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| Transport for Wales 153 303 waits at Cardiff Bay |
| Information | |
|---|---|
| Type: | National Rail (Butetown Branch Line) |
| Station code: | CDB |
| Opened: | 1844 |
| Platforms: | 1 |
The station opened in 1844 as Cardiff Bute Dock and later Cardiff Docks and Cardiff Bute Road. It was given its current name in 1994. The station has been reduced since its heyday with the station building boarded up (though is Grade II* listed) and only one platform now in use. A shuttle service operated by Transport for Wales and using a diesel multiple unit (often a single Class 153) runs between Cardiff Queen Street and Cardiff Bay every twelve minutes. Despite it's small size Cardiff Bay is the sixth busiest railway station in Wales [1].
The station building was originally used as the offices of the Taff Vale Railway and later used as a consulate by a number of countries, a staging post for wounded soldiers returning to the UK from the First World War and a museum. The station once had two platforms.
The current Cardiff Bay is likely to be replaced as part of a major upgrade of the branch line being planned by Transport for Wales. The branch line will be doubled and electrified, to be operated by tram-trains, with a short extension to allow for a new Cardiff Bay station to be built nearer to the bay itself. The upgrade will be carried out in the early 2020s with the new station expected to open in 2023. A new station/stop at Loudoun Square will also be added to the branch [2].
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| Station entrance |
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| Station sign |
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| In ATW days 153 362 waits at the station |
[1] "South Wales Metro: the Transformation Begins", Tramways & Urban Transit (October 2019) No. 982 p.372
[2] Ibid. p. 371
