Improving accessibility at Lawrence Hill station

Plans and funding have been approved to install a new lift at Lawrence Hill train station in Bristol to make it accessible to everyone. This would make the railway station, which first opened in 1863, step-free in 2027.

£6.7 million of funding to install the lift and improved stairs has been approved by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority. Network Rail submitted a planning application to Bristol City Council in August 2025 and that was also approved in October 2025.

The scheme will see a lift installed on platform 2 (the southbound platform heading towards Bristol Temple Meads) which currently only has steps. Platform 1 currently has access through the Lidl car park. 

Lawrence Hill is served by trains on the Severn Beach Line and over 350,000 people use the station each year. Whilst the lift is being installed, the current steps on platform 2 will be demolished and a temporary footbridge from platform 1 will be installed. 

Improving accessibility at the station forms part of the wider £400 million rail upgrade across the West, creating new stations and increasing train services to better connect communities.   

You can view the approved planning application (25/13364/RA) via Bristol City Council’s planning portal.

  • 0:00: Absolutely fantastic news, Great news.
    0:02: It’s quite exciting, fantastic news.
    0:04: I love the train station being here because it’s, it’s convenient for the community, however not accessible for the old people or mums or pushchairs or you know, people, disability really.
    0:17: All the time I’ve been using the station, there’s been no Step 3 access and it’s really unfair that some people, particularly some friends of mine, you can’t use that station.
    0:26: If you sorted planning permission and funding for it, well that’s fantastic news.
    0:31: That’s great news.
    0:32: It’s a great benefit to everybody and it’s nice to see some money going into Laurentian.
    0:36: I think it’s really great.
    0:37: I think it’s really important that the stations are accessible for everyone.
    0:40: Definitely running down here like I am today with a bike, let alone if you can’t get down ultimately really.
    0:48: So I think it’s great news and well done.
    0:52: I often use the train station, but it’s quite exciting.
    0:56: It’s interesting.
    0:57: Looking forward to that.
    0:59: Ah, absolutely fantastic news.
    1:01: It’ll be great for the community and it’ll make so much a difference to be honest.
    1:05: I’m looking forward to it.