GWR is to increase their service on the Severn Beach Line to provide thousands of extra seats. They are doubling the service to half-hourly from an hourly service from Monday 13th December 21.
This move is the first in a sequence of improvements that are planned for Bristol as GWR makes MetroWest December timetable changes a reality.
Future plans include new stations for the line through the initiative of MetroWest which is supported by West of England Combined Authority.
Additional services from Bristol and Gloucester, and from Bristol and Westbury via Bath, are part of the next steps in the plan which will see timetable changes in the future if it gets the go ahead from the West of England Combined Authority and the Department for Transport.
An extra 4,000 seats will be available each weekday for passengers to take advantage of.
New signalling, new railway tracks and additional services are part of a wider Bristol Rail Regeneration programme which will see the Bristol area railway revamped.
Further services in the area are being resumed back to pre-pandemic level of service – a half-hourly service between Cardiff and Paddington; and hourly service between Cheltenham and London Paddington.
All-electric Class 387 will be used for the first time between London Paddington and Cardiff, which provides a lower carbon and more sustainable way to better connect Cardiff with Bristol whilst providing extra seats.
Saturdays and Sundays will see a limited service, and there will be an extra early morning service on weekdays, which in the future will allow GWR to provide up to 12 extra carriages for Principality Stadium events. The South West will be better connected with South Wales with the extension of services from Cardiff through to Penzance.
Services on GWR branch lines in London and the Thames Valley will also see increased services from January 2022 to pre-pandemic levels :-
- Slough and Windsor – three trains an hour
- Greenford branch line – half-hourly service
- Twyford and Henley – half-hourly service
- Didcot and Paddington services – half-hourly service off peak
GWR reminds passengers to follow Government advice and to travel safely :-
- Wear a face covering
- Wash your hands more regularly
- Buy tickets online, on a smart card or by using the GWR app
West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris, who plans to travel on one of the first trains, said: “I'm delighted to be travelling on one of the first new services from Temple Meads to Severn Beach.”
“This is the first important piece in the MetroWest jigsaw. The MetroWest initiative will reopen two lines and up to seven new stations by 2024. It's going to give 80,000 more people access to train services.”
“Having a good public transport network is crucial in helping our region thrive. Helping more people to get about more easily is another good sign that our region is on the up. People want and deserve a great railway in the West. All aboard!”
GWR Managing Director Mark Hopwood said: “Good rail services are key to economic recovery and to decarbonisation.”
“We believe that this new timetable, introducing the very first of our planned MetroWest enhancements, will provide our communities with the help and support they need as together we rebuild and renew for the future.”
Network Rail Project Director Jonathan Davies said: “It is great to see just one of the many positive impacts of our £132m track upgrade work at Bristol East Junction in the summer, with the introduction of half-hourly services on the Severn Beach Line this December.”
“The major upgrade of Bristol East Junction earlier this year was a key enabler for supporting the introduction of new suburban services in the future as part of the West of England Combined Authority's (WECA) MetroWest scheme and providing over 4,000 additional seats on trains every day in the area.”
“The doubling of services on the Severn Beach Line marks one of the first realisations of making Bristol Temple Meads a key transport hub in the West of England that will serve millions of passengers each year and support business right across the region.”
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