Passenger numbers on West Country trains up more than a quarter
Half-hourly trains to and from Temple Meads are encouraging people to travel more sustainably, says the West of England Mayor
Last updated 16th May 2024
Trains to and from Bristol Temple Meads have seen a rise in passenger numbers of 27 per cent over the last year.
In May 2023, the Mayoral Combined Authority, Great Western Railway (GWR) and Network Rail introduced half-hourly trains between Bristol and Gloucester and Bristol and Westbury, which have been used almost 3.5 million times since then.
Tom Pierpoint, GWR Business Development Portfolio Director, said: “It is fantastic to see how well these extra services are doing, helping people to make more sustainable transport choices across the West of England.
“The new services better connect people with jobs, students with education services, and leisure opportunities for all – providing valuable support for the community and local economies.”
Metro Mayor Dan Norris says he is ambitious to keep improving Bristol’s rail services in the future and calls growing passenger numbers his “biggest priority" in terms of building a sustainable region.
He said: "I’m pleased to see the uptake in these half-hourly services benefitting residents in Keynsham, Yate and elsewhere funded thanks to my multi-million-pound programme of rail improvements. That’s doing things like funding enhanced services, and building seven new stations in our region.”
Further plans in the £7 million-plus scheme include the opening of seven brand-new stations over the next five years and re-electrifying rail lines between Temple Meads and Parkway.
One of the new stations already opened in Portway last summer and with one in Ashley Down set to be put into service later this year, Daniel Round, Network Rail’s Industry Programme Director said: "It’s onwards and upwards from here, with the new Ashley Down station due to open later this year, and plenty more in the pipeline for the West of England. These are exciting times.”
The new services’ one year anniversary was celebrated at an event in Keynsham on Wednesday, 15 May.