Wales v Ireland rugby: What is happening with travel?

Tens of thousands of rugby fans head to Cardiff for internationals

Up to 90,000 rugby fans are expected in Cardiff for Wales' opening Six Nations match.

The side take on Ireland in front of 74,500 supporters at the Principality Stadium, with thousands more expected to watch in the city's bars.

Fans have been urged to plan ahead for the game that kicks off at 14:15 GMT on Saturday.

Roads around the city are expected to be congested, as well as trains, with about 25,000 arriving by rail.

The on-field action comes at the end of a week that saw a sexism and misogyny scandal engulf the Welsh Rugby Union, while Tom Jones classic Delilah was banned from being sung by choirs.

It will also see the return of triple Grand Slam-winning coach Warren Gatland, as World number one-ranked Ireland's visit kicks off the 2023 tournament.

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Road closures

Roads around the city centre will be closed from 10:15 GMT until 18:15 on Saturday.

The M4 is also expected to be congested, and Cardiff council warned people to plan ahead in terms of parking.

Park and rides include one at County Hall in Cardiff Bay.

The Six Nations returns to Cardiff on Saturday

It is not uncommon for the M4 to be gridlocked before and after big events, with previous Six Nations games and concerts regularly seeing stop-start traffic.

Trains

Transport for Wales (TfW) said more than 25,000 rugby fans are expected to travel in and out of Cardiff by rail on Saturday, making it important to plan journeys in advance.

TfW will also be running coaches from towns including Llanelli, Abergavenny, Cwmbran, Caerphilly and Pontypridd in case there is not enough capacity on the rail.

GWR is putting on more trains for the game after strike action

While the Aslef union announced industrial action that affects Great Western Rail services on Friday, more than 60 trains will be operating for the Six Nations opener, providing about 30,000 seats.

The company said 38 trains will arrive at Cardiff Central ahead of kick-off, with a further 23 trains carrying rugby fans home after the match, with services to Newport, London and Swindon.

"We'd like to remind supporters that trains will be extremely busy leading up to kick-off and immediately following the match," said GRW's customer service and operations director Richard Rowland.

"We would encourage customers to check journey times and allow sufficient time to queue to board trains safely."

Buses

Bus services will be diverted while city centre road closures are in place, meaning buses will use different bus stops.

You can view Cardiff Buses full timetable here.

Stagecoach also warned there will be delays to its services due of the volume of traffic expected.