Cardiff City Line

Commuter railway line in Cardiff, Wales

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Cardiff City Line

A Class 142 train approaches Danescourt
en route to Coryton

Overview
Owner| Network Rail and Transport for Wales[1]
Locale| Cardiff
Termini|

* Cardiff Central
* Radyr

Stations| 4
Service
Type| Heavy Rail
System| National Rail
Operator(s)| Transport for Wales Rail
Rolling stock|

* Class 150 DMUs
* Class 153 DMUs

History
Opened| 1987
Technical
Line length| 4 miles 66 chains (7.8 km)[2]
Number of tracks| double track throughout
Track gauge| 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

Route map

(Click to expand) Show map

Legend

|  |  |

|  |

| Merthyr and Rhondda lines

to Pontypridd

|  |

|  | Radyr
|  |

|  |

| Merthyr and Rhondda Lines

to Cardiff Central

|  |

|  | Danescourt

|  |

|  | Fairwater

|  |

|  | Waun-gron Park

|  |

|  | Ninian Park

|  |

|  |

Vale of Glamorgan Line

|  |

|  | Cardiff Central
|  |

|  | Cardiff Queen Street
|  |

|  |

other Valley Lines

§ = closed Sundays

|  |  |  |  |  |
Show route diagram

The Cardiff City Line is a commuter railway line in Cardiff that runs between Radyr and Cardiff Central via Fairwater.

## History

[edit]

The line was opened by the Taff Vale Railway in 1859, as part of its route from Radyr to the docks at Penarth.[3] Subsequent construction by the TVR added links to Cardiff Central and to the Penarth Extension Railway by 1878. Originally the line was freight-only, but over the years saw regular use for empty passenger trains thanks to its links with the depot at Cardiff Canton TMD and also for football specials to Ninian Park stadium and periodic engineering diversions.[4]

The first regular passenger service was introduced to the line on 5 October 1987, when three new stations were opened at Waun-gron Park, Fairwater and Danescourt, and regular service was introduced to the previously existing Ninian Park station. The new service was introduced by British Rail in co-operation with the Mid Glamorgan and South Glamorgan County Councils.[5]

## Services

[edit]

There are currently trains every half hour which drop to every hour in the evenings on Mondays-Saturdays. These services are now loop services from June 2024 with Merthyr to Aberdare trains travelling via Llandaf and Cardiff Queen St then after Cardiff Central travel via Ninian Park to Radyr and onto Aberdare. June 2024 also saw the introduction of a hourly Sunday service with Aberdare services starting at Cardiff Central.

Pre June 2024 city line services ran from Radyr to Coryton but these have been replaced by a Coryton to Penarth service.

Transport for Wales currently operates the line as part of the former Valley Lines network. TfW succeeded the previous franchisee Arriva Trains Wales in October 2018. Some freight services also use the line.

The line is also used as a diversionary route for trains serving Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert when the line between Cardiff Queen Street and Radyr is closed for engineering work. In the past there were shuttle trains on the line to serve Pontypridd and beyond with one stop at Ninian Park.

## Trains

[edit]

TfW operates the line with diesel multiple units of Sprinter classes 150 and 153.

## Electrification

[edit]

On 16 July 2012 the Department for Transport announced plans to electrify the line. This will require new electric multiple unit trains and should reduce journey times, operating costs and maintenance costs. Work was expected to start between 2014 and 2019, but was pushed back to between 2019 and 2024.[6]

The announcement was made as an extension of the electrification of the South Wales Main Line from Cardiff Central to Swansea and the electrification of the south Wales Valley Lines at a total cost of £350 million.[7] This in turn is part of a £9.4 billion investment in railways in England and Wales.[8]

However, these plans have since been replaced by Welsh Government's South Wales Metro. This line has been partially taken over,[9] and is now being electrified.[10]

## See also

[edit]

* List of railway stations in Cardiff

## References

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cardiff City Line.

1. ^ "Impact of Core Valley Lines divestment on the Wales & Western region" (PDF). orr.gov.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
2. ^ Yonge, John; Padgett, David (August 2010) [1989]. Bridge, Mike (ed.). Railway Track Diagrams 3: Western (5th ed.). Bradford on Avon: Trackmaps. maps 22 & 28B. ISBN 978-0-9549866-6-7.
3. ^ Grace's Guide – Penarth Dock & Harbour Railway www.gracesguide.co.uk; Retrieved 12 September 2013
4. ^ Wales Rail – Cardiff City Line www.walesrail.co.uk; Retrieved 12 September 2013
5. ^ Walters, Laurence (1995). Railways of Cardiff. Ian Allan Ltd. p. 80\. ISBN 0-7110-2380-8.
6. ^ "Cardiff And Valleys Station Upgrades". Network Rail. 16 May 2018. Archived from the original on 17 May 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
7. ^ "Rail electrification to Swansea and south Wales valleys welcomed". BBC Online. 16 July 2012.
8. ^ "£9bn railway investment announced by coalition". BBC Online. 16 July 2012.
9. ^ "Impact of Core Valley Lines divestment on the Wales & Western region" (PDF). orr.gov.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
10. ^ "Core Valley Lines Transformation | Transport for Wales". tfw.wales. Retrieved 23 April 2022.

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Railway lines in Wales

InterCity lines|

* North Wales Main Line
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Main lines|

* Gloucester–Newport line
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* Welsh Marches line

Valleys & Cardiff
Local Routes|

* Butetown Branch
* City Line
* Coryton Line
* Ebbw Vale Line
* Maesteg Line
* Merthyr line
* Rhondda line
* Rhymney line
* Vale of Glamorgan Line

Other lines|

* Borderlands line
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Service routes|

* Premier Service
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* Trains portal
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Transport in Cardiff

Motorways and A roads|

* M4 motorway
* European route E30
* A48(M) motorway
* A48 road
* A470 road
* A469 road
* A4054 road
* A4119 road
* A4160 road
* A4161 road
* A4232 road

Pedestrian precincts
and commercial streets|

* Bute Street
* Caroline Street
* Cathedral Road
* City Road
* Cowbridge Road East
* Cowbridge Road West
* St Mary Street & High Street
* Lloyd George Avenue
* Newport Road
* West Grove
* Womanby Street

Bus|

* Bus transport in Cardiff
* Cardiff Bus
* Baycar
* Capital City Green
* Capital City Red
* Iff card
* Cardiff Central bus station (demolished)
* Cardiff Bus Interchange
* Fflecsi
* First Cymru
* Adventure Travel
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Cycling|

* Cycling in Cardiff
* Taff Trail
* Lôn Las Cymru
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Railway lines|

* Rail transport in Cardiff
* South Wales Main Line
* Valley lines
* ■ Butetown branch
* ■ City Line
* ■ Coryton Line
* ■ Maesteg Line
* ■ Merthyr line
* ■ Rhondda line
* ■ Rhymney line
* ■ Vale of Glamorgan Line

Railway operators|

* CrossCountry
* Great Western Railway
* Transport for Wales

Major railway stations|

* Cardiff Central
* Cardiff Queen Street

Other city
railway stations|

* Birchgrove
* Cardiff Bay
* Cathays
* Coryton
* Danescourt
* Fairwater
* Grangetown
* Heath High Level
* Heath Low Level
* Lisvane & Thornhill
* Llandaf
* Llanishen
* Ninian Park
* Radyr
* Rhiwbina
* Ty Glas
* Waun-gron Park
* Whitchurch
* List of railway stations in Cardiff

Air|

* Cardiff Airport
* Cardiff Heliport

Water|

* Cardiff Bay Barrage
* Cardiff Waterbus
* River Taff
* River Ely
* Tiger Bay

Proposed transport
network|

South Wales Metro

* Proposed South Wales Metro stations in Cardiff
* Butetown
* Cardiff Parkway
* Crwys Road
* Gabalfa

* v
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South Wales Metro

Organisations|

* South Wales Metro
* Transport for Wales
* Transport for Wales Rail
* Welsh Government

Main lines|

* Gloucester–Newport line
* South Wales Main Line
* Welsh Marches line

Metro lines|

* Butetown
* Cardiff City
* Coryton
* Ebbw Valley
* Maesteg
* Merthyr
* Rhondda
* Rhymney
* Vale of Glamorgan

Major rail stations|

* Barry
* Bridgend
* Caerphilly
* Cardiff
* Bay
* Central
* Queen Street
* Cathays
* List of railway stations in Cardiff
* Newport
* Pontypridd
* Treforest

Bus interchanges|

* Blackwood
* Bargoed
* Cardiff
* New (2024)
* 1954–2015
* Cwmbran
* Ebbw Vale
* Merthyr Tydfil
* Newport

Bus operators|

* Bus transport in Cardiff
* Adventure Travel
* Cardiff Bus
* First Cymru
* Newport Bus
* Stagecoach South Wales

Proposed stations|

* Butetown
* Caerleon
* Cardiff Parkway
* Crwys Road
* Gabalfa
* Magor & Undy
* Newport West
* Newport West Central
* Somerton
* Llanwern
* Treforest Estate (relocated)

Active travel|

* Bute Park
* Celtic Trail cycle route
* Cistercian Way
* Cycling in Cardiff
* Pontcanna Fields & Llandaff Fields
* National Cycle Network
* NCR 88
* NCR 4
* NCR 46
* NCR 47
* Roald Dahl Plass
* Sophia Gardens
* Taff Trail
* Usk Valley Walk
* Wales Coast Path

* Buses portal
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