Cardiff Queen Street railway station

Cardiff Queen Street Add→{{rail-interchange}}
General information
Other names	Template:Lang-cy
Location	Cardiff
Managed by	Arriva Trains Wales
Platforms	5
Other information
Station code	CDQ
Key dates
9 October 1840	Opened as Crockherbtown
1887	Rebuilt and renamed Cardiff Queen Street
1907	Rebuilt
1973	Rebuilt

Railway lines in Cardiff
Rhymney line Coryton line Heath Low Level│High Level Merthyr line & Rhondda line Llandaf Cathays Danescourt Fairwater Waun-Gron Park South Wales Main Line to Bridgend Cardiff Queen Street South Wales Main Line to Newport & Ebbw Valley line Ninian Park Cardiff Central Cardiff Riverside Canal Parade goods depot Bute West docks Bute East docks (Atlantic Wharf) East Moors depot Cardiff Bay Grangetown Roath docks Cardiff Bay quayside Queen Alexandra docks Penarth Flats docks Penarth Moors docks Vale of Glamorgan line Penarth branch

Cardiff Queen Street railway station (Template:Lang-cy) 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.

As of 27 December 2012, the station is undergoing a reconstruction in order to reduce bottlenecks, with two extra platforms being put in (a previously existing platform, opposite platform 4, and a new bay platform next to platform 2 for the line to Cardiff Bay).

History

A station known as "Crockherbtown" on this site was built in 1840 by the Taff Vale 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 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

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 as well as St David's Centre, and sees heavy volumes of commuter rail traffic during the rush hour.

The station has five utilised platforms at a level raised above the surrounding roads. Platform 5 is used for services to Aberdare, Merthyr Tydfil and Treherbert. Platform 4 is used for services to Rhymney and Bargoed as well as Coryton to the north west of Cardiff. Platform 3 is used for services towards Cardiff Central and onwards to Barry Island and Bridgend via Rhoose Cardiff International Airport. Platform 2 is used for services towards Cardiff Central and onwards to Penarth and Radyr via City Line. Platform 1 is now only used for services to the Bay which operate every 12 minutes.

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 Pontypridd via Cathays and Radyr, of which
  • 2 tph continue to Aberdare
  • 2 tph continue to Merthyr Tydfil
  • 2 tph continue to Treherbert
• 4 tph to Ystrad Mynach, of which
  • 4 tph continue to Bargoed
  • 1 tph continues to Rhymney
• 2 tph to Coryton

Southbound (towards Cardiff Central, Cardiff Bay, The Vale and to Radyr via the City Line):

• 2 tph terminate at Cardiff Central
• 4 tph to Penarth
• 4 tph to Barry, of which
  • 3 tph continue to Barry Island
  • 1 tph continues to Bridgend via Rhoose Cardiff International Airport
• 2 tph to Radyr via the Cardiff City Line
• 5 tph to Cardiff Bay

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Cardiff Central		Arriva Trains Wales Coryton - Cardiff Queen Street - Radyr		Heath Low Level
Cardiff Central		Arriva Trains Wales Merthyr Line		Cathays
		Arriva Trains Wales Rhondda Line
Cardiff Central		Arriva Trains Wales Rhymney Line		Heath High Level
Cardiff Bay		Arriva Trains Wales Butetown Branch		Terminus

Regeneration

As part of a £200m regeneration scheme to boost train capacity in Cardiff and the 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 and fifth 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.

The new platforms have now been brought into use as of Sunday 14 December 2014. Platform 1 is the new bay platform for the Cardiff Bay shuttle, platform 2 is for City Line services to Radyr and trains to Penarth, Platform 3 is for trains to Barry Island and the Vale of Glamorgan line, Platform 4 is for trains to Coryton and Rhymney and the new Platform 5 is for trains to Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil.

Gallery

• 
  The exterior of the new ticket hall
• 
  The view along the new platform 5
• 
  Interior of the new ticket hall
• 
  The steps up to platform 5

In popular culture

Both the station and this very page feature prominently in the Torchwood audiobook Ghost Train.

See also

• Rail transport in Cardiff
• List of railway stations in Wales
• Transport in Wales
• Commuter rail in the United Kingdom