One of Britain’s least-connected rail stations set for a major upgrade

Despite being in a big city, it is one of the UK’s smallest and least-connected railway stations – but now it’s finally getting some extra stops added to its network.

For almost two decades, Cardiff Bay’s single-platform station has only offered a direct four-minute shuttle service along a one-mile single-track branch line to Cardiff Queen Street, Wales’ second-busiest station.

A change of trains was necessary for an onward journey. 

However, from Sunday, June 2, it’s all aboard for a new era, with Transport for Wales launching a brand new service between Cardiff Bay and Pontypridd, around 20 miles away, that stops at every station along the way, including Radyr and Llandaf.

Historical Cardiff Bay, in the Butetown district, was built in the 1840s by engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and was initially known as Cardiff Bute Docks station. 

The station was ‘home to the first steam-powered passenger train service in Wales and vital to Cardiff developing into the important international port it became in the 19th century’, according to The Victorian Society.  

The new train route will run between Monday and Saturday, and while the frequency of trains at the station is set to drop to five per hour, it is expected to ramp up to six next year. 

Cardiff Bay is also undergoing major work to add a second platform and track . Plus, a brand-new stop is being built in the upper part of Butetown. 

Once complete, there are set to be more frequent services from the South Wales Valleys to the Bay using brand-new electric train trams. The new models will have three carriages with capacity to hold 256 people. 

The expansion at Cardiff Bay Railway Station is part of a wider £1billion investment to improve the rail network in Cardiff and the South Wales Valleys. 

Click here to resize this module

The station will be connected to the city’s new £100million on-street tram service that will offer transit to the mainline Central train hub in Cardiff. 

Construction for the project is due to start next summer and is fully funded by Welsh and UK governments. 

The plan is to link the tram service with a £250million indoor arena, scheduled to open in 2026, and a new Cardiff Parkway station on the city’s east side.

It is hoped the new tram service will be running in less than five years time, ready for Cardiff to act as a host city when the UK and Ireland welcome football’s 2028 European Championship.

Transport for Wales Chief Executive James Price previously commented on the project beginning, saying: ‘The Bay Line transformation project is an important part of the South Wales Metro.

‘We’re delighted to be able to begin construction work on the brand-new station in Butetown, as well as important upgrades to Cardiff Bay station.

‘From 2024 we’ll be providing a smoother, greener, modern public transport service which will open up a range of opportunities for people living in Butetown and the wider Cardiff Bay area.’