Cardiff Crossrail phase 1 FAQ

We’re working with Cardiff Council to deliver a tramway from Cardiff Central railway station to Cardiff Bay, connecting the two directly by rail for the first time. The first phase of Cardiff Crossrail will significantly improve the railway network between the city centre and Cardiff Bay, benefiting the wider city and region.

The scheme will deliver:

• A new two-platform station stop located in the southern car park of Cardiff Central railway station, with easy interchange at Cardiff Central station.
• A new tramway from the southern car park at Cardiff Central station, crossing through Callaghan Square to join the existing Cardiff Bay line
• An additional third platform at Cardiff Bay railway station (in addition to the second, which is currently being built)
• Improvements to public spaces on the route to connect neighbouring communities, places and attractions.

We’re working with Cardiff Council to explore the possibility of delivering a new connection from Cardiff Bay station to a brand-new station on Pierhead Street. This is subject to additional funding being secured. 

The scheme is fully aligned with our South Wales Metro aspirations. It’ll align with work already underway to build a new track on the Cardiff Bay line to allow faster and more frequent services using brand new tram-trains.

To enable the implementation of the first phase of Cardiff Crossrail, there’ll be changes to the road layout on Callaghan Square and traffic routing in the area. There’ll also be improvements to active travel (walking, wheeling and cycling) links with new sections of segregated cycleway and improved footways for pedestrians. Further information can be found on our engagement platform.

Cardiff Council, in partnership with TfW, secured £100 million of funding for Cardiff Crossrail phase 1a, the delivery of a tramway from Cardiff Central to Cardiff Bay. £50 million was secured from the UK Government, with the Welsh Government match funding a further £50 million for the project.

Cardiff Crossrail phase 1a is part of the wider Cardiff Crossrail vision presented in the Transport White Paper, published by Cardiff Council in July 2019.

The scheme will extend on the works being completed as part of the Core Valleys Lines transformation which includes the Cardiff Bay line transformation. It’s fully aligned with the South Wales Metro aspirations.

The South Wales Metro will significantly improve connectivity throughout South Wales and provide access to jobs, leisure and other opportunities for the people of Wales through unifying rail, bus, walking and cycling routes.

We’re exploring options for future transport routes between Cardiff Central and Newport Road via Cardiff Bay and Porth Teigr. These would be future improvements following the completion of the new Butetown railway station, the planned upgrades to Cardiff Bay station and the delivery of Cardiff Crossrail phase 1a, subject to funding being secured.

Corridor options were presented to the public through a seven-week public consultation which closed in January 2023. The findings from the consultation will inform the business case and final design.

Our six-week public consultation launched on 16 September 2024 and closed on 27 October 2024.  The feedback we received will help to inform key decisions on the scheme and shape the project, which we’re delivering in partnership with Cardiff Council.
You can view the full consultation report here.

Further information can be found on our engagement platform. You can also find out more about how we’re engaging with the public on the scheme by reading our Cardiff Crossrail Consultation Commitment.