Road closures and rail changes announced for Wales’ autumn rugby internationals

Nation.Cymru staff

Road closures and changes to rail and bus services will be in place for Wales’ three home rugby internationals this November.

Cardiff city centre will close to through traffic for several hours on each match day at the Principality Stadium, with fans warned to expect busy trains and congestion on the M4.

Wales face Japan on November 7, New Zealand on November 14 and Australia on November 21.

Supporters are being urged to plan ahead, arrive early and book parking in advance where possible.

Match times and road closures

The main city-centre closures will operate as follows:

• Wales v Japan, Saturday, November 7: Kick-off at 4.40pm; roads closed from 12.30pm to 9pm.
• Wales v New Zealand, Saturday, November 14: Kick-off at 2.10pm; roads closed from 10am to 6.15pm.
• Wales v Australia, Saturday, November 21: Kick-off at 8.10pm; roads closed from 4pm to midnight.

Scott Road and Park Street will close from 7am on all three dates to allow preparations around Gate 5 and protect queuing supporters.

The wider closures will affect Duke Street, Castle Street, High Street, St Mary Street, Caroline Street, Wood Street, Central Square, Westgate Street, Quay Street, Guildhall Place, Golate, Park Street, Havelock Street and Scott Road.

Sections of Kingsway, Cowbridge Road East, Tudor Street, Plantagenet Street and Beauchamp Street will also close. Access for residents and traders will be maintained where specified, including via Fitzhammon Embankment for Tudor Street.

Station Terrace and Guildford Street, between Newport Road and Churchill Way, will be restricted to buses during the designated periods. Station Terrace restrictions are scheduled for 6.15pm–7.45pm for Japan, 3.30pm–5pm for New Zealand and 9pm–10.30pm for Australia.

Penarth Road will close around 30 minutes before the end of each match and remain shut for up to an hour after the final whistle to help manage crowds leaving Cardiff Central.

Access to parts of the Civic Centre will also be controlled throughout each day, including King Edward VII Avenue, Museum Avenue, City Hall Road, College Road and Gorsedd Gardens Road.

Trains

Great Western Railway will run additional services linking Cardiff with Swansea, Newport, Bristol and London. Its trains before the matches will be reservation-only, with passengers advised to book seats in advance.

Transport for Wales says it will provide extra capacity where possible, although other sporting events are also expected to add to demand.

Queuing systems will operate after all three matches. Passengers travelling towards the Valleys or the Vale of Glamorgan will be directed to Cardiff Queen Street, while those using other routes, including Ebbw Vale and Maesteg, should queue at Cardiff Central.

Accessible queues will be available at both stations.

Passengers should buy tickets before joining a queue. Those using pay as you go should tap in at their departure station and tap out using the same payment method.

Pay as you go is available on TfW and CrossCountry services within the South Wales Metro network, but not on GWR trains.

Cardiff Central’s station car parks are permanently closed ahead of station improvement work. Drivers can use the multi-storey car park at Central Quay.

Park and ride

The event park and ride will operate from the car park beside Vindico Arena on International Drive in Cardiff Bay’s Sports Village, with a city-centre drop-off at Tresillian Way.

The council has advertised the following bus operating times:

• Japan: First bus at 10am; last bus at 8pm.
• New Zealand: First bus at 10am; last bus at 6pm.
• Australia: First bus at noon; last bus at 10pm.

Spaces can be booked through Cardiff Council’s event parking page. Card payments will also be accepted on the day, but cash will not.

Parking and buses

Event parking will be available at the Civic Centre and Sophia Gardens from 8am until midnight on each match day. On-the-day charges are £20 for cars and £30 for coaches, payable by card.

Advance booking is recommended. Sophia Gardens will be staffed until 7pm, and vehicles left after the car park closes may be fined.

Disabled drivers are advised to use Sophia Gardens or check availability at private car parks.

Local buses will be diverted during the road closures, and Cardiff Bus Interchange will close in line with the restrictions. Passengers should check their operator’s website before travelling.

National Express coaches will continue to use Sophia Gardens, while the St Mary Street taxi rank will close during the main road closures.

Cycleways within the closure area will remain open, although cyclists are being asked to take care around crowds.

Supporters should also check the stadium’s prohibited items list and bag policy before setting off.

---

Get more trusted Welsh news

Choose Nation.Cymru as a preferred source in Google News to see more of our journalism.