The line from Abercynon and Cardiff had been built in 1846 by the Aberdare Railway Company (later absorbed by the Taff Vale Railway) - this ran to an adjacent but separate station at Aberdare Low Level, although the two routes were later connected to each other a short distance to the west of the town at Gadlys Junction.

[4] The fact that the line remained open made it possible to reinstate passenger services to the town, which started again under British Rail and Mid Glamorgan in October 1988 using a new platform close to the old disused one (the old High Level station building still survives and can be seen from the current station).

English, Welsh & Scottish Railway still ran trains to the Tower washery on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday for some time afterwards to clear coal stocks from the site; these departed Aberdare at 7:00 pm on Wednesdays and 11:30 am on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Announced in November 2009, the Welsh Assembly Government asked Network Rail to conduct a feasibility study on reopening the line to Hirwaun for passenger services.

[5] It was announced in March 2011 that the Welsh Assembly Government's 2011-12 capital programme would include the reopening of the line to Hirwaun as part of the Cynon Valley Scheme;[6] however, the project appears to have advanced little at that time.

[9] The high level station building is being restored to become a bistro cafe for students, staff and the public, as part of the new Coleg y Cymoedd campus.

The rail link bus no longer operates, but tickets are valid for use on Stagecoach South Wales routes that serve the aforementioned communities.