First phase of Cardiff Crossrail moves forward

The first phase of the multimillion-pound Cardiff Crossrail has taken a step forward.A design and build partner is set to be appointed to bring forward the detailed design for the first phase of the scheme from Cardiff Central to Cardiff Bay railway station.At its meeting next Thursday (21 March), Cardiff Council’s cabinet will receive an update on the scheme.Recommendations have been made to procure and appoint a delivery partner to deliver the first phase of the scheme. It is also recommended to give authority for the council and Transport for Wales (TfW) to start the consultation and engagement process with the public.Cardiff Council, in partnership with TfW, secured £100m of funding for the Cardiff Crossrail project in January 2023. Also secured was £50m from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund, with Welsh Government match funding a further £50m for the project,The £50m UK Government funding must be spent by the middle of 2026. The Welsh Government’s funding will be awarded in four annual instalments of £12.5m each from 2026.The project, to meet these timelines, been divided up into two delivery phases, which are phase 1 a) Cardiff Central to Cardiff Bay Station and phase 1 b) Cardiff Bay Station to Pierhead Street.Cllr Dan De’Ath, cabinet member for strategic planning and transport, said: “Cardiff Crossrail is an ambitious plan to deliver Cardiff’s new tram/train transport system which will eventually run from the northwest of the city, all the way to the east of the city connecting with the proposed Parkway station.”The Crossrail has been a long-held ambition for some time, to provide a cross-city tram service that is affordable and reliable for the public to use, and to connect some of Cardiff’s poorest communities to the rail network for the first time.”To start this process, the first phase of the scheme must be built between Cardiff Central and Cardiff Bay. This will finally ensure that Butetown is properly connected to the city centre, via Cardiff Central, providing further capacity for residents and visitors to access the wide range of attractions that Cardiff has to offer.”He added: “The scheme will also create jobs in construction and operation and give the residents of Butetown better travel options for both work and pleasure. The social value of the contract will be confirmed by the chosen contractor when the bids are received and evaluated.”Once the first phase is delivered, this route can be extended to the east or south, providing a new reliable and affordable transport route for the public to use.”To deliver the first phase of Cardiff Crossrail a timeline has been set, which envisages construction beginning in summer/autumn 2025.