Capital City Red
Encyclopedia
Capital City Red is the branding of bus services 17 and 18 in Cardiff
. The route runs from the city centre
to the west of the city, serving the Canton
, Ely
and Caerau
districts.
The service forms part of the wider Cardiff Bus
network and is one of three services to have a unique branding, along with Baycar
and Capital City Green
.
The service was introduced in 2006 to improve infrastructure on the route, and with the aim to make the corridor the first Statutory Quality Bus Partnership in Wales.
In 1955, the furthest and final extension of Cardiff's trolleybus system
came to Ely
, where city trams had never run. In 1959, the Cardiff Corporation Transport trolleybus routes that were operating in Ely and Caerau were the 10 A/B (Ely – Canton
– City Centre
) and the 39(A) (Ely Bridge
, City Centre
– Rhiwbina
).
The transition to motorbuses began in Cardiff began in 1962 and was completed by 1970 and the city has been served by motor buses ever since.
The Scania Omnicity articulated vehicles have their own red and green livery, are equipped with seats with leather headrests, air-conditioning, reserved spaces for buggies and wheelchairs, CCTV, on-bus screens with local travel information and BBC News 24
bulletins, hearing induction loop and next stop information. Cardiff Bus has 19 of such vehicles in their fleet valued at £235,000 each.
In the past, the vehicles have become stuck on the route due to heavy snow.
Before the 17 and 18 routes became branded as Capital City Red, Cardiff Bus operated its double decker orange Volvo Ailsa vehicles on the route.
and Westgate Street in the city centre before heading westbound towards the suburbs. It follows Cowbridge Road East
through Canton, Cardiff
into Ely
and Caerau
. The services diverge at Ely Library with the 17 following a clockwise route and the 18 following an anticlockwise route before the two routes meet again and return to the city centre via Canton.
Amongst the place served (from east to west) are:
have used vehicles on this route as a decoy in an attempt to catch people who throw stones at the buses, after an increase in such attacks had made Cardiff Bus think about ceasing operations on the route. Six undercover officers posed as ordinary passengers on the bus, and since the operation began two youths have taken into custody and 17 have been referred for anti-social behaviour orders.
In Canton, other Cardiff Bus services that operate are the 60, 61, 62 that diverge from the 17/18 route at Ely Bridge heading towards Fairwater
and Pentrebane
. The 12 and 13 services from Tremorfa
serve the south of Canton and also the north of Ely. The 96 service follows a similar route to the 17/18, but heads to Culverhouse Cross
, Wenvoe
and Barry, Vale of Glamorgan instead of circling Ely and Caerau.
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. The route runs from the city centre
Cardiff city centre
Cardiff city centre is the central business district of Cardiff, Wales. The area is tightly bounded by the River Taff to the west, the Civic centre to the north and railway lines and two railway stations - Central and Queen Street - to the south and east respectively...
to the west of the city, serving the Canton
Canton, Cardiff
Canton is an inner-city district and community in the west of Cardiff, capital of Wales, lying west of the city's civic centre. One of the most ethnically diverse of Cardiff's suburbs, with a significant Asian population such as Pakistanis and Indians, Canton has a population just in excess of...
, Ely
Ely, Cardiff
Ely is a community primarily dominated by council housing in western Cardiff, capital of Wales.-The Roman era:In Roman times, Ely was the site of a Roman villa, near the old racecourse...
and Caerau
Caerau, Cardiff
Caerau is a community in the west of Cardiff, capital city of Wales. Heol Trelai is the main road or avenue which is very much lined with large trees and shrubbery. Dominated mostly by council housing, it has the Western Leisure Centre, supermarkets, schools, churches and an Ely Police Station...
districts.
The service forms part of the wider Cardiff Bus
Cardiff Bus
Cardiff Bus is the dominant operator of bus services in Cardiff, Wales and the surrounding area, including Barry and Penarth. Its hub is Cardiff central bus station...
network and is one of three services to have a unique branding, along with Baycar
Baycar
Baycar is a bus service in Cardiff, serving the city centre and Cardiff Bay.The service forms part of the wider Cardiff Bus network, but is unique in that the entire Baycar bus system includes its own branded vehicles, bus shelters and boards.-History:The service was introduced in 2006 to connect...
and Capital City Green
Capital City Green
Capital City Green is the branding of the bus service 27 Cardiff, operated by Cardiff Bus. The route runs from the city centre to the north of the city, serving the Maindy, Heath, Birchgrove and Thornhill districts....
.
The service was introduced in 2006 to improve infrastructure on the route, and with the aim to make the corridor the first Statutory Quality Bus Partnership in Wales.
History
Trolleybuses in Cardiff
The Cardiff trolleybus system once served Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. Opened on , it gradually replaced the Cardiff tramway network.By the standards of the various now-defunct trolleybus systems in the United Kingdom, the Cardiff system was a medium-sized one, with a total of 14 routes,...
came to Ely
Ely, Cardiff
Ely is a community primarily dominated by council housing in western Cardiff, capital of Wales.-The Roman era:In Roman times, Ely was the site of a Roman villa, near the old racecourse...
, where city trams had never run. In 1959, the Cardiff Corporation Transport trolleybus routes that were operating in Ely and Caerau were the 10 A/B (Ely – Canton
Canton, Cardiff
Canton is an inner-city district and community in the west of Cardiff, capital of Wales, lying west of the city's civic centre. One of the most ethnically diverse of Cardiff's suburbs, with a significant Asian population such as Pakistanis and Indians, Canton has a population just in excess of...
– City Centre
Cardiff city centre
Cardiff city centre is the central business district of Cardiff, Wales. The area is tightly bounded by the River Taff to the west, the Civic centre to the north and railway lines and two railway stations - Central and Queen Street - to the south and east respectively...
) and the 39(A) (Ely Bridge
Ely, Cardiff
Ely is a community primarily dominated by council housing in western Cardiff, capital of Wales.-The Roman era:In Roman times, Ely was the site of a Roman villa, near the old racecourse...
, City Centre
Cardiff city centre
Cardiff city centre is the central business district of Cardiff, Wales. The area is tightly bounded by the River Taff to the west, the Civic centre to the north and railway lines and two railway stations - Central and Queen Street - to the south and east respectively...
– Rhiwbina
Rhiwbina
Rhiwbina is a prosperous northern suburb of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It used to be a separate village: its core is still locally called "the village" and is given a Welsh village appearance by Beulah United Reformed Church at the village crossroads.Capel Beulah/Beulah URC was a daughter chapel...
).
The transition to motorbuses began in Cardiff began in 1962 and was completed by 1970 and the city has been served by motor buses ever since.
Vehicles
BBC News 24
BBC News is the BBC's 24-hour rolling news television network in the United Kingdom. The channel launched as BBC News 24 on 9 November 1997 at 17:30 as part of the BBC's foray into digital domestic television channels, becoming the first competitor to Sky News, which had been running since 1989...
bulletins, hearing induction loop and next stop information. Cardiff Bus has 19 of such vehicles in their fleet valued at £235,000 each.
In the past, the vehicles have become stuck on the route due to heavy snow.
Before the 17 and 18 routes became branded as Capital City Red, Cardiff Bus operated its double decker orange Volvo Ailsa vehicles on the route.
Route
The 9.4 mile long route stops outside Cardiff Central bus stationCardiff Central bus station
Cardiff Central bus station is the main bus transport interchange in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. With 34 stands, it is the largest bus station in the city and in Wales. It is located adjacent to Cardiff Central railway station forming a major bus-rail-cycle-taxi interchange.The station used...
and Westgate Street in the city centre before heading westbound towards the suburbs. It follows Cowbridge Road East
Cowbridge Road East
thumb|Cowbridge Road East shopsCowbridge Road East is a major road in western-central Cardiff the capital of Wales. It is the principal road which passes through the busy district of Canton and connects Cowbridge Road West in the western districts to central Cardiff. The road is partly on the...
through Canton, Cardiff
Canton, Cardiff
Canton is an inner-city district and community in the west of Cardiff, capital of Wales, lying west of the city's civic centre. One of the most ethnically diverse of Cardiff's suburbs, with a significant Asian population such as Pakistanis and Indians, Canton has a population just in excess of...
into Ely
Ely, Cardiff
Ely is a community primarily dominated by council housing in western Cardiff, capital of Wales.-The Roman era:In Roman times, Ely was the site of a Roman villa, near the old racecourse...
and Caerau
Caerau, Cardiff
Caerau is a community in the west of Cardiff, capital city of Wales. Heol Trelai is the main road or avenue which is very much lined with large trees and shrubbery. Dominated mostly by council housing, it has the Western Leisure Centre, supermarkets, schools, churches and an Ely Police Station...
. The services diverge at Ely Library with the 17 following a clockwise route and the 18 following an anticlockwise route before the two routes meet again and return to the city centre via Canton.
Amongst the place served (from east to west) are:
- Central railCardiff Central railway stationCardiff Central railway station is a major railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Wales and one of the major stations of the British rail network, the tenth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London , based on 2007/08...
/bus stationsCardiff Central bus stationCardiff Central bus station is the main bus transport interchange in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. With 34 stands, it is the largest bus station in the city and in Wales. It is located adjacent to Cardiff Central railway station forming a major bus-rail-cycle-taxi interchange.The station used... - Millennium StadiumMillennium StadiumThe Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
- Cardiff Arms ParkCardiff Arms ParkCardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World...
- Animal WallAnimal WallThe Animal Wall is a sculptured wall depicting 15 animals in the Castle Quarter of the city centre of Cardiff, Wales. It is a Grade I listed structure.-History:...
- St David's Hospital
- Canton Library
- Canton Police Station
- Chapter Arts CentreChapter Arts CentreChapter Arts Centre is an arts centre in Canton, Cardiff, Wales. It hosts films, plays, performance art and live music, and includes a free art gallery, café and bars. There are also over 60 work spaces, used for an eclectic range of purposes including Chapter's own training courses.Income for...
- Victoria ParkVictoria Park, CardiffVictoria Park is a public park in the Canton district of Cardiff in south Wales at Cowbridge Road East.As its name suggests, it is a traditional Victorian era park named after Queen Victoria and has retained much of its original charm...
- Ely BridgeEly, CardiffEly is a community primarily dominated by council housing in western Cardiff, capital of Wales.-The Roman era:In Roman times, Ely was the site of a Roman villa, near the old racecourse...
- Ely Library
- Western Leisure Centre
- Glamorgan WanderersGlamorgan WanderersGlamorgan Wanderers are a Welsh rugby union club based in Ely, west Cardiff in Wales. The club is located just to the north of Western Cemetery. They currently play in the 1st Division East, having been relegated from the Principality premiership in the 2010-2011 season...
Police operations
South Wales PoliceSouth Wales Police
South Wales Police is one of the four territorial police forces in Wales. Its headquarters are based in Bridgend.Covering Wales' capital city, Cardiff, as well as Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Swansea, and the western South Wales Valleys, it is the largest police force in Wales in terms of population,...
have used vehicles on this route as a decoy in an attempt to catch people who throw stones at the buses, after an increase in such attacks had made Cardiff Bus think about ceasing operations on the route. Six undercover officers posed as ordinary passengers on the bus, and since the operation began two youths have taken into custody and 17 have been referred for anti-social behaviour orders.
Other services
Launched in 2009, St David's Travel operates the 18A service on a very similar route in order to compete with Cardiff Bus. Its vehicles have a black livery with a yellow St. David's Cross.In Canton, other Cardiff Bus services that operate are the 60, 61, 62 that diverge from the 17/18 route at Ely Bridge heading towards Fairwater
Fairwater, Cardiff
Fairwater is a district in the west of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It is located a few miles from Culverhouse Cross which connects Cardiff to the M4 motorway.- History :The name Tyllgoed, meaning "dark wood" goes back to the 15th century...
and Pentrebane
Pentrebane
Pentrebane is a district in the west of Cardiff, capital of Wales.Pentrebane sits on the top of the hill overlooking the adjacent suburbs of Fairwater and Llandaff, and on the cusp of St. Fagans and the Vale of Glamorgan...
. The 12 and 13 services from Tremorfa
Tremorfa
Tremorfa is a district of the city of Cardiff, Wales. It falls into the Splott ward of Cardiff.-Transport:Tremorfa is the terminus of the 12/13 routes operating to Culverhouse Cross via Splott, Central Stn, Canton and Ely...
serve the south of Canton and also the north of Ely. The 96 service follows a similar route to the 17/18, but heads to Culverhouse Cross
Culverhouse Cross
Culverhouse Cross is suburban district in the west of Cardiff, capital of Wales, lying on the border with the Vale of Glamorgan.The busy Culverhouse Cross roundabout is an important part of the primary road network to the west of the city and connects the A4232 , the A4050 , and...
, Wenvoe
Wenvoe
Wenvoe is a Welsh village between Barry and Cardiff in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. Nearby is the Wenvoe Transmitter near Twyn-yr-Odyn and the HTV Wales Television Centre at Culverhouse Cross in the suburbs of Cardiff.-History:...
and Barry, Vale of Glamorgan instead of circling Ely and Caerau.
See also
- BaycarBaycarBaycar is a bus service in Cardiff, serving the city centre and Cardiff Bay.The service forms part of the wider Cardiff Bus network, but is unique in that the entire Baycar bus system includes its own branded vehicles, bus shelters and boards.-History:The service was introduced in 2006 to connect...
- Bus transport in CardiffBus transport in CardiffBus transport in Cardiff, the capital and most populous city in Wales, forms the major part of the city's public transport network, which also includes water, air travel and an urban rail network...
- List of bus routes in Cardiff
- Transport in CardiffTransport in CardiffTransport in Cardiff, capital and most populous city in Wales involves road, rail, bus, water and air. Several factors have influenced the development of its transport network...
- Articulated buses in the United KingdomArticulated buses in the United KingdomArticulated buses were rarely used in the United Kingdom compared to other countries, until the turn of the millennium. This was historically due to the UK preference for the double-decker bus for use on high capacity routes. As of June 2006, there were over 500 articulated buses in the UK,...