The new Charfield Station in South Gloucestershire is taking shape, with many of the key features such as platforms and footbridge already in place.
The £41.7 million project is funded by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, through funding secured from the Government’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement.
The station will give residents of Charfield and surrounding areas access to rail services currently running through the village for the first time in more than 60 years. Train services, operated by GWR, will initially be every hour and will reach central Bristol in approximately 32 minutes, and Gloucester in just 22 minutes, cutting travel times.
As a result, access to jobs, further and higher education opportunities and days out will be within easier reach.
Station facilities will include a pedestrian footbridge incorporating lifts for accessibility, bus stop, cycle parking, and car parking facilities for those travelling from surrounding towns and villages.
Around 14,500 people live within three miles of the new station. When it opens it will provide convenient journeys by rail, will give people more sustainable travel choices, and help to counter congestion.
South Gloucestershire Council Cabinet Member for Planning, Regeneration, and Infrastructure, Councillor Chris Willmore, said: “It’s exciting to see the new station taking shape. The project is a key part of our strategic approach to improving transport links and choices for local people.
“This project is now well underway and we are pleased as a council, working with our partners, to be delivering this major investment in the future of Charfield and surrounding area.”
The Mayor of the West of England, Helen Godwin, said: “For the first time in more than 60 years, trains will soon be serving Charfield. This is such great news for the people who live here as well as for reducing congestion, pollution and boosting the economy.
“Charfield is one of five new stations we are already delivering across the West. We are investing funding that we have secured from the government to build a transport system that works for our region, including with more trains and better buses.”
Route Strategy Director for Network Rail and GWR, Jo Grew, said: “Following in the footsteps of Ashley Down station in Bristol, Charfield will reconnect this community to the rail network for the first time since 1965. This new station will transform how people travel locally, providing faster, greener and more reliable connections, supporting access to jobs and education, and helping to reduce congestion on local roads.
“This isn’t just trains and track – it is about reconnecting people to rail and providing a vital economic catalyst across the region. This project validates our belief that reliable rail services are essential for local and national growth.”
Charfield station is part of a wider £400 million rail investment plans in the West of England. Five new stations are set to be built over the coming years in the West: Charfield, Henbury, Bristol Brabazon in North Filton, Pill, and Portishead. These add to the two new stations opened in recent years: Portway Park & Ride and Ashley Down.
More information about the project is available on the council website at: www.southglos.gov.uk/CharfieldStation
