GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY is reminding Beyoncé fans that despite extra trains being provided for tomorrow night’s concert in Cardiff, they are expected to be really busy and a queueing system will be in place to get people home again.
Concert goers should check before they travel and allow more time for their journeys both before and after the concert at the Principality Stadium.
GWR expects to return to a full level of service from tomorrow following a trackside fire between Newport and Cardiff. But damage to signalling equipment means services will continue to take a few minutes longer than normal, as trains pass through the affected area being repaired by Network Rail.
GWR is providing additional trains following the concert, but services will be extremely busy and a queuing system will be in place outside Cardiff Central station.
GWR Customer Service & Operations Director, Richard Rowland said: “We’re asking customers to check before they travel and allow more time for their journeys both before and after the concert.
“Safety of our customers is of the uppermost importance. Trains do get very busy and there will be a need to queue outside the station following the gig. Customers travelling from further afield are reminded to check the time of the last trains home.”
The train operator will provide 15 trains and more than 8,000 seats for customers leaving Cardiff Central after the concert.
In a repeat of the queueing system in place for this year’s Six Nations fixtures, people travelling east towards Newport will be asked to queue on the square in front of Cardiff Central station, rather than from Riverside Car Park.
Transport for Wales is advising passengers travelling from the South Wales Valleys to allow extra time for their journey as replacement buses will be in operation. There will be no trains north of Pontypridd (Treherbert and Merthyr Tydfil Lines) and Mountain Ash (Aberdare Line) all day tomorrow.
A spokesperson for Transport for Wales said: “Unfortunately our planned engineering work is over-running while we complete all the necessary checks to allow the infrastructure to be reopened safely.
“We understand the extension of rail replacement buses that are currently in place will be frustrating for passengers, especially with a major event taking place in Cardiff.
“It is important customers familiarise themselves with the rail replacement timetables to get to the event and home safely afterwards. We also have ticket acceptance in place with bus operators and customers are advised to make use of these where possible.”
Network Rail continues to investigate the cause of yesterday’s trackside fire and expects minor disruption to continue until the end of the month.
Nick Millington, route director at Network Rail Wales and Borders, said: “We are very sorry for the disruption passengers are facing between Cardiff and Newport following a fire which caused severe damage to signalling equipment and overhead cables.
“The success of our engineering teams overnight means disruption is now minimal – a few minutes per journey – and the restoration of the overhead cables means electric trains can also run again, which will be a big help before and after the Beyoncé concert in Cardiff, tomorrow night.
“As work continues to repair the signalling equipment over the coming weeks, we are urging passengers to please check before travelling with their train operator.”
Doors to the Principality Stadium open at 1700 and the concert is expected to finish around 2230.
