Trains to Cardiff Central - Station Details and further Information on the Cardiff Area
Cardiff Central train station is a major British train station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales. It is the largest and busiest station in Cardiff itself and in Wales. It is one of the major stations of the British rail network, being the tenth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London (30th busiest overall), based on 2007/08 total entries and exits.
It is located near the Millennium Stadium in the city centre and is one of 20 train stations in the city and one of two in the city centre, the other being Cardiff Queen Street which are both the hubs of the Valley Lines urban rail network with several lines in Cardiff and the surrounding valleys.
Cardiff Central is a Grade II listed building managed by Arriva Trains Wales who also operate services to West Wales, Holyhead and Manchester. First Great Western run intercity services to Bristol and London, and regional services to Bath, Southampton and Portsmouth, whilst CrossCountry operates trains to Birmingham, Nottingham and Edinburgh. Cardiff Central serves as an interchange between the rest of South and West Wales to major British towns and cities. The station currently handles more trains per day than London Paddington.
There are two entrances to the station. The northern main entrance leads to the station's main concourse and is on Central Square, the train station plaza which accommodates Cardiff central bus station, a multi-storey car park and two main city centre taxi ranks. In the panorama on exiting this way, three main city centre landmarks are visible: the Millenium Stadium, Stadium House and Southgate House.
The southern entrance is at the rear of the station on Tresillian Way, accessed from St. Mary Street, where the station's pay and display car park is found.
The railway tracks are above the station's concourses. Two subways, one each at the eastern and western side of the station, run parallel under the tracks linking the two main entrances from which the platforms are accessed by stairs and lifts, with the exception of platform 0 which is accessed from the main concourse. From both entrances, a valid ticket is required to pass through a barrier and gain access to the platforms.
The majority of facilities are located on the main concourse and include ticket desks and machines, cash machines, an information desk, dot matrix departures and arrivals screens, public telephones, WCs, a W H Smith branch, an Upper Crust take away, a sandwich bar, aMarks and Spencer Simply Food store and a branch of Burger King (on Central Square). The station has the only First Class waiting room in Wales.
Additionally, toilets, vending machines, departures and arrivals screens and waiting rooms are found on all islands. Another Upper Crust café is situated between platforms 1 and 2.
Cycle parking is available in the Wood Street car park and at the end of Platform 3b. Cycles can be taken on most trains without a reservation, unless on CrossCountry services and trains to London Paddington when a reservation must be made at least two hours before departure.
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for many national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for Wales. According to recent estimates, the population of the unitary authority area is 324,800. Cardiff is a significant tourism centre and the most popular visitor destination in Wales with 11.7 million visitors in 2006.
The city of Cardiff is the county town of the historic county of Glamorgan (and later South Glamorgan). Cardiff is part of the Eurocities network of the largest European cities. Cardiff Urban Area covers a slightly larger area, including Dinas Powys, Penarth and Radyr. A small town until the early 19th century, its prominence as a major port for the transport of coal following the arrival of industry in the region contributed to its rise as a major city.
Cardiff was made a city in 1905, and proclaimed capital of Wales in 1955. Since the 1990s Cardiff has seen significant development with a new waterfront area at Cardiff Bay which contains the new Welsh Assembly Building and the Wales Millennium Centre arts complex. The city centre is undergoing a major redevelopment. International sporting venues in the city include the Millennium Stadium (rugby union and football) and SWALEC Stadium (cricket). |
