Let’s get on track! Calls for more frequent service as stations open

TWO new train stations will open in the next few years in Bristol but services will only run once every hour.

- Alex Seabrook reports

How North Filton train station, next to the new arena, would look

(Image: Network Rail/YTI)

A station opened last year at Ashley Down but services also run once an hour, so if you miss your train then it might be quicker to walk to Temple Meads than wait for the next one.

Earlier this month planning permission was approved for the new Henbury train station, which is due to open in 2028. Another station is planned for North Filton, next to the new YTL Arena, and this is due to open either next year or 2027. Trains might run half-hourly for events at the arena.

Services along the Henbury line will eventually stop at Henbury, North Filton, Filton Abbey Wood, Ashley Down, Stapleton Road, Lawrence Hill and Temple Meads.

Bristol's leading politicians hope the investment will tempt commuters away from cars and ease congestion. However the crucial difference between driving and catching a train from one of these new stations is you don't have to wait an hour between every service - you can set off when you like.

So with many millions of pounds spent on improving trains, why are they so infrequent?