Bristol upgrades – what we’ve achieved so far
We’ve been busy improving the railway in Bristol – and Bristol Temple Meads station – to give you better journeys.
It’s a big job, ranging from refurbishing the station’s roof to upgrading a major junction.
Here’s a rundown of what we’ve done to date …
Bristol East Junction upgrade
We completed an upgrade to Bristol East Junction (header image) in September 2021. It involved a clever new track layout and state-of-the-art signalling to give you a better travelling experience.
Our teams removed a bottleneck into Bristol Temple Meads and replaced 1960s track and components to allow more trains to travel in and out of the station.
This will mean more trains, more seats, less congestion and more reliable journeys.
In eight weeks, it required:
Video: the eastern entrance work during our Bristol East Junction blockade
- 50 engineering trains
- more than 5km of new track
- more than 300 track panels
- and about 26,000 tonnes of ballast – the stones that support the track.
Roof refurb
Our refurbishment of the historic roof at Bristol Temple Meads is well underway.
We’ve repainted and restored platform canopies and canopies on the station’s forecourt.
The train shed roof is the biggest job. We’ve been installing a huge scaffolding structure since before Christmas so we can start grit blasting the roof before repairing, repainting and re-glazing it:
Eastern entrance
We improved the eastern entrance to Bristol Temple Meads to make it bigger, with funding from West of England Combined Authority.
It’s involved installing a concrete deck to form the ceiling of a new extension to the passenger subway. We’ve also poured in concrete to add strength:
And coming up …
This autumn, we’re giving the entire station an electrical overhaul. This will make it more energy efficient and give you better customer information in areas like the platforms.
Click here for more information about big improvements.
Read more:
Bristol Rail Regeneration frequently asked questions
Britain’s biggest ever signalling upgrade – five things we’ve delivered for Bristol