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Monday 11 Jan 2021

Passengers thanked for their patience as festive upgrades completed

Region & Route:

Wales & Western

| Wales & Western: Western

Network Rail has thanked passengers for their patience during the festive period after they today (11 January) reopened all platforms at Bristol Temple Meads station following a series of improvements to the railway across the city.

The work is part of the Bristol Rail Regeneration project, which will transform rail travel by upgrading Temple Meads, improving the reliability of journeys and allowing more trains to run in the future.

The festive programme of improvements across Bristol, which ran from Christmas Day to 11 January,  included just north of Temple Meads, where new track has been laid and a new signal gantry installed as part of a new track layout, which will reduce delays and allow more trains to run in the area.

Meanwhile at the station itself, scaffolding has begun being erected in preparation for the £24m refurbishment of the Victorian station roof which, once finished, will provide a lighter, brighter and more welcoming environment for passengers in Bristol.

The installation of the scaffolding towers will continue on Saturday nights throughout this year and once complete, will support a huge safety screen that will protect staff and passengers while the work is carried out overhead.

Completing this preparatory work now means this summer’s scheduled work to change the layout of the track at Bristol East junction, will be completed quicker and cause less disruption to passengers.

Mike Gallop, Network Rail’s Wales & Western interim managing director, said: “I would like to thank passengers for their patience whilst we have completed these vital improvements over the festive period which will result in fewer delays, more reliable journeys and the ability to run more trains in the future.”

“We planned these engineering works over Christmas to minimise disruption for passengers as it is when fewer people travel.

“It is great to see the progress that has been made in Bristol, including in Bristol Temple Meads station itself, and encouraging to know that completing this preparation work now will mean the period of work in the summer will be quicker and therefore less disruptive to our passengers.”

Tim Bowles, West of England Mayor, commented: “Excellent progress is being made with our plans to revolutionise rail travel in our region and get us moving. These works are a big part of that plan, from signalling so that more trains can use routes to making Temple Meads a fitting and welcome hub for our region.

“Alongside the Combined Authority’s significant investment in cycling, walking, e-scooters and bus routes, rail improvements like this will give us the sort of sustainable transport network we need so that people can get to their job, to school or enjoy their leisure time with a practical alternative to using the car. I’m very grateful to Network Rail for being such a willing and accommodating partner in delivering these plans in the West of England.”

For more information and to keep up to date with the latest developments as part of the Bristol Rail Regeneration project, please visit https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/our-routes/western/bristol-rail-regeneration/