Transport for Wales and Cardiff Council have revealed plans for a new tramway linking Cardiff Central and Cardiff Bay with a 6 week public consultation now underway. This would be the first phase of Cardiff Crossrail and would be the first rail link between Cardiff Central and Cardiff Bay. It will significantly improve the railway network between the city centre and Cardiff Bay providing benefits to the wider city and region.
The scheme would see a new two platform station built in the southern car park at Cardiff Central Railway Station which would give easy interchange at the station. The tramway would then run through Callaghan Square to join the existing Cardiff Bay line and onto Cardiff Bay. At Cardiff Bay a third platform would be built, which is in addition to the second platform currently being added as part of the South Wales Metro project.
Cllr De’Ath, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Strategic Planning & Transport at Cardiff Council, said: “The Cardiff Crossrail project has been a long-held ambition for a long time and when fully complete will connect some of the most deprived communities in Cardiff to the railway network for the first time.
“Subject to funding, the Cardiff Crossrail will eventually run from the northwest of the city, all the way to the east of the city connecting with the proposed Parkway railway station.
“To start this process, the first phase of the scheme must be built between Cardiff Central and Cardiff Bay. This will finally ensure that Butetown is properly connected to the city centre, through the new tramway, providing further capacity for residents and visitors to access the wide range of attractions that Cardiff has to offer. We want the public to engage in the consultation process, so they can give their feedback on the very first phase of this exciting project.”
A 6 week consultation is now underway (lasting until 27th October 2024) and people are being asked for their opinions online at http://haveyoursay.tfw.wales/cardiff-crossrail.
According to the timeline on the consultation website this would be followed in winter 2024/5 by a full business case being submitted to the UK Government before summer 2025 sees the decision made to submit an application for a Transport and Works Act Order. That would then be confirmed in summer 2026 with the service running for the first time either in late 2028 or early 2029.
Dan Tipper, TfW’s Chief Infrastructure Officer, said: “Today, in partnership with Cardiff Council, we’ve shared exciting plans for the delivery of a brand-new tramway between Cardiff Central station and Cardiff Bay station. These plans align with work already underway to build a new track on the Cardiff Bay line, which will allow faster and more frequent services using brand-new tram-trains.
“Our ambition is that the new tramway will contribute towards a more sustainable transport network for Cardiff, encouraging more people to leave their cars at home and instead choose more sustainable ways to travel.
“We want to hear as many thoughts, opinions and questions on the proposals as possible, which will help to inform key decisions on the scheme. Contributions from our communities will help to shape this project so we can deliver a public tramway that people are proud of.”
A number of drop-in events will also be taking place over the next week with more details of those also provided on the consultation website.