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Zonal fares
Bus and train fares around Bristol and Bath need sorting out. Fares on Severn Beach line are cheaper than other local journeys. Bus fares are, for now, capped. But some local train journeys have much higher fares. We think a system of zonal fares would be fairer, and would encourage more people to use trains…
New station at Ashley Down
We have a new station at Ashley Down! The station opened for fare-paying passengers on Saturday 28th September 2024. This station, built at a cost of around £12 million, is the second to open as part of the MetroWest programme. First train The first train left Bristol Temple Meads at 07.25, where the ticket office…
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Portishead Railway needs your support
The Portishead Railway offers shovel-ready mass transit for a town that desperately needs it. But with the stopping of ‘Restoring Your Railway’ funds, the project is once again in the balance. The Portishead Railway needs your support now more than ever. Portishead is an essential part of MetroWest, the plan to open up existing railway…
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Penalty Fares on the Severn Beach Line
The Severn Beach Line was for decades a ‘buy on board’ route, where passengers did not need to buy a ticket before getting on their train. This has changed. Passengers boarding without tickets could now get £100 penalty fares. We think GWR should do more to make sure infrequent travellers understand this. Revenue Protection Bristol…
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Midland Rooms at Temple Meads Old Station
Network Rail have announced plans to refurbish a range of empty and derelict rooms in the old ‘Midland Shed’ at Bristol Temple Meads Station. Plans for the Midland Rooms include new toilet facilities and spaces suitable for a cafe, convenience store and a home and lifestyle or gift shop. Temple Meads currently lacks good places…
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Bristol Rail Campaign (FoSBR) AGM 2024: Report
Bristol Rail Campaign (FoSBR) held its Annual General Meeting at Redland Quaker Meeting House on Friday, 8th March 2024. This is a brief report. We will make the formal minutes of the AGM available shortly. Chair’s welcome Unfortunately Rob was not in the room due to being stricken with flu but he was able to…
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Bristol Rail Campaign Tee Shirts
FoSBR Bristol Rail Campaign Tee Shirts are now available! Help spread the word about our work, and let people know that you support our campaign for better trains to more places more often! Beast Our tee shirts are hand printed on good quality Gildan Ultra Cotton by local tee shirt suppliers Beast. The design features…
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FoSBR AGM 2024
FoSBR Bristol Rail Campaign will be holding our Annual General Meeting on Friday, 8th March 2024. The venue for this year’s AGM is: Redland Quaker Meeting House, 126 Hampton Road, Bristol, BS6 6JE. The AGM will start at 7.15pm and end at 9.15pm. The hall will be open from 7.00pm. We will be discussing why we now campaign as…
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WECA’s Rail Plans
There have been several reports in the press in recent weeks about WECA’s plans to improve rail services around Bristol and Bath. Rail magazine reported on plans to electrify trains between Bristol Parkway and Bristol Temple Meads, while Bristol Live ran stories about potential new stations and more frequent services. These reports follow WECA’s approval…
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Tram-trains: Connecting Central Bristol
Bristol Rail Campaign welcomes the news that the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority has received £200 million of funding to develop mass transit for the region. We hope they will recognise that tram-trains could transform Bristol and Bath’s rail network. We strongly believe that a central loop in Bristol could change the existing suburban…
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Bristol Rail Campaign AGM 2025
Bristol Rail Campaign (FoSBR) will be holding our Annual General Meeting on Friday, 24th January 2025. The venue for this year’s AGM is: UHBW Education and Research Centre (opposite Bristol Royal Infirmary), Upper Maudlin St, Bristol BS2 8AE. The AGM will start at 7.15pm and end at 9.15pm. The venue will be open from 6.45pm. Please try to arrive…
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Battery powered trains
Battery powered trains could allow electrification on some parts of the network where overhead 25kV power is hard to achieve. GWR and Network Rail are testing this technology on a branch line near London. They invited us to see the results. The problem Much of GWR’s network is served by old diesel trains which will…
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Rail passenger numbers 2024
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has published its official rail passenger numbers for the year 2023/24. They show that many local stations are now used by more people than before COVID-19. Across the UK, there has been an overall rise in passenger journeys of 16%. In our area, the biggest stations (Bristol Temple Meads,…
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Zonal fares
Bus and train fares around Bristol and Bath need sorting out. Fares on Severn Beach line are cheaper than other local journeys. Bus fares are, for now, capped. But some local train journeys have much higher fares. We think a system of zonal fares would be fairer, and would encourage more people to use trains…
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