Cardiff Queen Street railway station
Encyclopedia
Cardiff Queen Street railway station is Wales' second busiest railway station
in Cardiff
, Wales
. It is one of 20 stations in the city and two in the city centre, the other being Cardiff Central
. The station is staffed at most times, with ticket purchase facilities, a newsagent in the forecourt and a café on platforms 1 and 2, where toilets are also found.
, whose headquarters were also located here. It was rebuilt and given its present name in 1887. Other major rebuildings took place in 1907 and by British Rail
in 1973. In 2005, the station was fitted with new ticket gates, operational when the station is manned, which allow easier access in both directions. In 2006 plasma TV screens replaced the old information display monitors.
The old station car park is now dedicated for private use by residents of a nearby modern development of apartments known as "The Aspect".
Queen Street is the main hub of the Valley Lines
network - a railway system serving Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan
, Bridgend
and the South Wales Valleys
- and has the solitary connection to Cardiff Bay
. The station is located at the eastern end of the city centre
, near the Capitol Centre
, and sees heavy volumes of commuter rail
traffic during the rush hour
.
The station has three utilised platforms at a level raised above the surrounding roads. Platform 1 is used for services to Aberdare
, Merthyr Tydfil
, Treherbert
, Rhymney
and Bargoed
as well as Coryton
in the east of Cardiff. Platform 2 is used for services towards Cardiff Central
and beyond towards Penarth
, Radyr
via City Line
, Barry Island
and Bridgend
via Rhoose Cardiff International Airport
. Platform 3 is now only used for services to the Bay
and is usually operated by Arriva Trains Wales
's single Class 121 'Bubble' Car
unit 121032. The fourth platform, currently not in use, may be reopened in the future to reduce the bottleneck in Valley Line services at Cardiff Central and Queen Street.
The typical Monday - Saturday service per hour (as of 2009) is as follows:
Northbound (towards Coryton and the Valleys):
Southbound (towards Cardiff Central, Cardiff Bay, The Vale and to Radyr via the City Line):
A small number of additional services will terminate at Cardiff Central, giving a total of twelve trains per hour to and from Cardiff Central, as well as five trains per hour to and from Cardiff Bay.
The stations will be similar in design, featuring slate panels, grey brickwork, pavilion-style roofs, large windows and stainless steel signage. Cardiff Central will have a new two-storey southern entrance and ticket hall under plans submitted by Network Rail. An eighth platform at Cardiff Central and a fourth at Cardiff Queen Street will be installed. Once finished, the number of trains running to the Valleys will increase from 12 per hour to 16 per hour.
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It is one of 20 stations in the city and two in the city centre, the other being Cardiff Central
Cardiff Central railway station
Cardiff Central railway station is a major railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Wales and one of the major stations of the British rail network, the tenth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London , based on 2007/08...
. The station is staffed at most times, with ticket purchase facilities, a newsagent in the forecourt and a café on platforms 1 and 2, where toilets are also found.
History
A station known as "Crockherbtown" on this site was built in 1840 by the Taff Vale RailwayTaff Vale Railway
The Taff Vale Railway is a railway in Glamorgan, South Wales, and is one of the oldest in Wales. It operated as an independent company from 1836 until 1922, when it became a constituent company of the Great Western Railway...
, whose headquarters were also located here. It was rebuilt and given its present name in 1887. Other major rebuildings took place in 1907 and by British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
in 1973. In 2005, the station was fitted with new ticket gates, operational when the station is manned, which allow easier access in both directions. In 2006 plasma TV screens replaced the old information display monitors.
The old station car park is now dedicated for private use by residents of a nearby modern development of apartments known as "The Aspect".
Services
Valley Lines
Valleys & Cardiff Local Routes is the busy network of passenger suburban railway services radiating from Cardiff, Wales. It includes lines within the city itself, the Vale of Glamorgan and the South Wales Valleys....
network - a railway system serving Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan
Vale of Glamorgan
The Vale of Glamorgan is a county borough in Wales; an exceptionally rich agricultural area, it lies in the southern part of Glamorgan, South Wales...
, Bridgend
Bridgend
Bridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town...
and the South Wales Valleys
South Wales Valleys
The South Wales Valleys are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales, stretching from eastern Carmarthenshire in the west to western Monmouthshire in the east and from the Heads of the Valleys in the north to the lower-lying, pastoral country of the Vale of Glamorgan and the coastal plain...
- and has the solitary connection to Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Bay railway station
Cardiff Bay railway station , formerly Cardiff Bute Road, is a station serving the Cardiff Bay and Butetown areas of Cardiff. It is the southern terminus of the Butetown Branch Line 1 mile south of ....
. The station is located at the eastern end of the city centre
Cardiff city centre
Cardiff city centre is the central business district of Cardiff, Wales. The area is tightly bounded by the River Taff to the west, the Civic centre to the north and railway lines and two railway stations - Central and Queen Street - to the south and east respectively...
, near the Capitol Centre
Capitol Centre
Capitol Centre is an indoor shopping centre in the city of Cardiff, Wales. The building is built on the site of the former Capitol Cinema and theatre, and is situated at the eastern end of Queen Street near the Dumfries Place bus terminus and Cardiff Queen Street railway station.It advertises...
, and sees heavy volumes of commuter rail
Commuter rail in the United Kingdom
Urban rail, commuter rail, regional rail, or suburban rail, plays a key role in the public transport system of many of the United Kingdom's major cities. Urban rail is defined as a rail service between a central business district and suburbs or other locations that draw large numbers of people on a...
traffic during the rush hour
Rush hour
A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...
.
The station has three utilised platforms at a level raised above the surrounding roads. Platform 1 is used for services to Aberdare
Aberdare railway station
Aberdare railway station is a railway station serving the town of Aberdare in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It is the terminus of the Aberdare branch of the Merthyr Line, 36 km north of...
, Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil railway station
Merthyr Tydfil railway station is a railway station serving the town of Merthyr Tydfil in Wales. It is the terminus of the Merthyr branch of the Merthyr Line. Passenger services are provided by Arriva Trains Wales...
, Treherbert
Treherbert railway station
Treherbert railway station is a railway station serving the village of Treherbert in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It is the northern terminus of the Rhondda Line north west of Cardiff Central....
, Rhymney
Rhymney railway station
Rhymney railway station serves the town of Rhymney in Wales. Situated on the Valley Lines network north of Cardiff Central, it is the terminus of the Rhymney Line....
and Bargoed
Bargoed railway station
Bargoed railway station serves the town of Bargoed in the county borough of Caerphilly, South Wales. It is a stop on the Rhymney branch of the Valley Lines network...
as well as Coryton
Coryton railway station (Cardiff)
Coryton railway station is a railway station serving the Coryton and Pantmawr area of Cardiff. It is the terminus of the Coryton Line north of Cardiff Central in which the line originates from Cardiff Queen Street....
in the east of Cardiff. Platform 2 is used for services towards Cardiff Central
Cardiff Central railway station
Cardiff Central railway station is a major railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Wales and one of the major stations of the British rail network, the tenth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London , based on 2007/08...
and beyond towards Penarth
Penarth railway station
Penarth railway station is the railway station serving the town of Penarth in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It is the terminus of the Penarth branch of the Vale of Glamorgan Line 4¼ miles south of Cardiff Central.-The busy years:...
, Radyr
Radyr railway station
Radyr railway station is a railway station serving the Radyr area of Cardiff. It is located at the foot of the hill at the eastern edge of the village, alongside the River Taff and adjacent to the Taff Trail.-History:...
via City Line
Cardiff City Line
The City Line is a commuter railway line in Cardiff that runs from Coryton to Radyr via Cardiff Central. Regular passenger services on this route started in 1987. Passenger trains run from Monday to Saturday. The line is also used as a diversionary route for trains to Merthyr, Aberdare and...
, Barry Island
Barry Island railway station
Barry Island railway station is a railway station, fifteen kilometres south-west of Cardiff Central, serving Barry Island in Wales...
and Bridgend
Bridgend railway station
Bridgend railway station is a mainline railway station serving the town of Bridgend, South Wales. It is located approximately halfway between Cardiff Central and Swansea at the point where the Maesteg Line diverges from the South Wales Main Line, and is the western terminus of the Vale of...
via Rhoose Cardiff International Airport
Rhoose Cardiff International Airport railway station
Rhoose Cardiff International Airport railway station is a railway station that serves the village of Rhoose and Cardiff Airport. A dedicated shuttle bus connects this station with the airport terminal building....
. Platform 3 is now only used for services to the Bay
Cardiff Bay railway station
Cardiff Bay railway station , formerly Cardiff Bute Road, is a station serving the Cardiff Bay and Butetown areas of Cardiff. It is the southern terminus of the Butetown Branch Line 1 mile south of ....
and is usually operated by Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
's single Class 121 'Bubble' Car
British Rail Class 121
Sixteen Class 121 single-car driving motor vehicles were built from 1960, numbered 55020–55035. These were supplemented by ten trailer vehicles, numbered 56280–56289 . They had a top speed of 70 mph, with slam-doors, and vacuum brakes...
unit 121032. The fourth platform, currently not in use, may be reopened in the future to reduce the bottleneck in Valley Line services at Cardiff Central and Queen Street.
The typical Monday - Saturday service per hour (as of 2009) is as follows:
Northbound (towards Coryton and the Valleys):
- 6 trains per hour (tph) to PontypriddPontypridd railway stationPontypridd railway station serves the town of Pontypridd in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It is located on the Merthyr and Rhondda lines and is the main line station for the town.Until the 1930s, Pontypridd had another two stations...
via CathaysCathays railway stationCathays railway station is a railway station lying on the Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda lines in the Cathays district of Cardiff, Wales. The station is 2 kilometres north of Cardiff Central....
and RadyrRadyr railway stationRadyr railway station is a railway station serving the Radyr area of Cardiff. It is located at the foot of the hill at the eastern edge of the village, alongside the River Taff and adjacent to the Taff Trail.-History:...
, of which- 2 tph continue to AberdareAberdare railway stationAberdare railway station is a railway station serving the town of Aberdare in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It is the terminus of the Aberdare branch of the Merthyr Line, 36 km north of...
- 2 tph continue to Merthyr TydfilMerthyr Tydfil railway stationMerthyr Tydfil railway station is a railway station serving the town of Merthyr Tydfil in Wales. It is the terminus of the Merthyr branch of the Merthyr Line. Passenger services are provided by Arriva Trains Wales...
- 2 tph continue to TreherbertTreherbert railway stationTreherbert railway station is a railway station serving the village of Treherbert in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It is the northern terminus of the Rhondda Line north west of Cardiff Central....
- 2 tph continue to Aberdare
- 4 tph to Ystrad MynachYstrad Mynach railway stationYstrad Mynach railway station is a railway station serving the town of Ystrad Mynach, south Wales. It is a stop on the Rhymney Line of the Valley Lines network.There is a dedicated rail linc bus that links with the train...
, of which- 3 tph continue to BargoedBargoed railway stationBargoed railway station serves the town of Bargoed in the county borough of Caerphilly, South Wales. It is a stop on the Rhymney branch of the Valley Lines network...
- 1 tph continues to RhymneyRhymney railway stationRhymney railway station serves the town of Rhymney in Wales. Situated on the Valley Lines network north of Cardiff Central, it is the terminus of the Rhymney Line....
- 3 tph continue to Bargoed
- 2 tph to CorytonCoryton railway station (Cardiff)Coryton railway station is a railway station serving the Coryton and Pantmawr area of Cardiff. It is the terminus of the Coryton Line north of Cardiff Central in which the line originates from Cardiff Queen Street....
Southbound (towards Cardiff Central, Cardiff Bay, The Vale and to Radyr via the City Line):
- 4 tph to PenarthPenarth railway stationPenarth railway station is the railway station serving the town of Penarth in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It is the terminus of the Penarth branch of the Vale of Glamorgan Line 4¼ miles south of Cardiff Central.-The busy years:...
- 4 tph to BarryBarry railway stationBarry railway station is one of 3 stations in the town of Barry, Vale of Glamorgan in Wales. It is located on the Vale of Glamorgan Line, which runs from Cardiff Central to Bridgend via Barry, Rhoose, and Llantwit Major...
, of which- 3 tph continue to Barry IslandBarry Island railway stationBarry Island railway station is a railway station, fifteen kilometres south-west of Cardiff Central, serving Barry Island in Wales...
- 1 tph continues to BridgendBridgend railway stationBridgend railway station is a mainline railway station serving the town of Bridgend, South Wales. It is located approximately halfway between Cardiff Central and Swansea at the point where the Maesteg Line diverges from the South Wales Main Line, and is the western terminus of the Vale of...
via Rhoose Cardiff International AirportRhoose Cardiff International Airport railway stationRhoose Cardiff International Airport railway station is a railway station that serves the village of Rhoose and Cardiff Airport. A dedicated shuttle bus connects this station with the airport terminal building....
- 3 tph continue to Barry Island
- 2 tph to RadyrRadyr railway stationRadyr railway station is a railway station serving the Radyr area of Cardiff. It is located at the foot of the hill at the eastern edge of the village, alongside the River Taff and adjacent to the Taff Trail.-History:...
via the City LineCity Line-Sweden:* The Stockholm City Line, railway tunnel currently under construction beneath central Stockholm, Sweden-United Kingdom:* The Cardiff City Line, commuter rail route for Cardiff, Wales* The Waterloo and City Underground railway route in London, England... - 5 tph to Cardiff BayCardiff Bay railway stationCardiff Bay railway station , formerly Cardiff Bute Road, is a station serving the Cardiff Bay and Butetown areas of Cardiff. It is the southern terminus of the Butetown Branch Line 1 mile south of ....
A small number of additional services will terminate at Cardiff Central, giving a total of twelve trains per hour to and from Cardiff Central, as well as five trains per hour to and from Cardiff Bay.
Future plans
As part of a £200m scheme to boost train capacity in Cardiff and surrounding areas, Cardiff Central and Cardiff Queen Street stations are to be redeveloped from June 2014 and April 2013 respectively. The whole Cardiff Area Signalling Renewal project is due to be completed by May 2015, funded by the Department for Transport, Assembly Government and Network Rail. The Assembly Government has committed £7m for the enhancements programme.The stations will be similar in design, featuring slate panels, grey brickwork, pavilion-style roofs, large windows and stainless steel signage. Cardiff Central will have a new two-storey southern entrance and ticket hall under plans submitted by Network Rail. An eighth platform at Cardiff Central and a fourth at Cardiff Queen Street will be installed. Once finished, the number of trains running to the Valleys will increase from 12 per hour to 16 per hour.
See also
- Rail transport in CardiffRail transport in CardiffRail transport in Cardiff has developed to provide connections to many other major cities in the United Kingdom, and to provide an urban rail network for the city and its commuter towns in South Wales...
- List of railway stations in Wales
- Transport in WalesTransport in WalesThis article is about means of transport within Wales. The geography of Wales has been a key influence on the development of its transport system, with the main settlements lying on the coasts of North and South Wales, while Mid Wales is lightly populated...
- Commuter rail in the United KingdomCommuter rail in the United KingdomUrban rail, commuter rail, regional rail, or suburban rail, plays a key role in the public transport system of many of the United Kingdom's major cities. Urban rail is defined as a rail service between a central business district and suburbs or other locations that draw large numbers of people on a...