Construction of a new train station at Charfield in South Gloucestershire will shortly get underway, following project approval and the release of £39.5 million of funding from the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority to the council.
Due to be completed by Spring 2027, it will be served by hourly trains in both directions, meaning local people can travel to the heart of Bristol in 32 minutes, stations in north Bristol in 18 minutes and to Gloucester in just 22 minutes.
Located in the centre of Charfield, it will be within easy walking and cycling distance for many residents, thanks to infrastructure improvements that will make access to the station easier. Facilities will include a pedestrian footbridge, bus stop, cycle parking and car parking facilities for those travelling from surrounding towns and villages.
Charfield and the surrounding area has not been well served by public transport for many years, with trains last stopping at the old station in 1965. Over time, as more people have relied on cars for work, education and leisure travel, Charfield has experienced increased levels of through-traffic and localised congestion.
The new station will serve a local population of around 14,500 people living within three miles. Opening the station provides an opportunity to make best use of local rail services, and will give more sustainable travel choices to local people to connect with local centres including Bristol, Yate and Gloucester.
By giving more people the chance to travel by train and reduce car journeys, it will help lower harmful emissions associated with transport. The new station will also help to mitigate some of the transport impacts of new homes being built in the area.
South Gloucestershire Council Cabinet Member for Planning, Regeneration, and Infrastructure, Councillor Chris Willmore, said: “The new station at Charfield will help local people connect without as much need to rely on their cars. It will improve the local and regional road network and give people the option of fast, clean travel to the heart of neighbouring towns and cities for work, education and leisure.
“We know this project has been a long time coming, and there will inevitably be some disruption while the work is carried out, but it’s an investment for the future of the village and the surrounding area and we are so pleased to be getting on with delivering the infrastructure that people need.”
The Mayor of the West of England, Helen Godwin, said: “Charfield station is one of five new train stations being built in the West over the next few years. Local people in and around Charfield will see and feel the difference, with new travel options thanks to regional investment with the support of local and national partners.
“But our ambition goes further. Delivering projects like Charfield station lays the foundations for a better transport system overall for the West of England, building the kind of regional railway network that other places take for granted.
“In the government’s recent Spending Review, we secured £752 million for that next stage. That means that the West can get out of the slow lane on transport and start to catch up with other city-regions, with better buses, more trains, and mass transit – with trams and much more on the table.”
The scheme is funded by the UK government through its City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement, secured by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority. The funding can only be used as capital funding for the delivery of sustainable transport infrastructure. The funding cannot be used for day-to-day (revenue) funding for other services, including bus services or any wider uses such as social care, education or health.
More information about the project is available on the council website at: www.southglos.gov.uk/CharfieldStation
Local people are also being invited to attend a drop-in event about the construction of the project, which will take place after the school summer holidays to enable as many as possible to attend.
The drop-in event will take place at Charfield Village Hall, Wotton Road, Charfield, GL12 8TG on Thursday 18 September between 3pm and 7pm.
Representatives from the project team, including Network Rail, Octavius (Network Rail’s lead contractor) and South Gloucestershire Council, will be available to discuss the construction phase and respond to any questions.
