Transport for Wales to trial new crowd management for final Six Nations fixture

Transport for Wales (TfW) will trial a new post match crowd management approach for the upcoming Six Nations fixture which will include a longer walk for fans.

The rail company says the plan will improve the match day experience and prepare for major works at Cardiff Central station.

Wales take on Italy in the final home game of this year’s Six Nations campaign on Saturday 14 March with fans heading home on Valleys and Vale services now directed to Cardiff Queen Street station instead of Cardiff Central.

The rear of Cardiff Central station will soon be redeveloped as part of the station enhancements project and Cardiff Crossrail programme, meaning the space previously used for post-match queuing will no longer be available.

While the trial means a longer walk for some fans, TfW says the move to Cardiff Queen Street comes with its benefits, including individual route queues designed to get passengers home sooner, shorter waits, faster boarding and engaging customer information, all designed to improve the customer experience.

Georgina Porter, Customer Delivery and Events Planning Manager for Transport for Wales said: “We’re preparing for the £140 million redevelopment of Cardiff Central station and looking at the best ways to get people home on event days

“This event gives us the perfect opportunity to work with our customers to test a smarter, more targeted approach to moving large numbers of fans out of the city.

“Keeping Cardiff Queen Street open for Valleys and Vale services allows us to ease pressure on Cardiff Central station, distribute passenger flow more effectively and get people home sooner.

“These changes give us the opportunity to engage with our customers more effectively on the day, with teams on the ground making sure everyone gets to the right place. We’ll continue to adapt our plans based on what we learn from the trial.”

To save time at the station, fans are reminded to have a valid ticket before travelling and are encouraged to use the contactless pay as you go system across the South Wales Metro network or use the TfW app.

TfW recognise that this represents a change for passengers and ask that all passengers continue to check before travelling and remain respectful to frontline staff who are there to help everyone get home safely.

Accessibility assistance will continue to be available at Cardiff Central for both mainline and Valley passengers.

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