Cardiff Central → Bristol Temple Meads
Live train times from Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads, with around 32 direct services per day and a fastest typical journey of 45m. Operated by Great Western Railway and CrossCountry. Currently 100% of services are running on time today.
Based on the last 31 days of timetable data
Today's performance
30-day performance
Typical calling pattern
Trains from Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads are non-stop on the fastest services, taking 00:45. Most services call at one or two of Grangetown, Newport (South Wales), Cardiff Queen Street. Slow services (01:04 typical) stop at up to 20 intermediate stations.
Which operator is most reliable on this route?
Great Western Railway runs the majority of direct services from Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads. Over the last 30 days, 53.3% of Great Western Railway's services on this route ran on time, with an average delay of 3.4 minutes and a cancellation rate of 2.2%. CrossCountry sees lower on-time performance (53.3%) but runs fewer services.
Why take the train?
The straight-line distance from Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads is around 26 miles. By train the journey takes 00:45; the equivalent drive is typically 1h 22m to 1h 43m depending on traffic, plus 30 minutes of city-centre parking. National Rail publishes average CO₂ emissions of ~35g per passenger-km for electric intercity trains — for this route that's roughly 1.5 kg CO₂ per passenger. The same trip in a petrol car with one occupant emits around 7.1 kg. Two passengers by train equals the per-person footprint of one passenger by car.
Delay Repay
DR30 operators only pay out from 30+ minutes.
Delay Repay for this route
All operators on this route participate in the National Rail Delay Repay scheme. Great Western Railway operates the DR15 scheme (15–29 min: 25%, 30–59 min: 50%, 60+ min: 100%). Claims can be made within 28 days of travel. Use Railly's Delay Repay calculator to check eligibility and pre-fill the operator's claim form.
Travel tips for this route
Great Western Railway and CrossCountry services from Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads can be busy around 13:00–15:00, 20:00. Avoid the 13:00–15:00, 20:00 peak if you can — the 00:00–04:00 services are typically 28% less crowded. Off-peak return tickets are valid on any train after 09:30 on weekdays, all day weekends. The first train is at 06:28 and the last at 23:30. If your train is delayed by 15 minutes or more, you can claim Delay Repay compensation directly from the operator.