The Welsh government has scrapped a project to build a new railway line designed to improve travel for major events in Cardiff, citing that it no longer represented value for money. The abandoned project, which has already seen £10 million spent in preparations, was meant to provide extra trains on a 1.6km-long track near Llanwern steelworks to handle the surge of fans attending events at venues like the Principality Stadium.
The decision comes amid previous transport issues in Cardiff, such as overcrowding and delays, especially highlighted during events like concerts and sports matches. Transport for Wales (TfW) acknowledged the sunk cost in their annual report but stated that other transport development plans around Newport and Cardiff would continue.
Opposition parties have criticized the decision, labeling it as irresponsible and a potential embarrassment ahead of major events like the Euros in 2028. Concerns have also been raised about the current transport infrastructure's capacity to handle event crowds, with experiences of overcrowding being common complaints among passengers.
While new trains are set to be introduced to the fleet to improve resilience and demand on event days, the cancellation of the railway line has led to doubts about the adequacy of future transport arrangements for large-scale events.