- Title: Cardiff prepares to host biggest ever sporting event in Wales
- Date: 31st May 2017
- Summary: CARDIFF, WALES, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 19, 2017) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF CARDIFF CENTRAL TRAIN STATION SIGN, READING (Welsh/English): "CARDIFF CENTRAL) WELSH FLAG BLOWING IN WIND TRAINS ON PLATFORMS AT CARDIFF CENTRAL PEOPLE GETTING ON TO TRAIN (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARRIVA TRAINS WALES HEAD OF STATIONS, BETHAN JELFS, SAYING: "This is definitely the biggest event that we've had to plan for at Cardiff in terms of its scale of people travelling, the time of the game itself. But yes it's definitely the biggest event we've had to deal with, yes." TRAIN LEAVING PLATFORM SIGN, READING (Welsh/English): "CARDIFF CENTRAL" (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARRIVA TRAINS WALES HEAD OF STATIONS, BETHAN JELFS, SAYING: "So one of the big challenges for us has been knowing where the teams are coming from. We only found out three weeks out. The time of day that the event is on and just the volume of people that are going to be expected to travel in to Cardiff. We're using our three stations in Cardiff to maximize the space we've got; so Cardiff Central, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff Queen Street will all be used as part of the event to ensure that people can move around the city freely and go where they need to go." PEOPLE ON PLATFORM TRAIN ARRIVING AT PLATFORM (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARRIVA TRAINS WALES HEAD OF STATIONS, BETHAN JELFS, SAYING: "Yes, it's a huge event and we've all been working flat out on it. We're excited, we're looking forward to it and we know we've got to get plan in place. We've tested everything we need to and we look forward to welcoming visitors to Cardiff and we are hopeful that it will be a successful event for us and for the city." SIGNS, READING (Welsh/English): "STADIUM. CITY CENTRE" PEOPLE LEAVING STATION SIGN, READING (English): "STADIUM" VARIOUS OF STATION EMPLOYEE HELPING PEOPLE AT TICKET BARRIER INTERIOR OF HALL PEOPLE IN STATION PEOPLE STANDING NEXT TO INFORMATION DESK EMPLOYEE WORKING ON INFORMATION DESK SIGN, READING (Welsh/English): "INFORMATION" ELECTRONIC BOARD, READING (English): "WELCOME TO CARDIFF CENTRAL" PEOPLE STANDING IN STATION
- Embargoed: 14th June 2017 08:20
- Keywords: Cardiff Champions League final accommodation transport Juventus Real Madrid
- Location: CARDIFF, WALES, UNITED KINGDOM
- City: CARDIFF, WALES, UNITED KINGDOM
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA0046J651DR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Cardiff is preparing to host the Champions League final and welcome up to 170,000 people to the city on June 3 when Juventus play Real Madrid.
It's the largest sporting event Wales has ever hosted but with that comes several logistical issues.
The Welsh capital only has 4,000 hotel rooms, a fraction of the 132,000 rooms that Berlin had at their disposal for the 2015 final. It's resulted in hotel room prices soaring; one hotel in Swansea is reportedly charging 4,650 pound per night per room. Cardiff's local authority has looked to alleviate the accommodation shortage by having a camp which can house 5,000 people in two large fields which are a 20-minute walk from the stadium.
Camping Ninja are looking after the site at Pontcanna Fields, called Camp Cardiff. The company has experience of hosting such camp sites at the 2012 London Olympics and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Most of the 170,000 people will arrive in the city by train and the head of stations for the Welsh railway operator, Arriva Trains Wales acknowledges the Champions League final is the biggest event they've ever had to plan for.
Cardiff will also host the Women's Champions League final between Lyon and Paris St Germain at the Cardiff City Stadium on June 1. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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