and a second dock was planned, and opened in 1893; the original Alexandra Dock was renamed Alexandra North Dock, and the new dock was the South Dock. It too proved inadequate for the business on offer, and an extension to it was opened, forming a total deep water area of 125 acres. The course of the lower part of the Ebbw River was diverted to make space for the dock. Connecting Pontypridd Although the volume of minerals moved through the Newport dock complex was buoyant, it was observed that the best quality steam coal, was being extracted in the Taff and Cynon valleys. This coal was in demand worldwide, chiefly for bunkering and industrial use; moreover blending of coal was becoming important: coal of different qualities was required in the same ship for the purpose. Cardiff Docks were geographically the usual point of export for the coal from the Taff and its tributaries, but the port had become notorious for congestion and delay, with complaints from ships' masters that they had to stand off for days at a time waiting for a berth to load at Cardiff. If a railway could be built from Pontypridd to Newport, the coalfield there could use Newport Docks as an alternative. The Brecon and Merthyr Railway had by this time built a line between Caerphilly and Newport, and the gap from Pontypridd to Caerphilly was only 5 miles. The result was a proposal for a line connecting Pontypridd and Newport, through Caerphilly: the Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway. It was heavily in the interest of the Alexandra Dock Company for this line to be built, and it gave the new company its full support. It was authorised by Parliament on 8 August 1878, but it did not open until 25 July 1884. There had been an attempted run with a mineral train on 7 July 1884 but it was detained by the GWR on the grounds that the company operating the train did not have the Parliamentary right to use the GWR track. There were two distinct sections of the PC&NR: from Pontypridd to Caerphilly, and from Bassaleg to Mendalgief Junction, south and east of the GWR main line. At Mendalgief Junction the internal track of the Alexandra Company started. The gap between Caerphilly and Bassaleg was closed by the Rhymney Railway and the Brecon & Merthyr Railway, over which the PC&NR had running