Catalogue description Neath and Brecon Railway Company

The railway company was incorporated as the Dulas Valley Mineral Railway Company by the Dulas Valley Mineral Railway Act 1862 which authorised the construction of a railway from a junction with the Vale of Neath Railway at Cadoxton-juxta-Neath, Glamorgan to the River Banwen near Drim Colliery in Cadoxton via the parishes of Blaenhondden, Dulas and Crinant, all in Glamorgan and Ystradgynlais, Brecon. It should be noted that later acts give the position of Drim Colliery as being situated in the Parish of Ystradgynlais and therefore it can be taken that the reference to Cadoxton as being the terminating parish is incorrect. The railway was opened between Cadoxton and Onllwyn on 2 Oct 1864 and was ten and a quarter miles in length.

The Brecon and Neath Railway Act 1863 renamed the company as the Brecon and Neath Railway Company and authorised the extension of the railway from Drim Common, Ystradgynlais to a junction with the Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil Junction Railway in the Parish of St John the Evangelist, Brecon. The extension line was opened on 3 Mar 1867. The 1863 act also empowered deviations to the earlier railway.

An extension from Maescar, Defynog to a junction with the Central Wales Extension Railway at Tref-lys, Llangammarch was authorised by the Neath and Brecon Railway Act 1864 but this was never constructed due to the bankruptcy of the contractor, John Dixon.

A scheme to join the Neath and Brecon to the Swansea Vale Railway by a branch line was authorised by the Swansea Vale and Neath and Brecon Junction Railway Act 1864 but again, this line was not built. The Swansea Vale and Neath and Brecon Junction Railway Company incorporated by this act was eventually taken over by the Neath and Brecon under the powers of the Neath and Brecon Railway (Amalgamation and Arrangement) Act 1869.

The Neath and Brecon remained independent until it was absorbed by the Great Western Railway Company on 24 July 1922 by the Great Western Railway (Western Group) Preliminary Absorption Scheme (No 2).