Arriva Trains Wales was a British train operating company owned by Arriva UK Trains that operated the Wales & Borders franchise. It ran urban and inter-urban passenger services to all railway stations in Wales, including Cardiff Central, Cardiff Queen Street, Newport, Swansea, Wrexham General and Holyhead, as well as to certain stations in England such as Hereford, Shrewsbury, Chester, Crewe, Manchester Piccadilly and Birmingham New Street.
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.
Rail transport in Wales began in the early 19th century initially used for industrial purposes and shortly began to be used for commercial purposes. The Beeching cuts had a significant impact on rail transport in Wales, closing a large number of railway stations. Since then some stations have reopened in Wales and following Welsh devolution, the Wales and Borders passenger rail franchise was established in 2001 and the operator was taken into public ownership by the Welsh Government in 2021.
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.
Bridgend railway station is a main line station serving the town of Bridgend, south Wales. It is located approximately halfway between Cardiff Central and Swansea stations, at the point where the Maesteg Line diverges from the South Wales Main Line; it is also the western terminus of the Vale of Glamorgan Line from Cardiff. It is 190 miles 45 chains (306.7 km) measured from the zero point at London Paddington, via Stroud.
Swansea railway station serves the city of Swansea, Wales. It is 216 miles 7 chains (348 km) measured from London Paddington on the National Rail network.
The South Wales Main Line, originally known as the London, Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway or simply as the Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway, is a branch of the Great Western Main Line in Great Britain. It diverges from the core London-Bristol line at Royal Wootton Bassett beyond Swindon, first calling at Bristol Parkway, after which the line continues through the Severn Tunnel into South Wales.
The West Wales lines are a group of railway lines from Swansea through Carmarthenshire to Pembrokeshire, West Wales. The main part runs from Swansea to Carmarthen and Whitland, where it becomes three branches to Fishguard, Milford Haven and Pembroke Dock.
Transport in Wales is heavily influenced by the country's geography. Wales is predominantly hilly or mountainous, and the main settlements lie on the coasts of north and south Wales, while mid Wales and west Wales are lightly populated. The main transport corridors are east–west routes, many continuing eastwards into England.
Port Talbot Parkway railway station is a railway station in Port Talbot, Wales. The station is located at street level near Station Road in Port Talbot town centre. It is 202 miles 59 chains (326 km) from London Paddington.
Llangennech railway station is a railway station in the village of Llangennech. It lies on the Heart of Wales line with services operated by Transport for Wales running to and from Swansea and Shrewsbury.
Carmarthen railway station is on the West Wales Line serving the town of Carmarthen, Wales, south of the River Towy, 245 miles 55 chains (395.4 km) from the zero point at London Paddington, measured via Stroud. The station is operated by Transport for Wales. Great Western Railway also run a limited service between Carmarthen and London Paddington, usually six trains each way daily with an additional return service to Bristol Parkway.
Transport in Cardiff, capital and most populous city in Wales involves road, rail, bus, water and air. It is a major city of the United Kingdom and a centre of employment, government, retail, business, culture, media, sport and higher education.
The Swansea District line is a section of railway line running through the northern part of Swansea, Wales and is primarily used for freight transportation, although minimal passenger services also traverse the route. It was built by the Great Western Railway in 1912 to provide a faster and less steeply graded route between London and Fishguard, in connection with the recently opened harbour at the latter place. It can thereby claim to be the last mainline railway to have been built in Wales. The double track line runs from Cwrt Sart junction at Briton Ferry on the South Wales Main Line to Morlais junction near Pontarddulais on the Heart of Wales line.
In the 2010s Network Rail modernised the Great Western Main Line, the South Wales Main Line, and other associated lines. The modernisation plans were announced at separate times but their implementation overlapped in the 2010s.
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.
The Swansea Bay and West Wales Metro, or simply the Swansea Bay Metro is a proposed enhancement of railways, buses and active travel around the Swansea Bay and South West Wales areas of South Wales. The project could take up to 10 years to complete.
