Continuing Network Rail’s theme of lighting up significant railway structures in blue – the colour of the NHS – in honour and gratitude to all NHS staff and other workers who are battling the coronavirus crisis, it is now the turn of Cardiff Central station.
Cardiff Central opened in 1850 as Cardiff Station before being renamed Cardiff General in 1924 and then its current name in 1973. Now Grade II listed, it is the largest and busiest station in Wales and is owned by Network Rail and managed by Transport for Wales.
As an ongoing symbol of continued support and thanks to all NHS and other critical workers, Cardiff Central will light up blue every night, following Thursday’s inaugural event, for the foreseeable future.
The lighting of the station is also in recognition of railway colleagues, who themselves are classed as critical workers, as they have ensured passengers who need to travel are able to do so, whilst enabling vital freight is moved across the country.
Bill Kelly, Network Rail’s Route Director for Wales and Borders, said:
“What we have seen from our NHS workforce, and indeed from all frontline workers over the last number of weeks, is nothing short of astounding. There really aren’t enough words to thank them. We are all very proud of what they are doing for the whole country.
“Network Rail is continuing to work closely with the wider railway family, such as Transport for Wales, to ensure we continue to maintain a safe and reliable service for those passengers who do need to travel, and to keep important freight moving around the network.
“The lighting up of Cardiff Central is a simple yet effective way we can join in with the entire nation in saying “thank you” to all those critical workers.”
James Price, CEO of Transport for Wales said:
“I’d like to thank all our NHS staff and other frontline workers who are truly dedicated and supporting the country in the fight against Covid19. Across the whole of our network we’ve seen a collaborative team approach and it’s great to pay tribute to all those involved.
“We continue to urge all our customers to please stay at home and our recent figures reveal a 95% passenger number drop, which indicates that people are listening. We are currently running a reduced timetable to ensure those who do need to travel are able to do so, and we’ve expanded our cleaning capabilities to ensure the safety of our customers and staff.”
