Rhondda Tunnel
The Rhondda Tunnel is a remarkable Victorian railway tunnel that once connected the Rhondda Fawr valley in Rhondda Cynon Taf with the Afan valley in Neath Port Talbot, driven through the mountain at the head of the Rhondda at an elevation of over 1000 feet and stretching for 3,443 yards to make it one of the highest and longest railway tunnels in Wales. The tunnel was opened in 1890 to carry coal from the Rhondda to the port at Port Talbot and was used for freight and passenger traffic until its closure in 1968. A community project has restored the tunnel for use as a cycling and walking route through the mountain, providing a unique underground experience on a dedicated bike trail that is unique in the United Kingdom. The Rhondda Tunnel Society oversees access and has created one of the most unusual and historically significant active heritage transport attractions in Wales.