View source for Butetown branch line

{{short description|Urban rail line in Cardiff, Wales}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2014}}
{{Infobox rail line
| name                            = Cardiff Bay Line
| image                           = ButeTownBranchLine-02.jpg
| image_width                     = 270px
| type = Urban rail
| system                          = [[National Rail]]
| locale                          = [[Cardiff]]
| start                           = {{stnlnk|Cardiff Bay}}
| end                             = {{stnlnk|Cardiff Queen Street}}
| stations                        = 2
| open                            = 1840
| owner                           = [[Transport for Wales]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Impact of Core Valley Lines divestment on the Wales & Western region |url=https://www.orr.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2020-09/divestment-of-core-valley-lines-in-the-wales-and-western-region-2020-07-15.pdf |access-date=2022-04-23 |website=UK Office of Rail and Road}}</ref>
| operator                        = [[Transport for Wales Rail]]
| character                       = 
| stock                           = {{ubl|[[British Rail Class 150|Class 150]] [[diesel multiple unit|DMUs]]|[[British Rail Class 153|Class 153]] DMUs}}
| linelength                      = {{convert|1|mi|6|chain|km|lk=in}}
| tracks                          = [[Single track (rail)|Single track]] throughout (to be redoubled)
| gauge                           = {{track gauge|uksg|allk=on}}
| old_gauge                       = 
| speed                           = 
| map                             = {{switcher
| [[File:Butetown branch line.png|270px]]<br />([[:commons:File:Butetown branch line.png|Click to expand]])
| Show map
| {{Butetown Branch Line|inline=y}}
| Show route diagram
}}}}
The '''Butetown branch line''', also known as the '''Cardiff Bay Line''', is a {{convert|1|mi|6|chain|km|lk=in|adj=on}} [[Urban rail in the United Kingdom|urban rail line]] in [[Cardiff]], [[Wales]] that starts from [[Cardiff Bay]] to [[Cardiff Queen Street railway station|Cardiff Queen Street]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Yonge |first1=John |last2=Padgett |first2=David |editor-last=Bridge |editor-first=Mike |title=Railway Track Diagrams 3: Western |edition=5th |date=August 2010 |orig-year=1989 |publisher=Trackmaps |location=Bradford on Avon |isbn=978-0-9549866-6-7 |at=maps 22 & 28B }}</ref> The service pattern formerly comprised a mixture of shuttle services along the branch, service used to run to [[Coryton Line|Coryton]], [[Rhymney line|Rhymney]], [[Merthyr line|Merthyr Tydfil]], and [[Aberdare railway station|Aberdare]], but after December 2005 was a shuttle service from Queen Street station. However, in May 2024, direct trains to [[Pontypridd railway station|Pontypridd]] were restored alongside shuttle services.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 June 2024 |title=Transport for Wales timetable change |url=https://tfw.wales/projects/metro/south-wales-metro/june-2024}}</ref> The normal journey time is four minutes.

== History ==
{{stack|[[File:BubbleatCQB.JPG|thumb|121032 at Cardiff Bay station]]}}
Originally a portion of the [[Taff Vale Railway|Taff Vale Railway's]] main line to Cardiff's [[Bute Docks]], in 1922, it was absorbed, along with the neighbouring [[Rhymney Railway]], into the enlarged [[Great Western Railway]]. With the decline of coal traffic and the closure of the Bute Docks, it now sees only passenger services, and connects the Cardiff Bay neighbourhood to the other [[Valley Lines (train operating company)|Valley Lines]].

At privatisation in 1995, services were operated by the Cardiff Railway Company, which traded as [[Valley Lines (train operating company)|Valley Lines]].  This was subsumed by the new [[Wales & Borders]] franchise in 2001, which was subsequently awarded to [[Arriva UK Trains]] in December 2003 and operated as [[Arriva Trains Wales]]. In October 2018, [[KeolisAmey Wales]] took over the franchise from Arriva Trains Wales.

The December 2005 timetable introduced a further increase in services to 4 trains per hour 18 hours a day, and even a Sunday service for the first time (further improved in June 2006 to offer the same 4 trains per hour service from 11am to 4pm). In December 2005, Arriva employed a single car [[British Rail Class 153|Class 153]] to "shuttle" along the Butetown Line, upgrading from the 2 car [[British Rail Class 143|Class 143]] 'Pacers' used for the service. Since then, the service frequency has been increased even more – there are now 5 trains per hour on the line every day of the week, which equates to one train every 12 minutes.

In July 2006 the service was due to be provided by a 1950s {{BRC|121}} "Bubble car" DMU. The unit finally entered service on 17 August 2006, only to be withdrawn for repairs two days later. The unit then re-entered service on 14 September 2006.

==Passenger volume==
Below are the annual estimates of station usage from the year beginning April 2002 to the year beginning April 2020.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/usage/estimates-of-station-usage |title=Estimates of station usage |website=[[Office of Rail and Road]] |access-date=6 October 2022}}</ref>

{{GBsta-u|
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Cardiff Queen Street|u1=1,841,260|u2=2,072,551|u3=2,126,479|u4=2,231,784|u5=2,486,005|u6=2,559,748|u7=2,437,638|u8=2,411,438|u9=2,488,920|u10=2,495,238|u11=2,462,700|u12=2,523,314|u13=2,643,568|u14=2,850,984|u15=2,912,364|u16=2,919,214|u17=2,694,084|u18=472,914|u19=1,366,108|u20=1,713,720}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Cardiff Bay|u1=177,911|u2=245,910|u3=274,133|u4=404,049|u5=518,572|u6=594,520|u7=685,608|u8=753,148|u9=793,382|u10=869,126|u11=1,019,348|u12=1,143,746|u13=1,190,780|u14=1,242,214|u15=1,302,676|u16=1,531,444|u17=1,462,962|u18=88,028|u19=314,932|u20=510,964}}
}}

==Modernisation==
On 16 July 2012, plans to electrify the line were announced by the government, as part of a £9.4bn package of investment of the railways in England and Wales.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18851907| website=BBC News| title=£9bn railway investment announced by coalition| date=16 July 2012}}</ref> The announcement was made as an extension of the electrification of the [[South Wales Main Line]] from Cardiff to Swansea and the electrification of the south Wales [[Valleys & Cardiff Local Routes|Valley Lines]] at a total cost of £350 million. It was proposed to start between 2014 and 2019.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-18852955| website=BBC News| title=Rail electrification to Swansea and south Wales valleys welcomed| date=16 July 2012}}</ref>

In June 2018 it was announced by the then new operator [[KeolisAmey Wales]] that the line would be re-integrated into Valley Lines services, with 6 trains per hour to operate from Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What's Happening in South East Wales| website=Transport for Wales |url=https://tfw.wales/about-us/whats-happening/south-east-wales |access-date=2022-04-23 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=South Wales Metro| website=Transport for Wales |url=https://tfw.wales/projects/metro/south-wales-metro#:~:text=two%20of%20the%20four%20services%20from%20Treherbert%2C%20Aberdare%20and%20Merthyr%20Tydfil%20will%20go%20on%20from%20Cardiff%20to%20Cardiff%20Bay |access-date=2022-04-23 }}</ref> A new station would be constructed at [[Loudoun Square]] and a short extension would be built taking the line closer to Cardiff Bay, opening in December 2023. The current Cardiff Bay station would close at the same time, which didn't happen in the end. [[Stadler Citylink]] tram-trains would replace the [[British Rail Class 153|Class 153s]]. These would switch to battery power on the branch, negating the need for electrification.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Barry |first1=Sion |title=How Wales' railways will be transformed with new stations, trains and jobs |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/huge-investment-running-billions-transform-14738004 |website=WalesOnline |access-date=2 June 2021 |language=en |date=2018-06-03}}</ref>

In August 2022 it was announced that the existing Cardiff Bay station would now be retained (with no extension built) and it will get a second platform as well as a new signage and customer information screens. The station at Loudoun Square will now be located further north than previously planned (near Maria Street) and would also comprise two platforms, opening in spring 2024.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm57p1npnlmo |title=Cardiff Bay: Work to start on Butetown railway station |date=15 August 2022 |website=BBC News}}</ref> Loudoun Square was also later renamed {{rws|Butetown}}. Preliminary construction on both Butetown and the redevelopment of Cardiff Bay began in January 2023 with the main works to begin later in summer 2023.<ref name="Butetown">{{cite web|url=https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2023/01/work-to-get-underway-for-the-new-butetown-railway-station.html|title=Work to get underway for the new Butetown railway station|website=Rail Advent|first=Chloe| last=White|date=12 January 2023|accessdate=27 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/work-to-begin-on-new-welsh-railway-station-11-01-2023/|title=Work to begin on new Welsh railway station|publisher=[[New Civil Engineer]]|first=Catherine| last=Moor|date=11 January 2023|accessdate=27 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://nation.cymru/news/construction-work-on-new-butetown-railway-station-to-get-underway-this-summer/|title=Construction work on new Butetown railway station to get underway this summer|date=14 January 2023|accessdate=27 April 2023|website=Nation.Cymru}}</ref>

In September 2024 it was announced that [[Cardiff Central railway station|Cardiff Central]] would be connected to the line through [[Cardiff Crossrail]], with work anticipated to begin in Autumn 2025. Cardiff Crossrail is planned to run at street level from two new platforms at Cardiff Central through [[Callaghan Square]], connecting to the branch line north of Butetown station. Cardiff Bay station would gain a third platform. There are also proposals to extend the line south of Cardiff Bay towards Pierhead Street.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c303y2l8g85o| title=Plans for new tram in Wales' capital city revealed| date=16 September 2024| first1=Rosie| last1=Mercer| first2=Peter| last2=Shuttleworth| website=BBC News}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of railway stations in Cardiff]]
* [[Cardiff Riverside Branch]]

==References==
{{Commons category|Butetown Branch Line}}
{{reflist}}

{{Railway lines in Wales}}
{{Transport in Cardiff}}
{{South Wales Metro}}

[[Category:Butetown]]
[[Category:Railway lines in Wales]]
[[Category:Transport in Cardiff]]