Bristol Temple Meads’s new eastern entrance is officially set to open on Monday 7 September, marking a major milestone in the station’s ongoing transformation.
Delivered by Network Rail in collaboration with the Bristol Temple Quarter partners, the brand-new entrance provides passengers with direct access between Bristol Temple Meads and the University of Bristol’s new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus whilst also aiming to improve connections for both communities and businesses in St Philip’s Marsh, as well as the eastern side of the city.
Valued at 23 million GBP; the project is expected to serve roughly 2.5 million passengers each year by 2030, forming part of a longer-term work to double the capacity at the region’s busiest station.
The new entrance is the first of three planned for construction, and was funded by a portion of a 94.7 million GBP Government funding grant awarded to the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (WECA). It will open directly onto the new University campus, improving connectivity between the city’s main station, the new future-focused innovation district, and communities in the east of the city.
In order to facilitate the new entrance’s construction, Network Rail extended the station subway beneath platforms 13 and 15, a process which involved excavation through existing structures before carrying out major drainage, foundation and station improvement works. Construction first began in late 2023, with the main building works completed in October 2024 ahead of the entrance opening alongside the University of Bristol’s Enterprise Campus.
The transformation of Bristol Temple Meads forms a part of the wider Bristol Temple Quarter regeneration programme, which, as one of the largest and most ambitious regeneration programmes in Europe, aims to deliver thousands of new homes, jobs and opportunities for Bristol and the West of England.
The scheme is a collaboration between WECA and Bristol City Council, who formed the Bristol Temple Quarter LLP to drive the project forward in 2024, and has since been working closely with Network Rail, University of Bristol and Homes England.
On Tuesday 8 September, the service 8 bus, which provides journeys from Bristol Temple Meads to Clifton, will begin serving the new eastern entrance of the station adjacent to the University of Bristol Temple Quarter campus, and add a new bus stop on Cattle Market Road and mark the end of use of Station Approach.
Marcus Jones, Network Rail’s Great Western route director, said:Bristol Temple Meads has been at the heart of the city since it opened in 1840, and this new entrance ensures it will play an even greater role in its future. By connecting the railway directly to the Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus and one of the UK's most exciting innovation districts, we’re connecting new jobs, investment and economic growth to the rest of the West and beyond.
This milestone reflects more than a decade of collaboration between partners with a shared ambition for Bristol Temple Quarter. Together, we're transforming connectivity, unlocking development and creating a gateway that will support the region's growth for decades to come.
