Cardiff Central railway station
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cardiff Central | |
| Caerdydd Canolog | |
|---|---|
| Image:CardiffCentral-westend-03.jpg | |
| Cardiff Central from the western end of platform 3 | |
| Location | |
| Place | Cardiff |
| Local authority | City of Cardiff |
| Operations | |
| Station code | CDF |
| Managed by | Arriva Trains Wales |
| Owned by | Network Rail |
| Platforms in use | 7 |
| Annual entry/exit | 7.743 million * |
| National Rail - UK railway stations | |
| * based on sales of tickets in 2004/05 financial year which end or originate at Cardiff Central. Disclaimer (PDF) | |
Cardiff Central (Welsh: Caerdydd Canolog) is the largest railway station in Wales and the only station in Cardiff to be situated on the Great Western Main Line. It is an interchange station for local services on the main line, cross-country express trains, and suburban services on the Valley Lines rail network. The station is operated by Arriva Trains Wales, though the exterior signage (larger than the name of the station) still reads Great Western Railway, the name of the company who built it. It is located in Central Square and was formerly known as Cardiff General.
The railway station forecourt — in the practical manner common in continental Europe but relatively rare in Great Britain — accommodates Cardiff's central bus station.
Contents |
[edit] The railway station
The platforms are numbered 0-4, 6/7 with platform 0 being the northern-most platform and 7 the southern-most. With trains running on the left, platforms 0-2 are used for eastbound trains, 3 and 4 for westbound trains, 6 for eastbound Valley line trains and 7 for Westbound valley line trains. However, some trains do terminate at Cardiff and so may be accommodated on other platforms. Despite the railway station being one of the busiest in the UK it is quite small and compared to stations of similar size does not boast a roof, or modern facilities.
Platforms 1 and 2 are platforms which house up to three short DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) trains, providing eastbound services to destinations such as Crewe, Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester (Piccadilly, but temporarily, through the winter of 2005/2006, Oxford Road, due to engineering work between Crewe and Stockport). Platform 1 is the usual stopping point for eastbound High Speed Trains (HSTs) to London Paddington operated by First Great Western normally starting from Swansea. Platform 1 is also the usual departure point for Arriva Trains Wales stopping services to Gloucester
Platform 3 is where westbound HSTs normally stop, whether terminating, or continuing to Swansea or Carmarthen. Platform 4 is the usual location for westbound Regional Express services to Swansea, Carmarthen, and beyond to Fishguard, Milford Haven or Pembroke Dock and additionally services to Maesteg. On the 27th November 2006, both Platforms 3 and 4 where Subdivided into 2 'sub-platforms', platform 3a & 3b and platform 4a & 4b, like the platforms at Birmingham New Street.
Platforms 6 and 7 are used for services operated by Arriva Trains Wales (formerly under the Valley Lines brand). Platform 6 is for services running via Queen Street east of the River Taff, to Rhymney, Caerphilly, the Rhondda valleys and the single-track Coryton line. Platform 7 is used for services to Barry, Penarth and the occasional Rhondda or Radyr service via the "City Line", which runs through the Riverside and Canton areas of the city, staying west of the Taff.
In the walkway beneath the platforms, the old GWR decorations are still visible, including the lettering "TO PLATFORMS 3, 4 & 5". Platform 5 was a bay platform at the west end of the station, the location of which is revealed by the architecture of the platform canopy. The end of the platform is also wider than the others. The new seventh platform, Platform 0, is an old staff platform which is now used as an overflow at busy times, and most usually used in regular service for the Central Trains Turbostar services via Gloucester and Birmingham New Street to Nottingham.
There were formerly more platforms south of platform 7 (known as the Riverside station), which served the line to Barry and Penarth and a branch which ran parallel to the east bank of the River Taff to Butetown. These platforms have been demolished and the site is now occupied by the signalbox.
Also of note is the surviving water tower.
[edit] Cardiff Central Bus Station
The Central Bus Station is the central point of reference for all local and national bus services in the city. The extent of the bus terminal are Six covered ranks on the north side for most Cardiff Bus as well as other services. Long-distance services to the valleys and coach services, e.g. TrawsCambria, National Express, etc. run from rank A at the north end. Stops either side of Wood Street are used mainly for departures to Barry, Penarth, Heath Hospital, Cardiff Bay, Caerau, Ely and Tremorfa, which runs alongside the main terminal.
Cardiff Central (railway) Station CDF also has a dedicated bus stop on the south side of the station, or refered to as "rear of the station" by station staff. On National Rail departure boards this is sometimes referd to as Cardiff Central Bus Stn CCB. The stop is also used for Rail Replacement services and Cardiff Bus BayCar service.
Busses run weekdays from Early morning (around 05:00) to late at night, the last services leaving at 23:20 on almost all major routes. The city is divided into sections by bus number, the South of the city served by the lowest numbered routes then rising in a clockwise fashion around the city to the highest numbers in the east.
"City circle" routes numbers 1 & 2 (clockwise and anti-clockwise) have circular routes which incorporate the Central Bus Station, Cardiff Bay, Western Avenue, Heath Hospital, Roath and Tremorfa.
[edit] Cardiff Airport Rail link
Cardiff Airport is situated 12 miles east of Cardiff City Centre. In 2005 the Vale of Glamorgan Line was opened and since there have been services to the Airport's train station Rhoose Cardiff International Airport railway station RIA twice every hour for most of the day (mon-sat) and once an hour on Sunday.
From RIA there is a bus link provided by Thomas Mottors on Behalf of Arriva Trains Wales on to the Airports Terminal a mile away that stops outside the Departures Terminal witch is shown National Rail's Live Departure Board System (LDBS) as XDF.
A Bus service directly from Cardiff Central Station to the Airport Termial like the Bus link at Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Airport is now shown on the LDBS. The service is from Cardiff Central Station This goes directly to the Airpot. The service is run by First Great Western.
The different services and names for the stations have caused confusion, as well as the Live Departure Boards System.
- Cardiff Central Staion CDF: Trains via Vale of Glamorgan Line
- Cardiff Central Bus Station CCB: The Train Stations Dedicated bus stop for the First Great Western Airport Bus
- Rhoose Cardiff International Airport RIA: Trains to and from Cardiff and Bridgend and he ATW Bus link to the Airport Terminal
- Cardiff Airport Bus stn XDF: The stop for the FGW Bus to Cardiff City and the ATW Bus to the Train Station
[edit] External links
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to: |
- Train times and station information for Cardiff Central railway station from National Rail
- Street map and aerial photo of Cardiff Central railway station from Multimap.com
| Major UK railway stations |
|---|
| Managed by Network Rail: Birmingham New Street • Edinburgh Waverley • Gatwick Airport • Glasgow Central • Leeds City • Liverpool Lime Street • Manchester Piccadilly |
| Managed by train operator: Aberdeen • Belfast Central • Birmingham Snow Hill • Brighton • Bristol Temple Meads • Cardiff Central • Crewe • Derby • Doncaster • Glasgow Queen Street • Hull • Manchester Victoria • Newcastle Central • Nottingham • Reading • Sheffield • York |
| Railway stations of London: Central area | Greater London |
| Managed by Network Rail: Cannon Street • Charing Cross • Euston • Fenchurch Street • King's Cross • Liverpool Street • London Bridge • Paddington • Victoria • Waterloo |
| Managed by train operator: Blackfriars • Marylebone • Moorgate • St Pancras |
