# Rail services in the West of England

Rail services in the West of England refer to passenger rail journeys made in the Bristol commuter area. 17 million passenger rail journeys were made in 2019-20 within the Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Bristol/Bath region.
vteRailways in the Bristol area :
Legend :

## Services in the West of England
### CrossCountry (XC)

* Bristol Temple Meads - Manchester Piccadilly (Extensions to Paignton)
* Plymouth - Edinburgh Waverley (Extensions to Glasgow and Aberdeen)

### Great Western Railway (GWR)

* South West/Bristol Temple Meads - London Paddington (via Bath Spa)
* Swansea/Cardiff - London Paddington (via Bristol Parkway)
* Bristol Parkway - Weston-super-Mare
* Great Malvern/Gloucester - Westbury/Weymouth
* Cardiff Central - Portsmouth Harbour
* Cardiff Central - Taunton
* Bristol Temple Meads - Avonmouth/Severn Beach

### South Western Railway (SWR)

* Yeovil Junction/Frome - Salisbury/London Waterloo

## Main destinations

There is usually a direct weekday service from Bristol Parkway & Bristol Temple Meads to these destinations:
| Destination | Time from Bristol Temple Meads | Time from Bristol Parkway | Operator(s) |
| Avonmouth | 23 – 35 minutes | N/A | GWR |
| Bath Spa | 11 – 19 minutes | 28 – 47 minutes | GWR |
| Bristol Parkway | 8 – 21 minutes | N/A | CrossCountry / GWR |
| Bristol Temple Meads | N/A | 9 – 20 minutes | CrossCountry / GWR |
| Birmingham New Street | 83 – 122 minutes | 71 – 93 minutes | CrossCountry |
| Cardiff Central | 47 – 63 minutes | 35 – 66 minutes | CrossCountry / GWR |
| Cheltenham Spa | 38 – 68 minutes | 29 – 57 minutes | CrossCountry / GWR |
| Edinburgh Waverley | 393 – 399 minutes | | CrossCountry |
| Exeter St Davids | 56 – 112 minutes | 69–109 minutes | CrossCountry / GWR |
| Glasgow Central | 461 – 471 minutes | 456–464 minutes | CrossCountry |
| Gloucester | 38 – 57 minutes | 26–44 minutes | CrossCountry / GWR |
| Leeds | 210 – 217 minutes | 202–215 minutes | CrossCountry |
| London Paddington | 97 – 152 minutes | 83–106 minutes | GWR |
| Manchester Piccadilly | 179 – 180 minutes | 168–169 minutes | CrossCountry |
| Newcastle | 299 – 303 minutes | 289 - 293 minutes | CrossCountry |
| Newport | 30 – 47 minutes | 21–23 minutes | GWR |
| Paignton | 97 – 145 minutes | 118 minutes | CrossCountry / GWR |
| Penzance | 236 – 292 minutes | | CrossCountry / GWR |
| Plymouth | 114 – 167 minutes | | CrossCountry / GWR |
| Portsmouth Harbour | 146 – 164 minutes | N/A | GWR |
| Reading | 68 – 123 minutes | 59 minutes | GWR |
| Salisbury | 68 – 86 minutes | | GWR |
| Severn Beach | 33 – 38 minutes | N/A | GWR |
| Sheffield | 167 – 172 minutes | 159 minutes | CrossCountry |
| Southampton Central | 99 – 116 minutes | | GWR |
| Swansea | | 80 - 85 minutes | GWR |
| Swindon | 35 – 50 minutes | 28 minutes | GWR |
| Taunton | 30 – 75 minutes | 42–49 minutes | CrossCountry / GWR |
| Westbury | 37 – 50 minutes | 68–75 minutes | GWR |
| Weston-super-Mare | 17 – 39 minutes | 47 minutes | CrossCountry / GWR |
| Weymouth | 141 – 148 minutes | 167–170 minutes | GWR |
| Worcester Shrub Hill | 90 – 102 minutes | 82–84 minutes | GWR |
| York | 240 – 243 minutes | | CrossCountry |

## Stations
### Current stations

| Station | Line(s) | Platforms | Usage 08/09 | Usage 09/10 | Usage 10/11 | Usage 11/12 | Usage 12/13 | Usage 13/14 | Usage 14/15 | Usage 15/16 |
| Avonmouth | Severn Beach | 2 | 61,948 | 68,448 | 83,674 | 88,642 | 97,880 | 111,440 | 119,924 | 129,860 |
| Bedminster | Bristol to Exeter | 3 | 58,690 | 69,898 | 70,006 | 76,420 | 80,262 | 83,242 | 87,542 | 92,868 |
| Bristol Parkway | Cross Country South Wales | 4 | 2,084,200 | 2,041,548 | 2,114,876 | 2,262,000 | 2,255,298 | 2,215,810 | 2,340,506 | 2,511,016 |
| Bristol Temple Meads | Bristol to Exeter Cross Country Great Western Heart of Wessex Severn Beach Wessex | 13 | 7,829,628 | 7,875,686 | 8,409,340 | 8,884,626 | 9,099,368 | 9,522,840 | 10,099,526 | 10,711,464 |
| Clifton Down | Severn Beach | 2 | 281,876 | 361,828 | 433,088 | 470,980 | 522,010 | 573,770 | 619,766 | 672,386 |
| Filton Abbey Wood | Cross Country | 4 | 536,958 | 598,032 | 679,270 | 771,344 | 852,250 | 988,734 | 1,007,780 | 1,021,550 |
| Keynsham | Great Western Heart of Wessex Wessex | 2 | | 249,842 | 278,850 | 306,276 | 329,274 | 358,186 | 412,602 | 424,032 |
| Lawrence Hill | Cross Country Severn Beach | 2 | 67,338 | 74,876 | 93,600 | 102,964 | 124,878 | 136,316 | 150,774 | 157,912 |
| Montpelier | Severn Beach Line | 1 | 84,834 | 96,114 | | 122,212 | 126,316 | 121,294 | 130,560 | 122,146 |
| Nailsea & Backwell | Bristol to Exeter | 2 | | | | | | | 450,510 | 476,618 |
| Parson Street | Bristol to Exeter | 2 | 46,670 | 57,374 | 68,840 | 77,720 | 87,932 | 102,654 | 114,458 | 126,636 |
| Patchway | South Wales Main Line | 2 | 45,280 | 49,812 | 59,474 | 67,422 | 82,198 | 90,404 | 92,540 | 98,296 |
| Pilning | South Wales Main Line | 1 | 130 | 166 | 178 | 146 | 130 | 88 | 68 | 46 |
| Portway Park & Ride | Severn Beach Line | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| Redland | Severn Beach Line | 1 | 86,234 | 86,426 | 92,966 | 96,904 | 94,984 | 93,176 | 105,610 | 99,732 |
| Sea Mills | Severn Beach Line | 1 | 36,358 | 41,680 | 49,082 | 51,998 | 58,310 | 58,106 | 64,512 | 61,696 |
| Severn Beach | Severn Beach Line | 1 | 74,712 | 88,504 | | 141,712 | 167,078 | 195,824 | 225,658 | 260,784 |
| Shirehampton | Severn Beach Line | 1 | 34,292 | 35,758 | 42,566 | 43,480 | 50,564 | 51,542 | 52,480 | 56,756 |
| St Andrews Road | Severn Beach Line | 1 | 3,582 | 3,942 | 4,328 | 6,072 | 9,910 | 13,376 | 11,184 | 7,374 |
| Stapleton Road | Cross Country Route Severn Beach Line | 2 | 103,576 | 111,532 | | 129,344 | 140,390 | 157,294 | 178,114 | 179,872 |
| Yate | Cross Country Route | 2 | | | | 294,934 | 307,148 | 328,832 | 354,004 | 368,910 |

### Heritage stations

This is a list of stations currently open on heritage lines.
| Station | Line | Platforms | Year Closed | Year Reopened |
| Avon Riverside | Avon Valley Railway | 1 | N/A | 2004 |
| Bitton | Avon Valley Railway | 2 | 1966 | 1972 |
| Oldland Common | Avon Valley Railway | 1 | 1966 | 1991 |

### Proposed stations

This is a list of proposed railway stations in the West of England. (This list includes some former stations)
| Station | Line | Platforms | Year closed | Current status |
| Ashley Down | Cross Country Route | 2 | 1964 (as Ashley Hill) | Opened on the 28th September 2024 |
| Ashton Gate | Portishead Railway | 1 | 1964/1984 | Proposed to reopen |
| Charfield | Cross Country | 2 | 1965 | Proposed to reopen |
| Chittening Platform | Henbury Loop | 1 | 1964 | Proposed to reopen |
| Long Ashton | Bristol to Exeter | 2 | 1941 | Proposed to reopen |
| Henbury | Henbury Loop | 2 | 1965 | Proposed to reopen |
| Horfield | Cross Country Route | 2 | 1964 | Proposed to reopen |
| North Filton | Henbury Loop | 1 | 1986 | Planning application |
| Pill | Portishead Railway | 2 | 1964 | Proposed to reopen |
| Portishead | Portishead Railway | 2 | 1964 | Proposed to reopen |
| Saltford | Great Western Main Line | 2 | 1970 | Proposed to reopen |
| St Anne's Park | Great Western Main Line | 2 | 1970 | Proposed to reopen |

### Former stations

This is a list of former stations in the West of England area.
| Station | Line | Platforms | Year Closed |
| Avonmouth (BPRP) | Severn Beach Line | | |
| Avonmouth Docks | Severn Beach Line | | |
| Avonmouth (Royal Edward) | Severn Beach Line | | |
| Brislington | Bristol and North Somerset Railway | 1 | 1963 |
| Charlton Halt | Henbury Loop | 2 | 1915 |
| Clifton Bridge | Portishead Branch | 2 | 1965 |
| Coalpit Heath | South Wales Main Line Cross Country Route | 2 | 1961 |
| Cross Hands Halt | Severn Beach Line | 1 | 1964 |
| Filton | Cross Country Route | | 1903 |
| Filton Junction | Cross Country Route | | 1996 |
| Fishponds | Bristol and Gloucester Railway | 2 | 1966 |
| Hallen | Henbury Loop | 2 | 1918 |
| Ham Green | Portishead Branch | 1 | 1964 |
| Horfield | Cross Country Route | 2 | 1964 |
| Hotwells | Bristol Port Railway and Pier | 2 | 1921 |
| Hotwells Halt | Bristol Port Railway and Pier | 1 | 1922 |
| Kelston | Mangotsfield Branch Line | 2 | 1949 |
| Mangotsfield | Mangotsfield and Bath Branch Line Bristol and Gloucester Railway | 6 | 1966 |
| New Passage Halt | Severn Beach Line | 1 | 1964 |
| New Passage Pier | Severn Beach Line | | 1886 |
| Nightingale Valley Halt | Portishead Railway | 1 | 1932 |
| Portbury | Portishead Branch | 1 | 1962 |
| St Philip's | Bristol and Gloucester Railway | 1 | 1967 |
| Staple Hill | Bristol and Gloucester Railway | 2 | 1966 |
| Thornbury | Thornbury Branch | 1 | 1944 |
| Warmley | Mangotsfield and Bath Branch Line | 2 | 1966 |
| Wickwar | Cross Country | 2 | 1965 |
| Winterbourne | Cross Country South Wales | 2 | 1963 |
| Whitchurch Halt | Bristol and North Somerset Railway | 1 | 1959 |

## Railway lines

There are six railway lines running through Bristol.

### Bristol to Exeter line

The Bristol to Exeter line runs between Bristol and Exeter via the Nailsea, Weston-super-Mare, Bridgwater and Taunton. It is served by local First Great Western services, and used by Cross-Country and Intercity trains headed towards Plymouth.

### Cross-Country Route

The North-East/South-West route (sometimes simply The Cross-Country Route) is the major British rail route running from South West England or Cardiff via Bristol, Birmingham, Derby and Sheffield to North-East England and Scotland. It includes some of the longest inter-city rail journeys in the UK, e.g. Penzance to Aberdeen. It remains a major freight route, although now largely usurped by the M5, M6 and M1 motorways.
The route shares parts of the Great Western Main Line, Midland Main Line, Sheffield to Hull Line, the East Coast Main Line and the core Cardiff-Bristol-Birmingham-Derby route.
In November 2018 tracks were doubled from Bristol Temple Meads through Lawrence Hill to Filton Abbey Wood stations to increase capacity, back to the original four tracks.

### Great Western Main Line

The Great Western Main Line is a main line railway in England that runs westwards from London Paddington station to Temple Meads station in Bristol.

### Severn Beach Line

The route runs from Bristol Temple Meads to Severn Beach via Lawrence Hill, Stapleton Road, Montpelier, Redland, Clifton Down, Sea Mills, Shirehampton, Avonmouth, St Andrews Road before reaching terminus at Severn Beach. The journey takes approximately 45 minutes.
Following a successful campaign by FOSBR (Friends of Suburban Bristol Railway), the Severn Beach Line is going to have an increased frequency from December 2007 to March 2010. It is hoped this will pave the way for better services across the conurbation. An additional train will operate on the line meaning services should be at the least every 40 mins.

### South Wales Main Line

The South Wales Main Line is a branch of the Great Western Main Line. It diverges from the main line at Wootton Bassett near Swindon, first calling at Bristol Parkway, after which the line continues through the Severn Tunnel into South Wales.

### Wessex Main Line

The Wessex Main Line is the railway line from Bristol Temple Meads to Southampton. Diverging from this route is the Heart of Wessex Line from Westbury to Weymouth.

### Proposed light rail or rapid transit

In November 2016, the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership began a consultation process on their Transport Vision Summary Document, outlining potential light rail/tram routes from the city centre to Bristol Airport, the eastern and north west fringes of the city, and a route along the A4 road to Bath. By 2017, this proposal had changed to a mass transit network with potential for underground sections, linking the city centre with the northern and eastern fringes of the city and the airport.

## Train operators
### Current train operators

| Operator | Years | Image | Major services |
| CrossCountry | 2007–2019 | | Bristol to Manchester Piccadilly Plymouth and the south west to Newcastle and Scotland |
| Great Western Railway (GWR) | 1996–2020 | | London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads London Paddington to Cardiff Central and Swansea via Bristol Parkway Cardiff Central to Taunton Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour Bristol Parkway to Weston-super-Mare Bristol Temple Meads to Avonmouth and Severn Beach Gloucester to Weymouth |

### Former train operators

| Operator | Years | Services |
| Post-nationalisation ||||
| British Rail | 1948–1986 | All services |
| Post-sectorisation ||||
| InterCity | 1986–1996 | London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads London Paddington to Cardiff Central and Swansea via Bristol Parkway Plymouth and the south west to the north and Scotland |
| Regional Railways | 1986–1996 | All non-InterCity services |
| Post-privatisation ||||
| South West Trains | 2004–2017 | Bristol Temple Meads to London Waterloo via Salisbury from 2004 |
| South Western Railway (SWR) | 2017-2021 | Bristol Temple Meads to London Waterloo via Salisbury |
| Virgin CrossCountry | 1997–2007 | Bristol to Manchester Piccadilly Plymouth and the south west to Newcastle and Scotland |
| Wales & Borders | 2001–2003 | |
| Wales & West | 1997–2001 | |
| Wessex Trains | 2001–2006 | All local and non-express inter-city services. |
There have also been a number of other companies pre-nationalisation, including:
* Great Western Railway
* Midland Railway
* Bristol and Gloucester Railway
* Birmingham and Bristol Railway
* Bristol Port Railway and Pier
* Bristol and North Somerset Railway
* Portishead Railway

### MetroWest

MetroWest is a current initiative in the West of England area to improve local rail services by reopening disused rail lines and stations and improving existing services. Phase One includes reopening the Portishead railway line to passenger traffic and improving services to the Severn Beach Line and Bath Spa. Phase Two will see the Henbury railway line reopen, along with half-hourly services between Weston-super-Mare and Yate. The phases are due to open in 2019 and 2021 respectively.
The West of England Local Enterprise Partnership also produced a Key Principles Report in November 2015 discussing future potential transport projects for the West of England region, including new rail transit based options referred to as MetroWest++. The options outlined include reopening the Thornbury Branch Line, a Yate to Bath route, the use of tram train technology, a link to the city centre and a connection to Bristol Airport.