Swansea → Cardiff Central
Live train times from Swansea to Cardiff Central, with around 45 direct services per day and a fastest typical journey of 50m. Operated by Transport for Wales and Great Western Railway. Currently 25% 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 Swansea to Cardiff Central are non-stop on the fastest services, taking 00:50. Most services call at one or two of Neath, Port Talbot Parkway, Bridgend. Some services extend to Newport (South Wales), Swindon, London Paddington, Llanelli, Bristol Parkway, Reading, Gowerton. Slow services (01:44 typical) stop at up to 20 intermediate stations.
Which operator is most reliable on this route?
Transport for Wales runs the majority of direct services from Swansea to Cardiff Central. Over the last 30 days, 36.4% of Transport for Wales's services on this route ran on time, with an average delay of 11 minutes and a cancellation rate of 7.7%. Great Western Railway sees lower on-time performance (36.4%) but runs fewer services.
Why take the train?
The straight-line distance from Swansea to Cardiff Central is around 34 miles. By train the journey takes 00:50; the equivalent drive is typically 1h 39m to 2h 07m 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 1.9 kg CO₂ per passenger. The same trip in a petrol car with one occupant emits around 9.4 kg. Two passengers by train equals the per-person footprint of one passenger by car.
Delay Repay
Delay Repay for this route
All operators on this route participate in the National Rail Delay Repay scheme. Transport for Wales 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
Transport for Wales and Great Western Railway services from Swansea to Cardiff Central can be busy around 19:00–21:00, 22:00. Avoid the 19:00–21:00, 22:00 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 03:38 and the last at 23:35. If your train is delayed by 15 minutes or more, you can claim Delay Repay compensation directly from the operator.