When you visit Bristol, one of the best places to get around is by train. There are several train stations that serve the city, including Bristol Airport Flyer and Temple Meads. In addition, you can also take the Bristol and Exeter Railway (B&ER) and the Midland Railway (MR). Read on to find out how to get to Bristol by train.
Temple Meads
There are 13 platforms at Temple Meads station in Bristol. However, two platforms are no longer in use. The remaining platforms run from 1 to 15. From here, you can walk into the city centre for about 15 to 20 minutes. The station is owned by Network Rail.
Temple Meads is one of Bristol’s main train stations, and it is one of the most important transport hubs. It was built in the 1840s as the western terminus of the Great Western Railway from London Paddington. It was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and has a Victorian entrance designed by Francis Fox. The station offers direct trains to London Paddington, as well as local services to Bath Spa and Cardiff. It also has wheelchair access and bicycle storage.
Temple Meads is a major transport hub for the South West. The station connects to London every hour. Its architecture is similar to London’s Paddington station and features gigantic arched roofs. There is a WHSmith newsagent on site, and there are many food and drink outlets. You can also catch a bus to the city centre from the station.
Bristol Airport Flyer
Bristol Airport is located just seven nautical miles from the center of Bristol and serves as a gateway to South West England. From the airport, you can easily get to South Wales, Cardiff, Devon, Somerset, and Dorset. Despite the small size, this airport serves over five million passengers each year and sees over 90 destinations on a regular basis.
The A1 Airport Flyer is a commercial service paid for by the airport. It is not designed to make up for shortcomings in public transport in Bristol. Its main competitor, the No 52 bus operated by Bristol Community Transport, has poor service, and runs only five times a day during the working day. It also doesn’t operate at night or on weekends. As a result, the Bristol Airport Flyer has become a lifeline for many people without the means to pay for private transport.
However, Bristol Airport is not the only company that has a problem with the A1 Airport Flyer. A recent decision to scrap the service for Diamond Card holders was not welcomed by passengers. Bristol City Council has negotiated an agreement with the airport managers to maintain the service. However, the airport needs to increase the spare capacity on its route, so it will no longer accept local authority concessions cards on Sundays. The decision has caused outrage and Cllr Eddy is trying to secure the support of the West of England Combined Authority to ensure the service remains.
The Bristol Airport Flyer is a convenient and cheap way to travel to and from the airport. It operates every 20-30 minutes and picks passengers up from Clifton, Triangle, Marlborough St, and the Bristol Airport. The coaches are usually fairly clean and modern, and drivers are very friendly.
Bristol and Exeter Railway (B&ER)
The Bristol and Exeter Railway (B&ER) is a historic line that connects the cities of Bristol and Exeter. The railway was authorized by an Act of Parliament in 1836, and its founder was Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Brunel worked with the Great Western Railway to build the London to Bristol line using a broad gauge of seven feet, four inches. The first section reached Taunton in 1842, and the line was extended to Exeter in 1844. The Bristol and Exeter Railway also obtained an Act of Parliament for a branch line from Durston junction to Yeovil, which ended at Hendford.
The B&ER was not only the first railway in the British Isles, but it also served as a prototype for many future railways. The B&ER was originally intended to connect the cities of Bristol and Exeter with the Great Western Railway. The route was originally 75 1/2 miles long and double-tracked. The railway was designed by Brunel, but the Act did not specify the gauge. Brunel’s broad gauge was chosen after a route survey he did.
The B&ER opened its own station in 1845, and added an express platform in 1852. The station was wooden, and locally known as “The Cowshed.” In 1852-54, the B&ER built a grand headquarters for the railway. The B&ER later branched out to the west, and the Bristol and Portishead Pier and Railway opened in 1867.
Midland Railway (MR)
Bristol is home to several railway stations. The city’s main train station, Bristol Temple Meads, is one of these. It is a major transport hub and is managed by the Network Rail. Many railway companies provide services through Bristol Temple Meads. Great Western Railway, CrossCountry, South Western Railway, and Bristol & Bath Railway all operate trains at this station. As of the 2010s, Bristol Temple Meads handled almost nine million passengers a year.
The Bristol and Gloucester Railway opened in 1844 and operated services between Bristol and Gloucester. It operated broad gauge trains and standard gauge passenger trains. In 1845, the Midland Railway purchased the line and the Gloucester and Stonehouse Junction Railway. These lines were laid along side the GWR. The GWR continued to operate broad gauge trains between Gloucester and Standish, while the Midland Railway operated standard gauge trains. The new company also upgraded the station at Tramway Junction.
The main station in Bristol is shared with the Great Western Railway (GWR). The railway company’s main station is Temple Meads. It is also the main terminus for West of England branch trains, carrying important cross-country services. A station is not complete without a connecting train, and Bristol’s main train station is no exception.
Bristol has a long history of railway connection. The Bristol and Gloucester railway was founded in 1828. The Bristol and Gloucester line was a trunk railway, but in the following years, additional branch lines were built. By 1838, the Bristol and Gloucester line and the Bristol and Gloucestershire line connected with one another.
Brunel’s station
There are three platforms at Brunel’s station: Platform 3 serves many northbound CrossCountry trains, local services to Bristol Parkway, and Severn Beach Line trains. Platform 1 handles any four-car Diesel Multiple Unit. The Brunel’s station is a Grade I listed building.
Brunel’s station is one of the earliest surviving railway termini in the world. Its 72ft-wide, gothic timber roof is Grade I listed and a great tribute to Brunel and Victorian engineering. There is no longer a train stopping in the station, but visitors can still see the original station.
Bristol’s main train station is designed by British engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. He was commissioned to design the Bristol and South Wales Union Railway, which opened to the public on 25 August 1863. The railway was built by Brunel and set new standards for train travel.
Temple Meads is a major transport hub in the South West. Direct trains run from Temple Meads to many UK cities, as well as to Wales and Scotland. It is also located near the Bristol Airport and the M5/A4 Portway. The station is 15 minutes’ walk away from the City Centre. There are taxis and buses available at the station’s forecourt.
Besides being the main train station, Brunel’s station is also home to the Floating Harbour. The Harbour Railway, operated by three railways, spanned the river between the station and the goods yard. The goods shed had a small dock for transshipping goods. Originally, barges were used to transfer goods, but they weren’t seagoing vessels. For this reason, the goods had to be lowered 12 feet (4 m) into the goods shed.
Ashley Down Rail Station
Ashley Down rail station is in the north of Bristol and was previously called Ashley Hill. The station served the Ashley Down area, Severn Beach, Avonmouth, and Swindon. The station closed in 2005. The town of Ashley Down is now a popular residential area, with several major train stations nearby.
The station will replace the old Ashley Hill Station and will be accessible to residents in the surrounding area. It will be located on Concorde Way, where Station Road and Ashley Down meet. The station will also include an accessible parking lot. The new station will also feature enhanced planting and a ‘hop on’ point for cyclists.
The new station is part of a scheme by the West of England Combined Authority. It will provide easier access to local college campuses and the County Ground, the home of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club. It will also reopen the Henbury Spur. The scheme will cost an estimated £50 million.
The city’s rail network has been undergoing a transformation. As part of the MetroWest project, the old railway line will be reopened and new stations will be built. However, there has been some delay in the project. Initially, the project was due to open in April 2021, with the first trains due in 2024. In November, North Somerset council submitted its development consent order for the first phase of the station.
