Cardiff Central Railway Station is one of twenty stations in the city of Cardiff and one of two in the city centre, along with Cardiff Queen Street. Cardiff Central is the busiest station in Cardiff and in Wales, serving 12.7 million passengers in 2019/20. Rhoose Cardiff Internation Airport is just a 30-minute journey from Cardiff Central station.
Transport for Wales manages the Grade II listed building which was opened in 1850 as part of the South Wales Railway. The station has two entrances, the main station entrance on Central Square and the second Penarth Road entrance at the rear. CrossCountry and Great Western Railway run trains from Cardiff Central Railway Station. Transport for Wales operates the majority of trains to Cardiff from Manchester and across Wales.
Station Area Map
Cardiff Central Railway Station is located in the South East of Wales. The station is situated in the city centre with the Principality Stadium, National Museum Cardiff, and Cardiff Castle all within a short walking distance. Cardiff Queen Street station is a 13-minute walk away should you need to take another train from there.
Transport for Wales, Crosscountry, and Great Western Railway run services from Cardiff Central Railway Station to major stations across Great Britain, including London Paddington, Bristol Temple Meads, and Birmingham New Street. Regional services in Wales are operated by Transport For Wales.
Station Details and Facilities
Address
Cardiff Central Station, Central Square, Cardiff CF10 1EP
General Information
Cardiff Central is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Ticket Buying and Collection
Book your train tickets with Split My Fare. There is the option to receive e-Tickets via email or collect tickets from the self-service ticket machines at Cardiff Central Station.
Passenger services
Staff Help Availability
04;00 - 01:00 Mon-Fri
0400 - 0030 Sat
0700 - 0030 Sun
Station Facilities
Accessible Public Telephones
- Four phones on the concourse
- Platforms 1-2
- Platforms 3-4
- Platforms 6-7
ATM
- Located outside the Main Entrance
Baby Changing Facilities
- National Key toilets are located in the East Subway near the lifts and on Platform 8; these toilets are operated by a radar key and are only available during staffing hours.
First Class Lounge
- Located on Platform 1, all First Class tickets are accepted
- Opening hours: Monday - Friday 06:00 - 18:30 Saturday Closed Sunday Closed
Post Box
- Penarth Road entrance
- Main concourse
Refreshments
- Cold drinks vending machine.
- Hot drinks vending machine.
- Food vending machine.
- Food outlet with seating
Shops
- Newsagent
- Convenience store
Accessibility
Assisted Travel
- The meeting point for customers who require assistance is at the Customer Service desk located in the main booking hall at the front of the station.
Lifts
- Platforms 1 - 7 can be accessed by the lifts in the corridor next to the tobacconist/convenience shop.
- Platform 0 can be accessed by the lift in the main concourse.
Ramp available for access to trains
Staff Help
- Monday to Friday 04:00 to 01:00
- Saturday 04:00 to 00:30
- Sunday 07:00 to 00:30
Step-free access
- Category A
- Step-free access available to all platforms
Wheelchairs
- Monday - Friday 04:00 - 01:00
- Saturday 04:00 - 00:30
- Sunday 07:00 - 00:30
Ticket Office
At the Penarth Road entrance and on the concourse.
Opening hours
- Monday - Friday 05:40 - 21:30
- Saturday 05:40 - 21:30
- Sunday 07:30 - 21:30
Ticket machines are open 24 hours, with accessible ticket machines available.
If there is an issue with printing your train ticket, please contact customer services at the Ticket Office.
Toilets
National Key toilets are located in the East Subway near the lifts and on Platform 8; these toilets are operated by a radar key and are only available during staffing hours.
WiFi
Free public WiFi
Parking
Name: Penarth Road Riverside Saunders Road
Spaces: 402
Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Bicycle Facilities
90 Spaces
East end of platforms 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 & 7 and at front and rear of the station
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cardiff Central have toilets?
Cardiff Central has toilets which are located in the East Subway and on platform 8.
How many platforms does Cardiff Central have?
Cardiff Central has 8 stations in total, platforms 0, 1, 2, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 6, 7. and 8.
Is Cardiff Central Station electrified?
Cardiff Central Station has been electrified since 2019, with the first electric services departing on 5 January 2020.
Are there lifts at Cardiff Central?
There are lifts at Cardiff Central. Platforms 1 to 7 can be accessed by the lift in the corridor next to the tobacconist/convenience shop and Platform 0 can be accessed by the lift in the main concourse.