Cardiff Council has announced that the first phase of the Cardiff Crossrail is targeted for completion by 2028, which will enable it to transport fans to matches in the UEFA European Football Championships.

The project kicked off in early 2023. Last year, details of the proposed tram service were revealed.

Cardiff Council has declared the latest stage a “milestone” that “marks a major step forward for Cardiff Crossrail”.

The purpose of the project is to provide a modern tram system which will connect Plasdwr in the north west of the Welsh capital city with the planned new Parkway rail station to the east.

The Welsh Government and the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund have provided £100 million for the work.

The first phase will see the building of a new tram link between Cardiff Central and Cardiff Bay, which will help to transport visitors to and from Cardiff’s planned 15,000-seater indoor arena. It will also carry local residents and visitors between the Bay and Cardiff city centre.

Last autumn, the Council held a public and stakeholder consultation, and after considering feedback, made some changes to the scheme design. These include improving access and inclusion, and creating more planting and green infrastructure on Callaghan Square.

Today (Thursday 12 June), a presentation will be made to Cardiff Council’s Environmental Scrutiny Committee, and a week later, the plans will be presented to the Cabinet. The full Council will discuss the plans and make a decision on Thursday 26 June.

The plans will then be assessed for the relevant legal permissions, a process that the Council expects to take around a year.

The Council plans to start investigating sites this summer, and to complete detailed designs by the end of the year. It hopes to then begin highway and public realm works next spring, and to start construction in late 2026.

“These plans align with the delivery of the Cardiff Bay line transformation, which will allow faster and more frequent services using brand-new tram-trains. Our ambition is that the new tramway will contribute towards a more sustainable transport network for Cardiff, which will encourage more people to leave their cars at home and instead choose more sustainable ways to travel.”

Dan Tipper, Transport for Wales’ Chief Infrastructure Officer