KEYNSHAM train passengers are benefiting from more frequent services to and from Bristol Temple Meads, thanks to a £7 million-plus investment from Metro Mayor Dan Norris’s West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.
Since May 22, more trains have been running from Temple Meads to Westbury and Gloucester, benefiting those in Keynsham, Yate and other West of England communities.
Trains between Bristol and Gloucester now run every 30 minutes – departing from Temple Meads and calling at Filton Abbey Wood, Bristol Parkway, Yate and then on to Gloucester.
Meanwhile, people living between Bristol and Westbury, get three trains an hour running for most of the day. Departing from Temple Meads, the trains call at Keynsham, Oldfield Park, Bath Spa, Freshford (hourly) and then on to stops between Avoncliff and Westbury.
The Gloucester services also extend to Worcester once an hour and the Bristol to Westbury services include more trains to Salisbury and then on to Southampton – improving West of England connections with neighbouring regions.
The new services are being delivered in partnership with Great Western Railway and Network Rail.
Metro Mayor Dan Norris – pictured at Keynsham station – said: “Improving public transport is so, so important to help people get from A to B in the West of England, and to better connect our amazing region. And it’s vitally important if we’re going to meet our ambitious West of England net-zero-by-2030 target.”
Tom Pierpoint, GWR’s business development portfolio director, said: “It’s great news that we’re able to double services between Bristol and Gloucester to every 30 minutes, with hourly services continuing to Worcester, and increase services between Bristol, Bath Spa and Westbury as part of the next stage of the MetroWest programme.”
Daniel Round, industry programme director for the West of England at Network Rail, added: “We’ve been working really closely with the West of England Combined Authority, the Department for Transport, GWR and others to roll out these MetroWest service improvements.
“These services would not be able to be delivered without major infrastructure investment that has taken place in the last few years, including Bristol area re-signalling, the Bristol East Junction upgrade, and redoubling the tracks between Bristol Temple Meads and Filton Abbey Wood.”