Redland train station is a local station on the Severn Beach Line, between Montpelier and Clifton Down. On Thursday 10th June, FoSBR’s Carol Durrant and Tony Lloyd met local Councillor Martin Fodor. They looked around Redland station and discussed opportunities for improvement.
Opportunities for improvement
There are several ways that Redland station could be improved:
- There is a lack of signage. Redland train station is not very visible to people walking along South Road, for example.
- Bushes at the station entrance are overgrown.
- Painted on the tarmac across the station entrance is a large “PRIVATE” sign. This actually refers to the the garages by the station, but it is rather off-putting – especially for people with hidden disabilities such as Autism Spectrum Disorder.
- Much of the station building is covered in graffiti tags, creating a negative impression.
- The access path is poorly lit. FoSBR correspondents have been complaining about this for years.
- There are too few cycle parking places, and what there is is poorly located.
- There is a general air of neglect. The station canopy, for example, badly needs a coat of paint.
Cllr Fodor has promised to raise the Redland issues with the station manager, so we are waiting to see what can be done.
Every 15 minutes
We also updated Cllr Fodor on wider FoSBR campaign aims, such as our goal of a fifteen minute frequency on the Severn Beach Line. WECA currently propose (as a longer term ambition) to re-double the line from Narroways Junction to Montpelier to allow a 20-minute service to Avonmouth. FoSBR want to see the line re-doubled from Narroways to Clifton Down, which would to allow a 15-minute frequency and better reliability. Re-doubling would require platform changes at Montpelier and Redland, so we peered at the remains of the old westbound platform on the Cotham Gardens side of the line.
Another FoSBR campaign is to make local railway stations better interchanges with active travel modes and bus services that reach across the city. There is a Voi scooter parking zone on the corner of Redland Grove and South Road, and local bus stops are placed reasonably close to the station entrance.
Many thanks to Cllr Fodor for taking the time to meet us.
