A milestone has been reached in the £23m construction of a new eastern entrance to Bristol Temple Meads station with the completion of the main structural steel frame.
The frame of the building is six metres high and 20 metres wide and is being built in the Cattle Market Road compound.
The top of the building can be seen from platform 15 of the station.
Construction started at the end of last year and has also required extending the station subway by excavating through the retaining wall and underneath platforms 13 and 15, as well as work on the drainage and foundations.
The main frame was delivered to the site at the end of March and contractor BAM Nuttall worked around Storm Kathleen to get the steelwork in place.
Work is now taking place to fit out the structure, followed by the glazing and cladding.
Construction of the new entrance is part of the Bristol Temple Quarter programme.
It stands next to the new University of Bristol Enterprise Campus and is one of three new entrances to the station being financed by £94.7m of government funding secured by the Temple Quarter partners in 2022.
It is scheduled to open in 2026.
Our forecasts show that by 2030 – only four years after opening – 2.5 million people a year will be using this new entrance in and out of the station. That will make a real difference and really open up this part of the city to new rail passengers, as well as to our existing customers.
Daniel Round, Network Rail Industry Programme Director
I’m thrilled to see this brand-new entrance for Brunel’s iconic station taking shape.
It’s all part of one of the most exciting regeneration projects in Europe, which I’m proud is being administered by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority and will create a real gateway to the region.
Dan Norris, West of England Metro Mayor
The progress on the new Eastern Entrance at Bristol Temple Meads is great to see. Opening directly onto University Square, it will integrate the new campus into its surroundings, and enhance connectivity and accessibility in the area. The station improvements will encourage our students, staff, partners, and the community to use sustainable travel options.
Barra Mac Ruarí, chief property officer at the University of Bristol
Structural completion of the Eastern Entrance is another sign of the momentum behind the Bristol Temple Quarter programme. Alongside the recent creation of the BTQLLP and the fantastic progress on the university’s campus, this is a fantastic point to reflect on how far we’ve come as we look forward to the delivery of new homes, jobs and opportunities for the city-region.
Stephen Peacock, CEO, Bristol City Council
Responses
The toilets at Bristol Temple Meads were good until the 1980’s . Prior to that there were sensible solid partitioned urinals and cubicles with solid walls and good quality wooden doors in the Gents. Since the ,’modernisation’ of the toilets in the 1980’s the toilets have been abysmal. Flimsy partitions on the cubicles with equally flimsy doors with useless so-called locks which are usually damage. Whoever sanctioned the ‘modernisation’ of the toilets back then did a complete disservice to the travelling public and should be ashamed. We seem to have a railway industry where inadequately trained managers are signing off modernisation just for the sake of it. Quite frankly modernised railway stations are horrible. The Victorian stations are far more pleasant.
The lack of toilets on the station is a disgrace. Arrived on platform 15 (11/05/2024 15.00hrs) and the signs directed us via the subway (and lifts as in a wheel chair) to under platform 1. There signs redirected us to platform 10/12. The male toilets on P10/12 consisted of one acceptable working toilet and a queue of ten. Even if there is project work this is just not good enough.
I’d be more interested in knowing when the completion of the re-glazing of the overall roof is is scheduled. The eastern entrance is just a boring modern sideshow really.
Me too, the reglazing seems to have come to a grinding halt (sorry for the pun) why is this? The whole station is a disgrace and is not suitable for such a busy city.