the launch of a new faster services between Cardiff and North Wales. The service was first operated by locomotives and Mark 2 passenger rolling stock. The Premier Service has premier business-class accommodation. In March 2012 the service was upgraded to locomotives and Mark 3 rolling stock. CrossCountry 1tph to Nottingham via Gloucester, Cheltenham Spa, Birmingham New Street and Derby. These services are from Cardiff Central, operated by Class 170 Turbostar units. 1tph to Cardiff Central. These services are usually from Nottingham or Birmingham New Street, operated by Class 170 Turbostar units, although there is one daily service at 20:49 from Manchester Piccadilly operated by a Class 221 SuperVoyager unit. 1tpd to Manchester Piccadilly via Bristol Temple Meads, Bristol Parkway, Cheltenham Spa, Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton, Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield and Stockport, operated by a Class 221 SuperVoyager unit. Great Western Railway 2tph to London Paddington via Bristol Parkway, Swindon, Didcot Parkway and Reading. These services are from Cardiff Central or Swansea as well as daily services from Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock, operated by Class 800s. 1tph to Swansea via Cardiff Central, Bridgend, Port Talbot Parkway, Neath and Swansea, as well as daily extensions to Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock. These services are from London Paddington, operated by Class 800s. 3tph to Cardiff Central. These services are from London Paddington, Portsmouth Harbour or Taunton, operated by Class 43s, Class 158s, Class 165s, Class 166s and Class 800s. 1tph to Portsmouth Harbour via Bristol Temple Meads, Bath Spa, Westbury, Salisbury, Southampton Central, Fareham, Cosham, Fratton and Portsmouth & Southsea. These services are from Cardiff Central, operated by Class 166 Networker Turbo Express units, Class 165 Networker Turbo units and Class 158 Express Sprinter units 1tph to Taunton via Bristol Temple Meads and Weston-super-Mare. These services are from Cardiff Central, operated by Class 43s. Ebbw Vale services After securing the Wales & Borders franchise in 2018, Transport for Wales announced that services will reopen between Newport and Ebbw Vale by 2021. On 12 December 2021 the service began to Crosskeys, with the full service to Ebbw Vale dependent on more track redoubling. History The current station layout consists of four through-platforms numbered 1 to 4 from the south side. The original broad gauge station had only two through platforms and a bay platform at the east end of the down platform. The Hillfield railway tunnels to the west of the station were dug under Stow Hill