Cardiff Central is a major station on the South Wales Main Line. It is located in the capital of Wales, Cardiff, 144 miles 77 chains (233 km) down the line from London Paddington, via Bristol Parkway, and 170 miles 30 chains (274 km) measured via Stroud. It is one of the city's two urban rail network hubs, along with Cardiff Queen Street. Opened in 1850 as Cardiff station, it was renamed Cardiff General in 1924 and then Cardiff Central in 1973.
The North Wales Main Line, also known as the North Wales Coast Line, is a major railway line in the north of Wales and Cheshire, England, running from Crewe on the West Coast Main Line to Holyhead on the Isle of Anglesey. The line has 19 stations, with all except two, Chester and Crewe, being in Wales.
Newport is the second-busiest railway station in Wales. It is situated in Newport city centre and is 133 miles 13 chains (214.3 km) from London Paddington measured via Bristol Parkway, and 158 miles 50 chains (255.3 km) via Stroud.
The Merthyr line is a commuter railway line in South Wales; it connects Cardiff Central with Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare. The line is part of the Cardiff urban rail network, known as the Valley Lines.
The Rhondda line, also known as the Treherbert line, is a commuter railway line in South Wales from Cardiff to Treherbert. The line follows the Merthyr line as far as Pontypridd, where it then diverges to continue along the Rhondda Valley.
The Butetown branch line, also known as the Cardiff Bay Line, is a 1-mile-6-chain (1.7 km) commuter railway line in Cardiff, Wales from Cardiff Bay to Cardiff Queen Street. The service pattern formerly comprised a mixture of shuttle services along the branch and through trains along the Rhymney Line to Caerphilly, or the Coryton Line to Coryton, but after December 2005 was a shuttle service from Queen Street station. However, in May 2024, direct trains to Pontypridd were restored alongside shuttle services. The normal journey time is four minutes.
The Ebbw Valley Railway is a branch line of the South Wales Main Line in South Wales. Transport for Wales Rail provides an hourly passenger service each way between Ebbw Vale Town and Cardiff Central, and an hourly service each way between Ebbw Vale Town and Newport.
Cardiff Bay railway station, formerly Cardiff Bute Road, is a station serving the Cardiff Bay and Butetown areas of Cardiff, Wales. It is the southern terminus of the Butetown branch line 1 mile (1.5 km) south of Cardiff Queen Street.
Aberdare railway station serves the town of Aberdare in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It is the terminus of the Aberdare branch of the Merthyr Line, 22½ miles (36 km) north-north-west of Cardiff Central. Passenger services are provided by Transport for Wales.
Llanwern railway station is a former station serving Llanwern on the east side of the city of Newport.
Abercynon railway station is the railway station serving the village of Abercynon in the Cynon Valley, Wales. It is located on the Merthyr Line, 15.5 miles (25 km) north of Cardiff Central. Passenger services are provided by Transport for Wales.
Caerleon railway station is a former station serving Caerleon on the east side of the city of Newport, UK and a proposed future station as part of the South Wales Metro.
Rail transport in Cardiff has developed to provide connections to many other major cities in the United Kingdom, and to provide an urban rail network for the city and its commuter towns in southeast Wales. Today, there are three train operating companies in Cardiff: Great Western Railway, CrossCountry and Transport for Wales.
The South Wales Metro is an integrated heavy rail, light rail and bus-based public transport services and systems network currently being developed in South East Wales around the hub of Cardiff Central railway station. The first phase was approved for development in October 2013. Works are currently under way, with a new depot under construction at Taff's Well and new trains being built by Stadler Rail in Switzerland. The development will also include the electrification of the core Valley Lines and new stations. All nine lines will be electrified, and the service is expected to be in operation by the end of 2024.
Cardiff Parkway is a planned railway station in the eastern region of Cardiff, and near to the boundary with the neighbouring city of Newport. The station is privately funded as part of the wider Cardiff Hendre Lakes business development.
Butetown, formerly Loudoun Square, is an under construction station in Cardiff on the Butetown branch line. It is included within the Wales & Borders franchise and will be part of the South Wales Metro.
Gabalfa is a proposed railway station on the Merthyr line in the Gabalfa district of Cardiff, Wales. The station would be on the South Wales Metro and be part of the Wales & Borders franchise. It is planned to open in 2028. It will be located on an old coal yard next to the existing railway. This followed significant local petitioning for a railway station from Gabalfa and Mynachdy. A station in the Gabalfa ward was first proposed by Cardiff County Council in 2000.
West Wales Parkway is a proposed railway station north of Swansea, near to the boundaries of the neighbouring principal area of Carmarthenshire, and the villages of Felindre and Llangyfelach. The station is proposed to be situated at the former Felindre steelworks, near Junction 46 of the M4 and A48, and near Felindre Business Park and Penllergaer Business Park. The project is in the planning stages, as part of a wider Department for Transport proposal to re-open the Swansea District line to passenger traffic.
Transport for Wales Rail Limited, branded as Transport for Wales and TfW Rail, is a Welsh publicly owned train operating company, a subsidiary of Transport for Wales (TfW), a Welsh Government-owned company. It commenced operations of the day to day services of the Wales & Borders franchise on 7 February 2021, as an operator of last resort, succeeding KeolisAmey Wales.
National Rail 
