Thousands of football fans are expected to travel to Cardiff as the FA Community Shield returns to the Welsh capital for the first time in 20 years.
Premier League champions Arsenal will face FA Cup winners Manchester City at the Principality Stadium on Sunday 16 August, ahead of the start of the 2026/27 season.
Transport for Wales, Great Western Railway and CrossCountry have coordinated their operations with Network Rail to provide additional services, increase train capacity and offer dedicated support at Cardiff Central station.
To manage the expected number of passengers safely and efficiently, Transport for Wales will operate queuing systems at Cardiff Central and Cardiff Queen Street stations from 4.45pm.
Following the match, passengers travelling to the Valleys or the Vale of Glamorgan will be directed to Cardiff Queen Street. All other queues, including those for Ebbw Vale and Maesteg, will be at Cardiff Central.
Georgie Porter, Head of Events Planning and Delivery for Transport for Wales, said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming thousands of football fans to Cardiff for what promises to be a fantastic match day.
“Working alongside other operators, we’ve put together a joint travel operation to ensure we have as much capacity as possible on key routes. Stations and services will be very busy, and our colleagues will be working hard throughout the day to keep everyone moving safely, please treat them with the kindness and respect they deserve. Diolch.”
Kay Davies, Customer Service and Events Manager South Wales for Great Western Railway, added: “It’s fantastic to be working alongside our industry partners to welcome the Community Shield back to Cardiff for the first time in 20 years.
“We’ve added thousands of extra seats across our services in both directions to boost capacity. However, all reservations from London that will get fans to Cardiff in time for kick-off is now sold out.
“We encourage supporters to allow extra travel time and double-check their return journey options.”
Lauren Fleming, CrossCountry’s Events & Resilience Manager, said: “Trains will be busy and we’d encourage everyone to book in advance, allow plenty of time and check the time of their last train home before they travel.”
Full revenue protection checks will be carried out across the network, with supporters required to have a valid rail ticket before travelling.
Fans are also being advised to allow additional time to reach Cardiff Central and check their onward connections, particularly if they plan to use the final services of the evening.
