There will be trains every hour in both directions between the cities
CGI impression of the planned Charfield Station in South Gloucestershire(Image: South Gloucestershire Council)
Work is set to begin on the much-anticipated new train station in South Gloucestershire.
Charfield, located on the Bristol to Gloucester railway line, was granted planning permission for the station in March 2023.
The village has been without a train station for six decades following the closure of the old station due to the Beeching cuts.
Proposals for a new station have been under discussion for thirty years before the recent plans were approved.
Construction can now get underway thanks to the allocation of £39.5 million in funding from the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority to South Gloucestershire Council.
The station is projected to be fully operational by spring 2027.
The station will be serviced by trains every hour in both directions, with travel times to Bristol estimated at 32 minutes, stations in north Bristol at 18 minutes and Gloucester at 22 minutes.
Amenities will include a pedestrian footbridge, bus stop, bicycle parking and car parking facilities for commuters from nearby towns and villages.
South Gloucestershire Council cabinet member for planning, regeneration and infrastructure, Cllr Chris Willmore, said: “The new station at Charfield will help local people connect without as much need to rely on their cars.
It will improve the local and regional road network and give people the option of fast, clean travel to the heart of neighbouring towns and cities for work, education and leisure.
“We know this project has been a long time coming, and there will inevitably be some disruption while the work is carried out, but it’s an investment for the future of the village and the surrounding area and we are so pleased to be getting on with delivering the infrastructure that people need.”
The Mayor of the West of England, Helen Godwin, said: “Charfield station is one of five new train stations being built in the West over the next few years. Local people in and around Charfield will see and feel the difference, with new travel options thanks to regional investment with the support of local and national partners.
“But our ambition goes further. Delivering projects like Charfield station lays the foundations for a better transport system overall for the West of England, building the kind of regional railway network that other places take for granted.
“In the government’s recent Spending Review, we secured £752 million for that next stage. That means that the West can get out of the slow lane on transport and start to catch up with other city-regions, with better buses, more trains, and mass transit – with trams and much more on the table.”
Residents are also being invited to attend a drop-in event about the construction of the project next month. Representatives from the project team, including Network Rail, Octavius (Network Rail’s lead contractor) and South Gloucestershire Council, will be available to discuss the construction phase and answer questions.
The drop-in event will take place at Charfield Village Hall, Wotton Road, Charfield, GL12 8TG on Thursday, September 18 between 3pm and 7pm.