Cardiff is officially getting a shiny new tram-train network

A game-changing public transport network is coming to the Welsh capital. Cardiff Crossrail will be the very first tram network in Wales and is expected to ‘transform’ how people move across the city. 

Plans for the tram-train network (in which vehicles will be able to use both traditional railway lines and future light-rail tram lines) were first unveiled in 2024. Now, they’ve taken a major step forward.

The latest update from the project is that Siemens Mobility has been awarded the contract to design and deliver the network’s signalling infrastructure. The first phase of the network will connect Cardiff Central with Cardiff Bay via Callaghan Square.Beyond that, there’ll be a new two-platform station stop located in the southern car park of Cardiff Central railway station and an additional third platform at Cardiff Bay railway station. The work is forecast take around 28 months.

In the future, the plan is to extend further out of the city to connect with the Core Valley Lines and for the network to be part of the wider South Wales Metro. Siemens has already worked on the Core Valley Lines. It installed signalling infrastructure that allowed train frequency to double from two to four trains per hour. 

Dan Tipper, chief infrastructure officer at Transport for Wales said: ‘Cardiff Crossrail is an exciting step forward for the South Wales Metro, helping us make it easier for people to move around the city and reach the opportunities that matter to them. 

‘Siemens Mobility has already been a big part of transforming the Core Valley Lines, so we’re pleased to continue working together as we bring better, greener and more reliable transport to communities across Cardiff and beyond.’

Transport for Wales said that training for drivers and train managers on the network is nearly finished, and that there will be regular test services before the tram network opens for the public.

ICYMI: Glasgow’s Chinatown will be transformed by a £160 million project. 

Plus: Inside plans for a vast new rapid public transport network in southeast England. 

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