Travellers asked for opinions on improvements to transport connections and design
RAIL travellers are being consulted about plans to transform the services and design of Cardiff Central Station and improve onward transport connections.
The Cardiff Central Enhancements Programme will begin planning the design in Spring 2023, with the programme to be finished by 2027.
Katie Allister, Head of Transport Policy for Transport for Wales (TfW), said on their website: “The programme aims to deliver improvements to Cardiff Central to make it fit for purpose now and into the 2040s.
“The programme will enable the station to form part of an integrated transport hub which enables safe and sustainable travel, supports a vibrant and diverse economy, and provides an iconic gateway to Wales.”
But before any work starts, people who use the station and connecting transport routes are being asked for their opinions on what improvements they’d like to see.
Mrs Allister said: “Transport for Wales is committed to giving everyone a voice in the development of Wales’s busiest rail station, and the surrounding transport connections.”
TfW have an interactive map on their website where people can pinpoint a section and suggest an improvement.
This consultation will run until the end of the month when the suggested improvements will be assessed and an outline design will be recommended for the station.
Most of the suggestions so far are in relation to a lack of public facilities which include improved lighting and modern architecture.
Megan Davies, 23, believes that these improvements would help modernise the station.
“It’s a bit grey and drab at the moment, you wouldn’t think it’s the main train station in our capital,” she said.
“It needs a bold redesign, something that’s modern yet caters to the need of all of the station’s users.”
Another area of concern for residents are transport links to and from the station.
Rhys Lewis, 37, who cycles to the station most days, says he feels at risk with no cycle lanes in the vicinity.
“It’s the easiest way for me to travel to Cardiff Central. I travel from Canton, so when I come to the bridge by Wood Street there isn’t a cycle lane.
“With the current roadworks and the number of buses travelling there, it’s impossible for me to feel safe.”
TfW are using the eight-stage GRIP process (Governance for Railway Investment Projects) to help minimise the risks associated with delivering the scheme.
Public consultation is the second stage and the next stage, which takes place between Spring and Winter 2022 will confirm whether the new design is affordable and delivered in a reasonable timescale.
- If you’d like to have your say on how Cardiff Central Station could be improved, you can do so here.
