Transport
secretary
Mark
Harper


is
in
Bristol
this
morning,
where
he
will
open
the
new
station
at
Portway
Park
and
Ride
on
the
Severn
Beach
branch
line.

The
single
five-car
platform,
which
will
be
unstaffed,
has
cost
£5.8
million.
It
has
been
funded
by
the
West
of
England
Combined
Authority,
the
Department
for
Transport,
Bristol
City
Council,
Network
Rail
and
GWR.
It
was
originally
intended
to
be
completed
three
years
ago,
and
had
been
expected
to
cost
£2.23
million.

The
public
train
service
will
run
half-hourly
between
Bristol
Temple
Meads
and
Avonmouth
and
hourly
to
Severn
Beach,
and
will
start
tomorrow,
when
the
first
departure
will
be
the
05.34
to
Severn
Beach.
The
first
train
to
Bristol
Temple
Meads
will
leave
at
06.06,
taking
25
minutes
to
the
city
centre.

The
Mayor
of
Bristol
Marvin
Rees
said:
‘Portway
Park
&
Ride
station
will
offer
local
people
and
commuters
an
efficient
and
sustainable
travel
option.
Having
boosted
the
number
of
free
parking
spaces
at
our
park
and
ride
site,
it
offers
commuters
more
options
to
park
up
and
catch
a
train
or
the
bus.

‘Completion
of
the
railway
station
highlights
our
commitment
to
developing
modern
and
accessible
travel
solutions.
As
we
look
towards
a
future
of
improved
connectivity
through
a
mass
transit
system,
Portway
Park
&
Ride
is
a
key
step
on
our
journey
towards
a
better
connected
Bristol
and
South
West.’

Portway
P&R,
which
is
close
to
the
M5,
is
the
second
station
to
be
opened
in
south
west
England
in
under
a
month,
because
Marsh
Barton
in
suburban
Exeter
was
opened
to
traffic
on
4
July.
The
previous
addition
in
the
region
was
Okehampton,
in
November
2021.
The
last
new
station
in
the
Bristol
area
was
Filton
Abbey
Wood,
which
was
opened
in
1996.

Network
Rail’s
Western
route
director
Marcus
Jones
said:
‘This
announcement
marks
an
important
milestone
in
our
efforts
to
transform
rail
travel
for
our
passengers
in
and
around
Bristol
and
the
wider
West
of
England
area.

‘I’d
like
to
thank
our
partners
in
the
project
for
their
hard
work
and
dedication
in
bringing
this
new
station
to
the
city.
We
hope
that
passengers
from
Bristol
and
beyond
will
experience
the
benefits
that
this
new
station
will
bring
for
years
to
come.’