A former Bristol station eyes reopening amid funding concerns and a history marked by a train collision and Brunel artifacts.
A former Bristol station eyes reopening amid funding concerns and a history marked by a train collision and Brunel artifacts.
Bristol Train Station Faces Uncertain Future After Decades of Closure
A new station for Ashton Gate is planned. The station closed in 1964 due to cuts. It was used for football in the 1970s and once in 1984. Trains will run near the stadium again soon. Reopening the station is closer to happening now.
Bristol wants more stations, said a council leader. St Anne’s station is one possibility. It hasn’t served Bristol since 1970, but if built, it could serve the people of Bristol again.
St Anne’s Park station opened in 1898. It linked London to Bristol on Brunel’s line. Tunnels connected it to Bristol’s center. These tunnels were built before the station existed.
Two large boulders came from those tunnels in 1837. The Apple Stone and Pear Stone are sandstone. Brunel saved them and put them on plinths near the station. They stayed there even after the station closed.
The boulders are now at Bristol University. They sit in a garden. The Apple Stone has a plaque that says the stones were given to the university in 1983.
A train crash happened there in 1967. Two trains collided, with one being badly damaged. No one died, but nineteen people were hurt, and eight went to the hospital.
The boulders and the crash represent the station’s history. The station might reopen soon. In 2023, there were worries about funding for the station that is nearly 130 years old.
The council says the station could still reopen. They want to connect residents to the rail network and are looking into stations at St Anne’s Park and Lockleaze. They might electrify the Filton Bank. This would mean more frequent services and cleaner trains. The options benefit local communities, and expand travel options for residents.
A new station for Ashton Gate is planned. The station closed in 1964 due to cuts. It was used for football in the 1970s and once in 1984. Trains will run near the stadium again soon. Reopening the station is closer to happening now.
Bristol wants more stations, said a council leader. St Anne’s station is one possibility. It hasn’t served Bristol since 1970, but if built, it could serve the people of Bristol again.
St Anne’s Park station opened in 1898. It linked London to Bristol on Brunel’s line. Tunnels connected it to Bristol’s center. These tunnels were built before the station existed.
Two large boulders came from those tunnels in 1837. The Apple Stone and Pear Stone are sandstone. Brunel saved them and put them on plinths near the station. They stayed there even after the station closed.
The boulders are now at Bristol University. They sit in a garden. The Apple Stone has a plaque that says the stones were given to the university in 1983.
A train crash happened there in 1967. Two trains collided, with one being badly damaged. No one died, but nineteen people were hurt, and eight went to the hospital.
The boulders and the crash represent the station’s history. The station might reopen soon. In 2023, there were worries about funding for the station that is nearly 130 years old.
The council says the station could still reopen. They want to connect residents to the rail network and are looking into stations at St Anne’s Park and Lockleaze. They might electrify the Filton Bank. This would mean more frequent services and cleaner trains. The options benefit local communities, and expand travel options for residents.