CARDIFF’S student area is set to have a new train station as part of the South Wales Metro project. The Crwys Road station in Cathays has been approved by the council, with work scheduled to begin soon. The multi-million pound Metro project aims to provide an integrated public transport network across south Wales, including heavy and light rail, trams, and new buses, with the majority of the project set to be completed by 2024.
The Crwys Road stop is one of several new stations being built while current ones are also being re-developed as part of plans to improve capacity and provide faster, more frequent, and greener services. The approved plans will see two new platforms built on either side of the railway line between Cardiff Queen Street and Heath High Level. Lift access to Crwys Road overhead is also included in the proposals.
There is no station building planned, with a waiting shelter and three bicycle hoops on each platform making up the rest of the proposals. However, Transport for Wales and AIW are currently liaising with a third party over potentially developing the church hall site next to the western platform, with its lower floors potentially providing further lift access to Crwys Road.
The new two-platform station is being built opposite Maria Street, just north of the Letton Road underpass, and will include a new track, and new electrically powered tram-trains using overhead line equipment. While the new station will form part of the substantial upgrades being made to the Core Valley Lines as part of the Metro project, those who live close to the development site have been vocal in their disapproval of the plans.
Local residents have raised concerns about the impact on house prices, increased noise, loss of privacy, and other negative impacts on their lives. They argue that railway stations can cause unavoidable noise and disturbance, and that the noise levels will not be mitigated despite the electrification of the railway. The work on the platform was initially scheduled to be completed by the end of 2023, although it is unclear what the current timescale for the project’s completion is.
Overall, the Crwys Road station is expected to provide faster and more frequent services for residents in the area, although the concerns of nearby residents regarding noise and other disturbances should not be overlooked.
