The Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway (Welsh: Rheilffordd Pont-y-pŵl a Blaenafon) is a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) volunteer-run heritage railway in South Wales, running trains between a halt platform opposite the Whistle Inn public house (famed for its collection of miners' lamps) southwards to the town of Blaenavon via a two-platform station at the site of former colliery furnace of the Big Pit National Coal Museum.

In later years the line saw a variety of GWR locomotives operating from pit to port, however the railway retained its LNWR infrastructure up until the very last days before its closure.

The line was closed to passengers, not during the Beeching Cuts which befell the GWR route to Blaenavon Low Level, but in 1941 due to the exigencies of the Second World War.

The declining situation continued through the 1950s, then Varteg Hill[6] subsequently closed in 1964, leaving Big Pit as the primary exporter of coal left.

Although passenger and goods traffic had long ceased to Brynmawr the track was re-laid by the NCB to just south of Waunafon station again during the 1970s for the Black Lion Disposal Point washery.

The line from Cwmbran was dismantled right up to outside Blaenavon High Level station whilst the washery and other colliery buildings were demolished during 1987.

[8] The Pontypool Blaenavon Railway Company was granted an Order under the Transport and Works Act to extend and operate the line.

By 28 November 2005, the inspector appointed by the National Assembly for Wales, Stuart B Wild, MRTPI, MCMI made his report to Parliament.

The Company eventually achieved funding from the Welsh Assembly Government's Heads of the Valleys programme to meet much of the refurbishment costs.

Torfaen County Borough Council has recognised the railway's potential to expand towards Talywain and have included this within their local development plan.

[16] The plans opt for its demolition in order to breach the disused railway embankment, this would create a wider access route for heavy road traffic for open-casting west of Talywain village to commence.

Whether a more beneficial plan for the surrounding area, or alternative put forward by the Torfaen Council, is currently unknown as these proposals are still in the early stages of public meetings.

[18] Main reference[19] After the railway's 2018 four-day Halloween event which attracted more than 4,000 visitors, a burglary occurred resulting in £14,000 being stolen in one night along with hundreds of pounds worth of damage to glass.

The safe in the station building at Blaenavon was literally ripped from the floor and taken just hours after volunteers had finished locking up on Wednesday night.