Volume Eleven - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - some more aspects - Handbook to Penarth Dock & Ely Tidal Harbour - 1904 . . .

The Dock has direct railway connection, for passenger traffic, with every part of the Kingdom. Penarth Dock Station is close to the Dock itself, and is served by numerous well-appointed trains running to and from Cardiff in about ten minutes, and calling at the Great Western Company's Station there, from which fast trains run direct without change of carriage, to Bristol, London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Southampton, Swansea, and all principal places on and beyond that Company's lines. The Taff Vale Company's main line trains (some of which start from and terminate their journey at Penarth) run in connection with the London and North Western Company's trains to and from Merthyr.

By means of the Riverside Branch at Cardiff, trains run direct between Penarth and Cardiff Docks and the [Coal] Exchange, performing the journey in about a quarter of an hour. Penarth Dock may also be reached by omnibus from Cardiff, by Ferry direct from the landing stage at the Bute Docks, and by the Subway under the Ely Tidal Harbour which shortens the distance to Cardiff by about a mile.

A moveable crane, capable of lifting 20 tons, is always available for loading and discharging articles of exceptional weight.

Railway wagons can be re-tared [the net weight of a wagon without coal] after shipment, at all of the tips in the Dock, with the same dispatch and on the same terms as any other in the Port.

There is a commodious warehouse for the storage of goods in transit on the north side of the Dock, in close proximity both to the ship's side and to the railway siding.

Every facility for socking and executing repairs of all descriptions to the largest class of vessels is provided by the Penarth Slipway Co., Windsor Slipway Co., the Mount Stuart Dry Dock Co., and the Channel Dry Dock Co., and vessels going to any of these Companies' works, and afterwards loading at Penarth Dock, do not incur any additional Dock Dues. There are marine repairing shops on the Dock side, where small repairs can be executed.

The Dock is lighted by powerful electric lights by means of which the Dock, which commences at 6 a.m. on Monday and continues to Saturday night, may be carried on uninterruptedly.