hills and mountains. Consequently, the towns in a valley are more closely associated with each other than they are with towns in the neighbouring valley, even when the towns in the neighbouring valley are closer on the map. Roads The A470 from Cardiff is, as far as its junction with the A465 Heads of the Valleys road, a dual-carriageway providing direct access to Taff's Well, Pontypridd, Abercynon and Merthyr Tydfil. It links with the A4059 from Abercynon, Aberdare and Hirwaun; the A472 from Ystrad Mynach and Pontypool, and the A4054 from Quakers Yard. Public transport Stagecoach in South Wales provides bus services linking many towns and villages directly to Cardiff city centre. Many settlements in the Valleys are served by the Valley Lines network, an urban rail network radiating from Cardiff which links them to the city's stations, principally Cardiff Queen Street and Cardiff Central, with connections onto the South Wales Main Line. There are six main lines from Central Cardiff to the Valleys: Valley Lines via Cardiff Queen Street Rhondda Line to Pontypridd to Treherbert Merthyr Line to Pontypridd and Abercynon continuing to either Aberdare or Merthyr Tydfil, plus the freight-only section beyond Aberdare to Hirwaun Rhymney Line to Rhymney, plus the freight-only line from Ystrad Mynach to Cwmbargoed. Routes via the South Wales Main Line Maesteg Line to Bridgend and Maesteg Ebbw Valley Railway to Ebbw Vale Welsh Marches Line to Abergavenny continuing to North Wales and North West England Listed from west to east Gwendraeth valley Loughor Valley Amman Valley Swansea Valley (Tawe Valley) Dulais Valley Vale of Neath Afan Valley Llynfi Valley Garw Valley Ogmore Valley Rhondda Valley Cynon Valley Aber Valley Ely Valley Taff Valley Taff Bargoed Valley Rhymney Valley (forms the historic boundary between Glamorgan and Monmouthshire) Sirhowy Valley Ebbw Valley Ebbw Fach Valley Llwyd Valley References Bibliography External links The industrialisation of the South Wales Valleys Welsh mining history Old and New Library Images from the Valleys The official tourism website for The Valleys Regions of Wales Valleys of Wales