Work forging ahead in new £23m entrance to Temple Meads
Work is forging ahead on the new gateway to Bristol with the new ‘Eastern Entrance’ to Temple Meads beginning to take shape.
The build of the new entrance is part of the Bristol Temple Quarter programme, one of the largest and most ambitious regeneration programmes in Europe funded by £94.7m of government funding.
Since construction on the new station entrance began in early October, piling work into the ground next to Platform 15, which will eventually form the walls of the new underpass, has taken place.
Works to create a tunnel into the station which began this week, and will see around 250 cubic metres of material removed to form the light and airy subway in the improved Temple Meads station.
The £23m Eastern Entrance that’s set to welcome its first train travellers in late 2026 is the first major piece of infrastructure delivery under the ambitious Temple Quarter regeneration programmes, which is being administered by the Mayoral Combined Authority.
Over the next five to 10 years, the first phase of the programme will see three new entrances delivered to the east, south and north of the station, alongside new homes, jobs, and public spaces around the station.
Initial works to prepare for the delivery of the new entrance were carried out within the station in 2021, with £22m of funding by the Mayoral Combined Authority, to keep the programme on track before the government grant was secured.
Works are expected to finish in late October 2024, but the station entrance is not set to welcome its first passengers until September 2026 – to allow the development of the new University of Bristol Enterprise Campus to be completed and to then open at the same time.
Dan Norris, Metro Mayor, said: “I’m thrilled to see we are firmly on track to see this brand-new entrance at Brunel’s iconic station – a gateway in and out of this amazing city that’s worthy of the name. It’s really going to improve access for locals east of the city.
“It’s all part of one of the most exciting regeneration projects in Europe, a major investment in the present and future of Bristol, and our West of England region, which I’m proud is being administered by my Mayoral Combined Authority.
“Combine this with my multi-million-pound programme of region-wide rail improvements – think the opening of Portway Park and Ride this summer, 30-minute train journeys across our region to and from Temple Meads, and soon-to-be new stations at Henbury, North Filton and elsewhere – it’s clear we’re making getting around in the West easier than ever before.
“My Mayoral Combined Authority will continue to deliver at pace which we know is so vital. It’s what Bristolians, and everyone in our amazing region, expects and deserves.”
