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Rail transport in Cardiff

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Coordinates: 51°28′34″N 3°10′48″W / 51.4760°N 3.1800°W / 51.4760; -3.1800
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Rail transport in Cardiff has developed to provide connections to many other major cities in the United Kingdom, and to provide an urban rail network for the city and its commuter towns in southeast Wales. Today, there are three train operating companies in Cardiff: Great Western Railway, CrossCountry and Transport for Wales.

Railway lines in Cardiff
Legend
Rhymney line
Coryton line
Heath
Low Level│High Level
Merthyr line & Rhondda line
 Llandaf
Cathays
Danescourt
Fairwater
Waun-Gron Park
South Wales Main Line
to Bridgend
 Cardiff Queen Street
South Wales Main Line
to Newport
&
Ebbw
Valley line
Ninian Park
 Cardiff Central
Cardiff Riverside
Canal Parade goods depot
Bute West docks
Bute East docks (Atlantic Wharf)
East Moors depot
 Cardiff Bay
Grangetown
Roath docks
Cardiff Bay quayside
Queen Alexandra docks
Penarth Flats docks
Penarth Moors docks
Vale of Glamorgan line
Penarth branch

Services to/from Cardiff

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Transport for Wales

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National
Regional
Local

These services operate on the Valley Lines network – an urban rail network centred on Cardiff that connects it to its commuter towns in South East Wales:

Great Western Railway

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National
Regional

CrossCountry

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National

Stations in Cardiff

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All 20 railway stations in Cardiff are owned by Network Rail and managed by Transport for Wales which also operates all train services at these stations, with the exception of Cardiff Central which is also served by CrossCountry and Great Western Railway. The stations form part of Cardiff's commuter rail network, colloquially known as Valley Lines

Cardiff Central[1] and Cardiff Queen Street are the main hubs of the city and are the two busiest stations in Wales.

Cardiff Central is one of the United Kingdom's major railway stations, providing connections to Newport, Bristol, Bath, Reading, London, Southampton, Portsmouth, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Birmingham and Nottingham. It is located in the south of the Cardiff city centre

Cardiff Queen Street is the hub of the Valley Lines network, with all lines running through the station. It is located in Cardiff's eastern city centre.

Station Area Station Code Platforms 13/14 Entry/Exit (millions) Year opened Lines Image
Birchgrove
Llwynbedw 		Birchgrove BCG 1 0.034 1929 Coryton Line
Cardiff Bay
Bae Caerdydd 		Butetown
Cardiff Bay 		CDB 1 1.019 1841[2] Butetown Branch Line
Cardiff Central
Caerdydd Canolog 		Cardiff city centre CDF 8 11.74 1850 Cardiff City Line
Coryton Line,
Ebbw Valley Railway
Maesteg Line,
Merthyr Line
Rhondda Line
Rhymney Line
South Wales Main Line
Vale of Glamorgan Line
Cardiff Queen Street
Caerdydd Heol Y Frenhines 		Cardiff city centre
Adamsdown 		CDQ 5 2.463 1840 Butetown Line
Coryton Line
Merthyr Line
Rhondda Line
Rhymney Line
Cathays
Cathays 		Cathays
Cardiff University 		CYS 2 0.807 1983 Merthyr Line
Rhondda Line
Coryton
Coryton 		Coryton
Pantmawr
Whitchurch 		COY 1 0.266 1911 Coryton Line
Danescourt
Danescourt 		Danescourt
Llandaff North 		DCT 2 0.086 1987 City Line
Fairwater
Tyllgoed 		Fairwater FRW 2 0.051 1987 City Line
Grangetown
Grangetown 		Grangetown
Leckwith 		GTN 2 0.180 1882 Vale of Glamorgan Line
Heath High Level
Lefel Uchaf y Mynydd Bychan 		Heath
Cyncoed 		HHL 2 0.311 1915 Rhymney Line
Heath Low Level
Lefel Isel y Mynydd Bychan 		Heath
Cyncoed 		HLL 1 0.054 1911 Coryton Line
Lisvane and Thornhill
Llys-faen 		Lisvane
Thornhill 		LVT 2 0.176 1871 Rhymney Line
Llandaf
Llandaf 		Llandaff North
Gabalfa
Whitchurch 		LLN 2 0.441 1840 Merthyr Line
Rhondda Line
Llanishen
Llanishen 		Llanishen LLS 2 0.221 1871 Rhymney Line
Ninian Park
Parc Ninian 		Leckwith
Ninian Park
Canton 		NNP 2 0.100 1987 City Line
Radyr
Radyr 		Radyr
Morganstown 		RDR 3 0.469 1863 Merthyr Line
Rhondda Line
City Line
Rhiwbina
Rhiwbina 		Rhiwbina RHI 1 0.046 1911 Coryton Line
Ty Glas
Tŷ Glas 		Llanishen
Heath 		TGS 1 0.131 1987 Coryton Line
Waun-Gron Park
Parc Waun-Gron 		Fairwater
Canton 		WNG 2 0.055 1987 City Line
Whitchurch
Yr Eglwys Newydd 		Whitchurch WHT 1 0.011 1911 Coryton Line

Railway lines

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The rail network within and around Cardiff

These are the main rail lines that serve Cardiff. Most of the lines are Cardiff commuter lines that form the city's urban rail network.

South Wales Main Line

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Main article: South Wales Main Line

The South Wales Main Line is a branch of the Great Western Main Line from London Paddington. It diverges from the main line near Swindon, first passing through Bristol Parkway and continuing through the Severn Tunnel to Cardiff Central via Newport. The line continues from the city towards West Wales. The line between London and Cardiff has been electrified.[3]

Butetown Line

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The Butetown Line is a short line running from Cardiff Queen Street to Cardiff Bay. Rail services call only at those stations with a frequency of every 12 minutes.

Cardiff City Line

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The Cardiff City Line is entirely within Cardiff running to its western suburbs. The line terminates at Radyr, after calling at Ninian Park, Waun-Gron Park, Fairwater and Danescourt. Rail services run to Cardiff Central and Queen Street every 30 minutes, and usually continue on the Coryton Line.

Coryton Line

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The Coryton Line is entirely within Cardiff running to its northern suburbs. The line terminates at Coryton, after calling at stations in Heath, Ty Glas, Birchgrove, Rhiwbina and Whitchurch. Rail services run to Cardiff Central and Queen Street every 30 minutes, and usually continue on the Radyr Line.

Ebbw Valley Railway

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The Ebbw Valley Railway was re-opened to passenger rail services in February 2008. The line provides an hourly service between Cardiff Central and Ebbw Vale Town. The line follows the South Wales Main Line eastbound out of Cardiff before diverging north and calling at Rogerstone, Risca and Pontymister, Crosskeys, Newbridge, Llanhilleth and Ebbw Vale Parkway.

Maesteg Line

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The Maesteg Line runs from Cardiff to Maesteg in Bridgend County Borough. The line follows the South Wales Main Line through the Vale of Glamorgan until Bridgend, calling at minor stations which are not served by high speed services. The line then diverges northwards through Sarn and Tondu. Services run every hour to and from Cardiff, often extending to Cheltenham Spa.

Merthyr Line

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The Merthyr Line runs northward out of Cardiff, calling at stations in the suburbs of Cathays, Llandaff and Radyr, where it connects with the City Line. It continues into Rhondda Cynon Taff, through Taffs Well, Treforest and Pontypridd. Frequencies on this stretch of the line are usually every 10 minutes.

After calling at Abercynon, the line splits into two branches; one to Merthyr Tydfil via Merthyr Vale and another to Aberdare via Mountain Ash. Frequencies are every 30 minutes on both branches and often link up with Vale of Glamorgan Line services to Barry Island or Bridgend via Rhoose Cardiff International Airport.

Rhondda Line

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The Rhondda Line is a line that runs north from Cardiff through the Rhondda Valley to Treherbert. The line is shared with the Merthyr Line until Pontypridd. From there, the line diverges through Porth, Tonypandy and Treorchy amongst others.

Services run every 30 minutes and often continue through Cardiff onto the Vale of Glamorgan Line to Penarth or Barry Island.

Rhymney Line

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The Rhymney Line is another line that runs northwards from Cardiff and calls at stations in the city suburbs of Heath, Llanishen and Lisvane before continuing to Caerphilly and places such as Ystrad Mynach, Hengoed and Bargoed.

Services on this stretch of line run every 15 minutes. Every hour, trains continue on the rest of the line to Rhymney. Trains often continue through Cardiff onto the Vale of Glamorgan Line to Penarth.

Vale of Glamorgan Line

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The Vale of Glamorgan Line is a line that runs from Cardiff through the largely rural county of the Vale of Glamorgan to Bridgend. The line comprises three branches. Trains call at Grangetown in Cardiff before continuing on the main line to stations in Dinas Powys and Barry, or diverging onto a branch serving Penarth. After Barry, services can either continue again to Rhoose Cardiff International Airport, Llantwit Major and Bridgend or diverge to Barry Island.

Frequencies to Penarth or to Barry Island are every 15 minutes, and to Bridgend via Cardiff Airport are every hour. Train services often continue after Cardiff Queen Street on the Merthyr, Rhondda or Rhymney Lines.

Main destinations

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There are direct services from Cardiff Central to the following destinations, with the average scheduled journey time:

Train operators

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Transport connections

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The Cardiff Waterbus towards Cardiff Bay stops at Taff Mead Embankment, near Central Station.

Taxi ranks are located outside Central Station, as is cycle parking which is also available at many other city stations.

Cardiff Airport connects with the Cardiff rail network at Rhoose Cardiff International Airport station, from which free shuttle buses run to the departures terminal.

Future plans

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The South Wales Metro System is a proposed major overhaul of the transport systems in South East Wales, including integration of heavy rail and development of light rail and bus-based public transport services around the hub of Cardiff Central.

The disused railway station in the St. Fagans area, in the west of the city, could be reopened to bolster transport links for a major Cardiff tourist attraction, under a proposal in March 2010 by former First Minister Rhodri Morgan AM and Cardiff West MP Kevin Brennan, follow predictions that visitor numbers to the National History Museum could top one million a year by 2017. By 2012, further submissions will be made to try to secure £8.7m of funding towards the project.[4]

Network Rail is currently proposing adding an extra two platforms to both Cardiff Central and Cardiff Queen Street station, and installing a light rail metro system in the city.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ 51°28′34″N 3°10′48″W / 51.4760°N 3.1800°W / 51.4760; -3.1800
  2. ^ "BBC - South East Wales - Walk through time". Archived from the original on 27 September 2004.
  3. ^ Milmo, Dan (21 July 2009). "London to Cardiff rail line will be electrified to cut carbon footprint". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  4. ^ Gaskell, Simon (9 March 2010). "Calls for disused St Fagans train station to be reopened". WalesOnline.
  5. ^ Steffan Rhys (26 November 2008). "News – Wales News – Train-tram could set off in transport proposals". WalesOnline. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
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