Cardiff Queen Street railway station

Coordinates: 51°28′55″N 3°10′13″W / 51.4819°N 3.1703°W

Cardiff Queen Street National Rail
Welsh: Caerdydd Heol y Frenhines

Cardiff Queen Street Station (2009) before addition of a fifth platform
Location
Place Cardiff
Local authority Cardiff
Grid reference ST188765
Operations
Station code CDQ
Managed by Arriva Trains Wales
Number of platforms 5
DfT category C1
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2004/05  2.073 million
2005/06 Increase 2.126 million
2006/07 Increase 2.232 million
2007/08 Increase 2.486 million
2008/09 Increase 2.573 million
2009/10 Decrease 2.438 million
2010/11 Decrease 2.411 million
2011/12 Increase 2.489 million
- Interchange 0.657 million
2012/13 Increase 2.495 million
- Interchange Increase 0.733 million
2013/14 Decrease 2.463 million
9 October 1840 Opened as Crockherbtown
1887 Rebuilt and renamed Cardiff Queen Street
1907 Rebuilt
1973 Rebuilt
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Cardiff Queen Street from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Cardiff Queen Street railway station (Welsh: Caerdydd Heol y Frenhines) 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.[1] 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.[2]

The typical Monday - Saturday service per hour (as of 2009) is as follows:[3]

Northbound (towards Coryton and the Valleys):

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

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.[4]

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.[5]

In popular culture

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

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hutton, John (2006). The Taff Vale Railway, vol. 1. Silver Link. ISBN 978-1-85794-249-1.
  2. ↑ "Network Rail South Wales Vallys Business Plan 2007" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-01-09.
  3. ↑ Arriva Trains Wales timetable May 2009 - December 2009
  4. ↑ WalesOnline|Cardiff rail stations set for revamp
  5. ↑ Modern Railways December 2014

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cardiff Queen Street railway station.