needed to be provided, and that was transport to market. For some time this was done on the backs of animals; the road system was extremely poor in the area, and the provision of a turnpike helped, but pack animal transport was nonetheless expensive. Canals were built: the Glamorganshire Canal and

7383-512: The joint line was part of the MT&AR. The LNWR immediately made use of the route to get access to Cardiff for general goods traffic; until this time it had passed via Newport , being transshipped there to broad gauge wagons as the former South Wales Railway route was still broad gauge. The LNWR now carried a lot of traffic to Cardiff and soon was receiving complaints that it had inadequate warehousing facilities there; it responded by building its own goods station at Tyndall Street. In 1867

7490-513: The later Rhymney Railway. It opened about 1826, running from Rhymney to Pye Corner , on the margin of modern Newport , where it joined the Sirhowy tramroad . The conveyance of the output of the ironworks at Merthyr and Dowlais remained a serious issue, and eventually, in 1840, the Taff Vale Railway was built as the solution to the problem. In that year and the following year the line was completed between Merthyr and Cardiff Docks. Then in 1847

7597-526: The line was to reach was described in the act as "the ports [plural] of the Bristol Channel " and the armorial bearing of the company included the coast of arms both of Cardiff and Newport, although no reason has been recorded for the Newport connection. The connection to the NA&HR at Llancaiach was refused on account of objection by that company, so the Rhymney Railway was without the route to

7704-552: The main source of primary energy for industry and transportation in industrial areas from the 18th century to the 1950s. Coal remains an important energy source. Coal is also mined today on a large scale by open pit methods wherever the coal strata strike the surface or are relatively shallow. Britain developed the main techniques of underground coal mining from the late 18th century onward, with further progress being driven by 19th-century and early 20th-century progress. However, oil and gas were increasingly used as alternatives from

7811-404: The majority of fatalities. Coal mining resulted in 47 fatalities that year. One study, though, has suggested that hazards of modern mining are now more accretive with workers facing long-term health impacts, such as sleep deprivation, that build up over time. Strip mining severely alters the landscape, which reduces the value of the natural environment in the surrounding land. The land surface

7918-461: The method of extraction. For example, a study has found that among surface coal mine operations, dragline equipment produced the loudest sound at a range of 88–112 dBA. Within longwall sections, stageloaders used to transport coal from the mining face and shearers used for extraction represent some of the highest noise exposures. Auxiliary fans (up to 120 dBA), continuous mining machines (up to 109 dBA), and roof bolters (up to 103 dBA) represent some of

8025-465: The mining workforce. in 2015 US coal mines had 65,971 employees, the lowest figure since EIA began collecting data in 1978. However, a 2016 study reported that a relatively minor investment would allow most coal workers to retrain for the solar energy industry. Coal mining has been a very dangerous activity and the list of historical coal mining disasters is long. In the U.S., 104,895 coal miners were killed in mine accidents since 1900, 90 percent of

8132-526: The new Cardiff Rail Operating Centre, was completed in early September 2013. In addition, a new station at Energlyn & Churchill Park in Caerphilly was opened on 16 December 2013, with trains running from there since 8 December. However, as part of Welsh Government's South Wales Metro this line has been taken over, and will soon be electrified in preparation for new Class 756 rolling stock. Rhymney Railway The Rhymney Railway ( RR )

8239-439: The new Cardiff to Caerphilly line, the Rhymney Railway was all single track, and the massive expansion of mineral traffic was becoming difficult to handle, leading to complaints about passenger train delays. The company was forced to double the line between Caerphilly and Ystrad Mynach in 1872, and other expensive improvements, as well as enhancements to the locomotive fleet, had to follow. Newport Docks had long been dominant in

8346-564: The new docks at Penarth , from the date of opening of the direct line. A separate act of Parliament on the same day gave permission for a short stub to make a connection east of Caerphilly with the Brecon and Merthyr Railway 's Caerphilly branch. In fact the construction of the line proved very difficult at a time when money was becoming very scarce; as well as labour problems the Caerphilly Tunnel gave exceptional difficulty. At 1 mile 173 yards (1.768 km) in length it

8453-456: The new year Arriva received complaints from commuters about comfort and over-crowding, so reinstated a Monday to Friday diagram, operating a morning train into Cardiff, and an evening train back to Rhymney, usually using 37410. With the December 2006 timetable change this service reverted to DMU, and with Arriva Trains Wales said to be disposing of its loco hauled stock, it would appear as though

8560-469: The noisiest equipment within continuous mining sections. Exposures to noise exceeding 90 dBA can lead to adverse effects on workers' hearing. The use of administrative controls and engineering controls can be used to reduce noise exposures. Improvements in mining methods (e.g. longwall mining), hazardous gas monitoring (such as safety-lamps or more modern electronic gas monitors), gas drainage, electrical equipment , and ventilation have reduced many of

8667-590: The open pit methods, due to thickness of the seam 20–25 metres (60–90 feet). Coals occurring below 90 m (300 ft) are usually deep mined. However, there are open pit mining operations working on coal seams up to 300–460 metres (1,000–1,500 feet) below ground level, for instance Tagebau Hambach in Germany. When coal seams are near the surface, it may be economical to extract the coal using open-cut , also referred to as open-cast, open-pit, mountaintop removal or strip, mining methods. Opencast coal mining recovers

8774-419: The operating difficulties over the TVR section only became worse; and in 1863 the Rhymney Railway submitted a bill to make the direct line to Cardiff from Caerphilly. On 25 July 1864, the Rhymney Railway (Cardiff and Caerphilly) Act 1864 ( 27 & 28 Vict. c. cclxiv) was passed, with further capital of £210,000. The running powers between Walnut Tree and Cardiff would be extinguished, except for traffic to

8881-421: The operation reaches a predetermined stripping ratio (tons of overburden/tons of coal), it is not profitable to continue. Depending on the equipment available, it may not be technically feasible to exceed a certain height of highwall. At this point, it is possible to produce more coal with the augering method in which spiral drills bore tunnels into a highwall laterally from the bench to extract coal without removing

8988-408: The overburden. Mountaintop coal mining is a surface mining practice involving removal of mountaintops to expose coal seams, and disposing of associated mining overburden in adjacent "valley fills." Valley fills occur in steep terrain where there are limited disposal alternatives. Mountaintop removal mining combines area and contour strip mining methods. In areas with rolling or steep terrain with

9095-425: The potential to spontaneously ignite. Because most coal refuse harbors toxic components, it is not easily reclaimed by replanting with plants like beach grasses. The use of sophisticated sensing equipment to monitor air quality is common and has replaced the use of small animals such as canaries, often referred to as " miner's canaries ". In the United States, the increase in technology has significantly decreased

9202-416: The rent due to them" that dividends and other interest payments should have precedence over their own financial claims. The Bute Trustees were already giving the Rhymney company considerably better terms for using the dock than they had granted to the Taff Vale Railway; this was a sore point with the TVR company. From 1862 the profitability of the company eased a little and a modest dividend was paid. However

9309-399: The risks of rock falls, explosions, and unhealthy air quality. Gases released during the mining process can be recovered to generate electricity and improve worker safety with gas engines . Another innovation in recent years is the use of closed circuit escape respirators , respirators that contain oxygen for situations where mine ventilation is compromised. Statistical analyses performed by

9416-582: The same time the Great Western Railway had a corresponding idea, and on 29 March 1867 the Rhymney and the GWR agreed to build the line jointly. This was ratified by an act of Parliament of 12 August 1867. There was to be a generous exchange of running powers. It was to run from a junction near Llancaiach on the Taff Vale Extension line, to Dowlais (Cae Harris), a distance of 9 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles (14.9 km), making

9523-565: The seam in a pattern following the contours along a ridge or around the hillside. This method is most commonly used in areas with rolling to steep terrain. It was once common to deposit the spoil on the downslope side of the bench thus created, but this method of spoil disposal consumed much additional land and created severe landslide and erosion problems. To alleviate these problems, a variety of methods were devised to use freshly cut overburden to refill mined-out areas. These haul-back or lateral movement methods generally consist of an initial cut with

9630-686: The single track, including the passing loop at Tir-Phil, to Rhymney. The Sunday service operates over the entire length of the line every 1 hour since 2019, though this now runs all the day since Dec 2005. There are six trains running between Caerphilly and Cardiff since 2024. Any trains that starts the journey from Caerphilly will terminate at Penarth. Current stock comprises Class 150 , Class 153 and Class 231 units. Some peak hour and Saturday services were formed of one Class 37/4 locomotive and four Mk. 2F carriages. Two locomotives received special heritage repaints into 1960s BR Green livery (no. 37411) or 1980s BR Blue Large Logo livery (no. 37425) to mark

9737-476: The southern part of the route from Bargoed to Deri Junction, there to form an end-on junction with the B&MR line. (The location was later the site of Darran and Deri station.) The Rhymney's part of the line opened in March 1864. The B&MR was approaching from the north, and was ready for traffic in 1865, but legal complications prevented actual opening until March 1868. Mutual running powers were agreed, in

9844-432: The spoil deposited downslope or at some other site and spoil from the second cut refilling the first. A ridge of undisturbed natural material 15 to 20 ft (5 to 6 m) wide is often intentionally left at the outer edge of the mined area. This barrier adds stability to the reclaimed slope by preventing spoil from slumping or sliding downhill. The limitations of contour strip mining are both economic and technical. When

9951-476: The surface or overburden, of the mining area. The overburden is then removed by draglines or by shovel and truck. Once the coal seam is exposed, it is drilled, fractured and thoroughly mined in strips. The coal is then loaded onto large trucks or conveyors for transport to either the coal preparation plant or directly to where it will be used. Most open cast mines in the United States extract bituminous coal . In Canada, Australia, and South Africa, open cast mining

10058-524: The two basic methods of mining. The choice of mining method depends primarily on depth, density, overburden, and thickness of the coal seam; seams relatively close to the surface, at depths less than approximately 55 m (180 ft), are usually surface mined. Coal that occurs at depths of 55 to 90 m (180 to 300 ft) are usually deep mined, but in some cases surface mining techniques can be used. For example, some western U.S. coal that occur at depths in excess of 60 m (200 ft) are mined by

10165-448: The undertaking for 250 years retrospectively from 1 January 1860; to deal with all prior charges and in addition pay 5% on the ordinary stock from the beginning of 1865, rising gradually to that figure in the meantime. This offer was remarkably advantageous to the Rhymney's proprietors, but in 1860 and again in 1861 Parliament refused to sanction the arrangement, and the Rhymney Railway was left to resolve its problems alone. Frustrated with

10272-452: The use of draglines , trucks, conveyors , hydraulic jacks , and shearers. The coal mining industry has a long history of significant negative environmental impacts on local ecosystems, health impacts on local communities and workers, and contributes heavily to the global environmental crises, such as poor air quality and climate change . For these reasons, coal has been one of the first fossil fuels to be phased out of various parts of

10379-441: The world, with official statistics claiming that 6,027 deaths occurred in 2004. To compare, 28 deaths were reported in the U.S. in the same year. Coal production in China is twice that in the US, while the number of coal miners is around 50 times that of the US, making deaths in coal mines in China 4 times as common per worker (108 times as common per unit output) as in the US. Mine disasters have still occurred in recent years in

10486-412: Was a hard drive, and an unknown spring in the middle during construction proved difficult to get under control. In 1859 the Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil Junction Railway (B&MR) had been incorporated, to build a line from the north at Brecon , into Merthyr Tydfil , Dowlais and Rhymney . At first this appeared to complement the Rhymney Railway's activity, but the mood gradually changed and in 1863

10593-593: Was a railway company in South Wales , founded to transport minerals and materials to and from collieries and ironworks in the Rhymney Valley of South Wales, and to docks in Cardiff . It opened a main line in 1858, and a limited passenger service was operated in addition. The first line was dependent on the cooperation of the parallel Taff Vale Railway (TVR) for part of the transit, and this relationship

10700-406: Was at Adam Street , and the trains ran non-stop from there to Walnut Tree ; from there the stations were Caerphilly , Ystrad , Hengoed , Pengam , Bargoed , Tir-phil and Rhymney . At Hengoed the trains made connections with the Taff Vale Extension line trains. The Caerphilly branch was opened in 1859. From the outset the company was in difficulty. The capital expenditure had far exceeded

10807-463: Was fixed for the opening: 24 wagons loaded with 150 tons of Rhymney iron formed the first train, followed by a second of 40 mineral wagons containing 240 tons. The line was single-track throughout. Passenger traffic started on 31 March 1858. There were two trains each way daily, taking 90 minutes for the 24 miles (39 km) from Cardiff to Rhymney. Three weeks later the service was augmented to three passenger trains each way daily. The Cardiff station

10914-520: Was intended as a trunk railway, connecting the network of the Great Western Railway with Milford Haven , and running through Cardiff. The Taff Vale Railway had a branch line to Llancaiach , where there were productive collieries. This spate of railway building in South Wales, mirroring that in England, encouraged thoughts of a railway serving the Rhymney ironworks. An agreement was reached with

11021-531: Was mined, and 375.1 million tonnes was exported. In 2013/14, coal provided about 69% of Australia's electricity production. In 2013, Australia was the world's fifth-largest coal producer, after China, the United States, India, and Indonesia. However, in terms of proportion of production exported, Australia is the world's second largest coal exporter, as it exports roughly 73% of its coal production. Indonesia exports about 87% of its coal production. A court in Australia has cited climate change in ruling against

11128-510: Was obtained to increase the share capital to £300,000. The Bute Docks branch was the first to be completed, being ready in September 1857, although the Rhymney Railway itself was not yet in a position to make use of it; some Taff Vale Railway traffic passed over it. The approach to the junction with the TVR at Walnut Tree involved excavating a cutting to the extent of 1,000,000 cubic yards (760,000 m ) of earth. Thursday 25 February 1858

11235-550: Was opened: it was from Ystrad Mynach on the Rhymney main line to Penalltau Junction on the Taff Vale Extension line. By this time the Great Western Railway had taken over the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway (through its successor, the West Midland Railway ) so the Taff Vale Extension was GWR territory. The line had been extended to Middle Duffryn in the Aberdare Valley , and connected there with

11342-415: Was remarkably profitable, and paid excellent dividends for most of its life. Dependent on mineral traffic for its own success, it declined in the 1970s, but the main line from Rhymney to Cardiff remains in heavy use as a local passenger line. The head of the River Taff valley, at Dowlais , Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney , was the scene of huge expansion of industrial iron founding from 1760 onwards. All

11449-453: Was uneasy; the Rhymney Railway built an independent line to Cardiff in 1871. Better relations were created with the London and North Western Railway (LNWR), and later the Great Western Railway (GWR), and two important joint lines with the GWR were built: the Taff Bargoed line (1876) and the Quakers Yard and Merthyr Joint line (1882). Although the Rhymney Railway network was never large, it

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