West of England supports Better Transport Week
The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (WECA) – alongside partners Great Western Railway (GWR) and Network Rail – have proudly supported Better Transport Week with a visit to Ashley Down, the West’s newest train station, and the soon to be opened Eastern Entrance of Bristol Temple Meads.
The Campaign for Better Transport, which hosts Better Transport Week, was founded in the shadow of the Beeching Cuts – which saw thousands of railway stations close in the 1960s, including the West’s Ashley Hill, North Filton, Pill, and Portishead.
WECA, GWR and Network Rail officials were able to highlight how building new stations in Portishead and Pill will reconnect passengers to the railway for the first time in 60 years. The Portishead Line will slash travel times in half and give more than 50,000 people a reliable option to leave the car at home.
The new stations will also serve as a connection to Bristol Brabazon, opening this autumn, ahead of the new Aviva Arena serving the region and beyond.
It was also a chance to show off the new Eastern Entrance to Bristol Temple Meads which will open alongside the new University of Bristol campus. From Autumn 2026, the entrance will serve an estimated 2.5 million passengers within four years of opening.
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said:
“I’m thrilled that the Campaign for Better Transport visited the new Eastern Entrance at Temple Meads. They also had the chance to learn more about the vital work that we are doing to rebuild the railway from Bristol to Pill and Portishead, with Ashley Down opened and Bristol Brabazon soon to do so.
“I hope that they also saw some of our new green buses, with 250 set to be on our streets by the end of the year!
“We’re proud to support Better Transport Week, as we continue work to get the West of England out of the slow lane and connect more communities to more people to opportunity, leisure, and nature.”
Michael Solomon Williams, Head of Campaigns and External Affairs for Campaign for Better Transport said:
“Better Transport Week is all about celebrating the amazing power of transport to connect people and places. The transformations happening in the West of England, with the reopening of the Portishead Line, new stations, and the new Eastern Entrance at Bristol Temple Meads, are really exciting examples of that.
“We were very encouraged by our visit to Ashley Down station, where community engagement led by inspiring local leaders has ensured that the young people who will benefit from the railway for generations to come are invested in it. Furthermore, the cycling and walking links to the station are a gold standard for the integrated transport we should aspire to across the country.”
GWR Head of Regional Development Dan Okey said:
“We are pleased to support Better Transport Week. This isn’t just about trains and track – it is about sustainably reconnecting people to rail and providing a vital economic catalyst across the region.
“This is what happens when investment in rail is given the chance to prove its worth. We’re proud of what we’ve built alongside our partners at the West of England Combined Authority and Network Rail, and we are very much looking forward to continuing this work with the opening of Bristol Brabazon later this year; Charfield next Spring, and in time two more stations at Portishead and Pill.”
“These projects validate our belief that reliable rail services are essential for local and national growth.”
Local campaigners at Ashley Down were able to explain how the station has connected more people to employment and given confidence to young people to travel for education and leisure over recent years.
Find out about Better Transport.
Original press release by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority
