Pant, Pontsticill and Torpantau
The railway says most visitors start their journey at Pant, then travel by steam train to Pontsticill and Torpantau (Brecon Mountain Railway, read 21 October 2026). It describes the trip as a 9.5-mile return journey (home page). Pontsticill sits beside the reservoir.
Beside the reservoir is a listed bridge from the original railway, Grade II, listed for its historic interest as a well designed and intact bridge from the Brecon and Merthyr Railway of 1860s (list entry).
An old line, revived
The original railway was first established in 1859, and opened in 1863, and it closed in 1964 as part of the Beeching cuts (history). The railway notes the highest point of the original line was at 1,313 feet above sea level. The first section of today’s line, between Pant and Pontsticill, opened to the public in 1980, with a small engine named Sybil on the first train, and the railway credits its founder, Tony Hills, with building it up from there.
The engine you are most likely to see in photographs is Santa Teresa, No 1, which came into service at the Brecon Mountain Railway in June 2019 (locomotives). No. 2, the black engine in our main picture, works the line too.
Planning the day
This year’s main season opened on 28th March and runs through to 1st November, with an adult full return trip listed online from £23.50, or from £25.00 on the door (timetable and fares, read 21 October 2026). At Christmas it runs the Polar Express train ride instead of a Santa special; our Polar Express guide has the details.
By rail, Transport for Wales runs trains from Cardiff to Merthyr Tydfil every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday and every 2 hours on Sundays, and buses run from Merthyr Tydfil town centre bus station to Pant. Parking is only at Pant station: free for the first hour, then a flat £3 a day (directions and transport).
Photographing the line
The railway’s pages set out no lineside permit or drone policy that we could see, so the stations are where to stand, and they give you plenty. Torpantau is high and open, and the engine draws a crowd with cameras out there, as the photograph above shows. Pontsticill gives you water and hills behind the train.
Pictures from a narrow gauge line like this look good small and close, on a mug or a framed print for a shelf. Upload yours, then choose the format.
Sources: Brecon Mountain Railway stations; the bridge’s list entry, from Cadw (both read on 21 October 2026).
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