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  • UEFA Champions League Finals and UEFA Champions Festival

    1 – 4 June 2017

    Champions UEFA Image

    The UEFA Champions League Final is coming to the National Stadium of Wales (The Principality Stadium), Cardiff on Saturday 3 June.

    Cardiff will also host the Women’s Champions League Final on Thursday 1 June at Cardiff City Stadium and the free UEFA Champions Festival at Cardiff Bay from Thursday 1 to Sunday 4 June.

    Tens of thousands more people will be flocking to Cardiff and it is anticipated to be the biggest, busiest sporting event ever hosted by Cardiff. Extra train services and capacity will be added however all train services in the Cardiff area will be much busier than usual over this period.

    In particular, on Saturday 3 June, the day of the UEFA Champions League Final, train services are expected to be exceptionally busy throughout the day into the early hours of Sunday morning and there will be some amendments to timetables.

    Please check your journey plans before you travel at www.arrivatrains.wales or www.gwr.com

    Planning to visit this event? Search train times throughout the UK here.

  • UEFA Champions League Final

    Saturday 3 June UEFA Champions League Final

    Cardiff services will be extremely busy all day and there will be some temporary timetable changes affecting both local and mainline services in the area.

    If you don't have a ticket for the match, or your journey isn't essential, please think about travelling to or via Cardiff on a different day.

    Evening services across the whole of the Arriva Wales Trains Wales Network (North and South) will be amended so please check your journey.

    If your journey is essential or you are travelling to the match on Saturday 3 June.

    Please read the information below for an overview of the changes to the train timetables. But we encourage you to check your individual journeys here


    Button - Check Journey


    Before the Match - pre 19:00

    Cardiff Central

    Customers are advised to book now and travel as early as possible to arrive in Cardiff before 13:00

    If you are travelling on GWR London - Cardiff and Bristol - Cardiff services, you must book a specific train to travel on for both inwards and outwards journeys . Seat reservation will not be available on GWR services.

    Cardiff Queen Street

    Customers for local Cardiff and Valleys services, are advised where possible to use Cardiff Queen St station all day on Saturday 3 June as Cardiff Central station will be extremely busy.

    Due to the extra late night services provided on Friday 2 June for the UEFA Champions Festival in Cardiff Bay, there will be some early morning timetable amendments to local Cardiff and Valleys / Vale of Glamorgan services on Saturday 3 June 2017.

    Click here for first train details

    During the Match - 19:00 - 23:00

    Cardiff Central

    There will be fewer Arriva Trains Wales services coming into Cardiff Central, where they will terminate. There will be no Arriva Train Wales services leaving Cardiff Central.

    Local Cardiff and Valley services that normally run from Cardiff Central will run from  Cardiff Queen Street station (There will be no local Cardiff and Valleys services stopping at Cardiff Central station).

    Cardiff Queen Street

    Arriva Trains Wales Local Cardiff and Valleys services coming into and out of Cardiff Queen Street will be reduced. There will be no Vale of Glamorgan line, Coryton line, City line or Penarth services.

    Please click here to view the timetable changes

    After the Match - post 23:00

    Cardiff Central

    From 23:00, Cardiff Central station will only be open for services to Bristol, London, the Midlands, the Marches and West Wales (Swansea). Some trains will run until approximately 05:00 Sunday 4 June 2017 however please check the time of your last train home.

    For a return journey on GWR services to Bristol/London you will need to book an hourly time slot; please arrive 30 minutes before your allocated time slot

    After 23:00 there will be no train services running from Cardiff to: 

    • Ebbw Vale Town
    • Stations west of Swansea
    • Local stations to Swansea (Pyle, Baglan, Briton Ferry, Skewen, Llansamlet)
    • Maesteg (Pontyclun, Llanharan, Pencoed)
    • Manchester/North Wales
    • Stations on the City line
    • Stations on the Coryton line
    • Vale of Glamorgan line, Coryton line, City line or Penarth lines
    • Bath Spa, Westbury, Southampton Central and Portsmouth Harbour
    • Weston-Super-Mare and Taunton

    For local Cardiff and Valleys services please use Cardiff Queen Street. 

    Please click here to view the timetable changes

    Cardiff Queen Street

    Local Cardiff and Valleys services will run until approximately 01:00 Sunday 4 June. Shuttle train services will run between Pontypridd / Caerphilly and Cardiff Bay (including Cardiff Queen St). Customers will need to change at Pontypridd / Caerphilly for onwards travel.

    Please click here to view the timetable changes

    Post-match Queuing System

    A post-match queuing system will be in place at Cardiff Central and Cardiff Queen Street after the match to get everyone home safely.

    • Customers must have a valid ticket to travel prior to joining the queuing system.
    • Buy your ticket in advance to avoid the queues at the ticket sales desks.
    • Where there are large volumes in the queue system, you may need to wait up to 90 minutes for your train home.
    • The queuing system is outside, dress appropriately for the weather

    Cardiff Central Queue Map

    Cardiff Queen Street Queue Map

     

    Remember to check your individual journey here

    Button - Check Journey  

    Thursday 1 June: UEFA Women’s Champions League Final Cardiff City Stadium

    • Services towards Grangetown and Ninian Park stations will be especially busy early evening as kick-off is at 19.45.
    • Post-match, train services will be running from Ninian Park and Grangetown stations and post-match crowd management arrangements will be in place at Ninian Park, Grangetown and Cardiff Central stations.
    • Due to capacity limitations at Ninian Park and Grangetown stations, where possible, customers are advised to walk between Cardiff Central and Cardiff City Stadium which is approximately a 30 minute walk ( click here to download a map of the route )

    Walking Routes Map

    Button - Download Map

    UEFA Champions Festival Cardiff Bay 1-4 June

    At this free event, you can see the UEFA Champions League trophy, watch some football matches on a floating pitch and enjoy the festival atmosphere. Cardiff Bay services are expected to be busier during this festival and crowd management will be in place. 

    • On Saturday 3 June services will be extremely busy due to the UEFA Champions League Final. If your journey is essential or you are keen to attend on this day, head out early and allow extra time for your journey. (Please note there is no live screening of the Final at the Festival and the Festival closes at 17.00 on 3 June.)
    • Where possible, customers are advised to walk to the Bay via Lloyd George Avenue, which shall be closed to traffic during the event. From Cardiff Central station this should take approximately 25 minutes.
    • It is advisable to visit Thursday 1 June, Friday 2 June or Sunday 4 June to avoid the crowds.
    • On Friday 2 June,  after the Festival,  for mainline and local Barry / Penarth services please walk to Cardiff Central station. There will be limited additional Cardiff Bay services between 23:00 and 01:00.

    For opening times and what's on at the UEFA Champions Festival visit Cardiff2017.wales/festival

    Cardiff Central Station Car Park Closures

    00:01 Monday 29 May to 06:00 Sunday 4 June 2017

    All Cardiff Central Station car parks:

    • Penarth Rd Car Park
    • Saunders Rd Car Park
    • Riverside (Fish Jetty) Car Park

     will be closed to the public from 00.01 Monday 29 May until 06:00 Sunday 4 June 2017.

    This is for security, operational and safety requirements to facilitate customer queuing systems for the UEFA Champions League Finals and Festival.

    Please make alternative parking arrangements during this period. For information about Cardiff City Centre and Cardiff Bay road closures and park and ride facilities during the UEFA Champions League Finals and Festival ( 1-4 June) visit  www.Cardiff2017.Wales/travel

     

    Rail security during the Champions League Finals and Festival

    A wide range of specialist officers from BTP will be in Cardiff during the Champions Leagues Finals and Festival, to support event organisers and rail staff. As always, the priority of BTP is to ensure the safety of the traveling public, reduce disruption on the railway and make sure the UEFA Champions League Final is truly an event to remember. 

    Fans can expect to see extra officers from BTP on hand during this event, both at stations and on board train services to and from Cardiff. Likewise, officers will be working closely with Network Rail to mitigate any disruption and ensure the smooth running of the railway. 

    Of course, with fans travelling from all corners of the country, part of the BTP policing operation will span hundreds of miles. Therefore, extra officers will also be at key stations throughout the nation, such as in Birmingham, Manchester, London and beyond. 

    Suspicious behaviour

    We would also like you to stop our officers and tell us if you see anything suspicious.

    We want you to look out for the unusual - activity or behaviour that strikes you as not quite right and out of place. You may feel it's nothing but trust your instincts and report it; our intelligence specialists will be able to assess whether the information you have is important or not.

    If you see or hear anything that could be a threat of any kind you can

    Get in touch with British Transport Police

    Call us on 0800 40 50 40

    Text us on 61016

    In case of an emergency, always ring 999