With Wales playing Uruguay in the Rugby World Cup, a number of additional trains ran to and from the Welsh capital to cope with the large number of supporters coming to see the match at the Millennium Stadium. Wales won the game 54-9.

Although extra - and strengthened service always operate on days when Wales play international rugby in Cardiff, the numbers attending the two games held in the city over the weekend as part of the World Cup justified an even more intensive timetable on a number of routes. One such additional train was Cross Country's 1M65 1726 Cardiff Central to Manchester Piccadilly service, formed of a pair Class 221 Super Voyagers. Although Cross Country operates an hour service between Cardiff and Nottingham using Class 170 Turbostar DMUs, there is normally only one return Manchester working (Monday - Fridays only) which uses Voyager units, and this rarely comprises two units. First stop on the service was Gloucester, and the train via Chepstow and Lydney.