Plans are being prepared to transform Cardiff Central to become part of an integrated transport hub in the city centre known as Metro Central.

With a £140 million investment led by Transport for Wales (TfW), the station will retain its history and heritage but be transformed into an iconic gateway to Wales.

The scheme includes plans to alleviate overcrowding and congestion and enable better accessibility for those with reduced mobility.

A larger concourse will provide increased capacity, additional gate lines to improve passenger flow and access, and improved waiting, retail, and cycle storage facilities.

Metro Central will be the gateway Metro station for the Core Valley Lines network that is being transformed with the South Wales Metro.

To enable Transport for Wales to carry out the full construction works, enabling works will need to be carried out at the southern side of the station; these will start later this year.

A new two-platform station is being built in the station’s southern car park to serve a tramway connecting the station directly with Cardiff Bay.

The work will be overseen by the Canolog Alliance, a partnership of public sector organisations working to improve connections between buses, trains, walking, and cycling.

The scheme is subject to planning and full approval of the business case, which was submitted at the end of last year.

Planning documents are due to be submitted soon, and a decision on the full business case is expected in autumn 2025.

As part of the Welsh Government’s drive to improve transport, it has invested £800m in a new fleet of trains that provide faster and more frequent services and cheaper tickets with ‘tap-in-tap-out’ now at 95 stations.

“Today, we’ve revealed images which show what Cardiff Central could look like as part of plans to enhance the station. The investment of up to £140 million means we can deliver improvements to Cardiff Central to make it fit for a capital city and sustain future growth. The proposals for the station form part of a wider significant investment going into transforming transport in central Cardiff, including ambitious regeneration plans. We’ve submitted the full business case for the scheme and we’ll soon be submitting the planning documents, and if this is approved, we can progress with the delivery of the enhancements.”

Alexia Course, Chief Commercial Officer at Transport for Wales,