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An old railway station, which had become home to squatters and drug users, is being given a major facelift.The disused Twerton station, which is seen as forming a gateway to the area, is being improved after local people complained about its derelict state to Network Rail, which owns the building (link below.)
http://thisisbath.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=163490&command=displayContent&sourceNode=163316&contentPK=19867274&folderPk=89126&pNodeId=163047

The four-storey, grade II listed building was last leased in 1996.

Network Rail is tidying the inside and outside of the property to get the station ready for visiting surveyors who will decide what to do with it.

The station closed in 1917 because of the economic hardships of the First World War.

A spokeswoman for Network Rail said:

Now here's a novel thought, how's about a 'Railway Station'.


I know of a relatively new one that could fit that description considering the nasties that await ealry Trowbridge commuters. And as to vandals, the destruction of the original building was verging on the criminal.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/allan.tidmarsh/GWR-trowbridge/GWR-layout-project.htm

It is my understanding that although Twerton station wasn't reopened after the war, Oldfield park was opened nearby some years later.  I think that oldfieild park station is probably too close to justify reopening Twerton station.  Also, Twerton is on an elivated site accessible by steep steps which would never pass the current regulations. 

Thanks for the potted history of Bath stations Tim, I wasn^t aware of the background to the Twerton closure, and as you rightly say they are certainly too close to make re-opening justifiable.

The post actually prompted me to Google for info about the original Trowbridge station as I^d not previously seen pictures of it. Without actually having seen the condition it was in prior to it been bulldozed it certainly looks to be a far more interesting building than the one we now have to put up with. Whether the platform canopies were still in existence at the time I don^t know but they would certainly be nice to have now.

^ Definitely, especially seeing Trowbridge is one of the busiest stations I know now. Warminster and Bradford-on-avom have canopies and those stations aren't nearly as busy. In my view Trowbridge should have them on both platforms as well as more announcement speakers (There's just one on the booking office), a waiting room on the southbound platform and info screens on the platforms and in the booking hall.

As for Twerton station, I can't see it reopening as I can walk from there to Oldfield Park station in 15 minutes! The station would serve the eastern end of Twerton whilst Oldfield Park serves the western end of the Oldfield Park area, and both areas neighbour each other. In my view one west of Bath Spa serving Batheaston/London Road area might be a better idea.

Completely agree with you. My first thought was that the only possible argument in favour of reopening might be if the rugby or football club ever started attracting enormous crowds on a regular basis, as I believe their ground is at Twerton (I'm a cricket man myself so I confess I've never been there) - but on reflection the more likely scenario is that they'd build a new stadium somewhere outside the city then in any case. Hopefully to the west, as you say!

Whoops I meant Twerton station is to the east and Oldfield Park to the west of their areas, respectively! I mentioned it was 15 minutes if you go from the two places along the Lower Bristol Road, but probably even less if you were to take the back footpaths and alleys that run along adjacent to the railway track!

I agree that it could potentially be useful for Bath City on the Twerton Park ground but then again, I doubt very few people come from outside Bath to see Bath City. :)  I would love to see the station buildings preserved though.

Here are some pics (link below.)
http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/twertonstation.php

Quote from the above link :

From the Bath Chronicle (http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/news/bath-news/not-worth-it-reaction-petition-985771)


Twerton Station was closed in 1917 ... and a new station opened around 600 metres up the line at Oldfield Park in 1929.   Whilst I appreciate that Oldfield Park has done very well, I fear that a second station close by would simply abstract traffic from it and slow down services (if calling at both) or thin out services (if calling at one and not the other) to the mutual detriment.

Sean Dudden does not agree with me - we have been having a discussion on Facebook ( a thread on disused stations (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1730959503584733/permalink/2211951688818843/) ) and he has failed to convince me that the station would generate new traffic to justify itself, or sort out other issues such as environmental and wellbeing ones which could also sway my view.   Would be interested in member's thoughts here.

Is that 600m as the croy flies, or in travelling distance too?

If the latter he stands no chance, unless 10,000 houses got built right outside.

Probably less than 1 km on foot.   There are cases (Culrain to Invershin) for example where two stations very close to one another exist for good reason (though I understand a footpath between those two has melted that reason away) but I find it hard to find such reason at Twerton; that could be my lack of local knowledge though.

It's 11 minutes for a 0.5 mile walk according to Google maps. I recognize the building from when I used to live and work in Bath but I don't think I'd ever realized it was an old station.

As has been said, given the relative closeness of Oldfield Park, I really can't see Twerton being a runner.

The final nail in the coffin is that the cost would be more than £10 million - double track station, six coach platforms (at a guess), DDA compliant access etc.

Track capacity will also be an issue, even more so with no sign of electrification between Bath and Bristol. If you are going to reopen any station along this stretch of line Saltford is the way to go.

Yes, Saltford please!

I am inclined to agree with you.   However, the originator of the idea has put together a video to explain his case

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4wo3tsknKA

I remain unconvinced, I'm afraid. 

It appears that his answer to track capacity is to stop all trains except the London expresses there, with 4 trains an hour from Bristol leaving as express followed by stopper.   I can't imagine that passengers on the Portsmouth trains would be thrilled with extra stops along the way.

Sean rightly identifies a very heavy bus traffic indeed from outside the proposed station into Bath - but I suspect that a lot of that is because First's depot is just across the road and a lot of the buses (as he admits) aren't actually carrying (m)any passengers.

We can discuss walking distance between stations (Oldfield Park and Twerton) but the real measure needs to be the relative distances from people's starting / ending points (homes, workplaces, etc) to each of the stations.  I wouldn't expect people to be walking from one to the other and perhaps it was misleading shorthand of mine to look at how far apart they were.

Between Bristol and Swindon, I would like to see some new stations and perhaps the time is right to co-ordinate a list of aspirations and come up with some initial thoughts as to what each would offer.   If you were to take every location that's been talked about, you would have stops at Bristol Temple Meads, St Anne's Park, Keynsham, Pixash Lane, Saltford, Twerton, Oldfield Park, Bath Spa, Bathampton Meadows, Box, Corsham, Thingley Junction, Chippenham, Royal Wootton Bassett and Swindon.  Of course, if you electrified the line and added a loop at either Bath Spa or Chippenham to let the express overtake the local train, this could work for the second half of the 21st Century.

Wootton Bassett is urgently needed, the road traffic into Swindon from there is appalling. 

I would add a suggestion of a Swindon West station near the large employment area immediately to the north of the line near the site of the former Hay Lane Signal Box (near M4 Jn 16).  This is also within walking distance of a large part of the West Swindon housing areas. 

So that's another 4 stations suggested between Swindon & Bristol. Hmmm.

Yes, distance from destinations is relevant. It might be that Twerton is a more useful site than Oldfield Park for more people, but I can't see both working; one or the other, and then the advantage would have to be pretty significant to justify the costs of both rebuilding Twerton and closing Oldfield Pk.

Lisa and I happened to be picking something up very close to the old Twerton station building yesterday, and I did myself a quick reminder of what was there ... also went up the back streets to Oldfield Park station and had a mosey around to get a feel for one of those places that's so close to home but I hadn't previously taken much of a look at.

The total appropriateness of the location of Oldfield Park station as a live-near-walk station shines out.  Narrow winding streets from the days of the horse and cart, limited parking, highish density but very pleasant character housing all within a very short distance indeed of the station.  Didn't have total time to explore, but a footpath headed off unsignposted towards Twerton (but maybe just a link to the next road), and another headed off along the edge of railway property towards Bath Spa add to the foot catchment.   The "near this station" map with its 5 and 10 minute walking circles shows Twerton as about an 8 minute walk.

Off Twerton topic, I noted that the four week engineering poster expired on Friday and in desperation someone's put up laminated A4 sheets with tape and cable ties (?) telling of no trains on Sunday, and giving times and locations of rail replacement buses.  Sad (yet glad in some ways) to have it confirmed that we at Melksham are not the only ones with these sorts of issues ...

Yes Oldfield Park definitely has those sort of issues as well...

The unsignposted* footpath that heads off towards Twerton leads to the next road, Bellotts Road, and there are paths from there towards Twerton, but the routes are neither obvious nor direct. To get to Twerton High Street area would involve you walking through a convoluted housing estate on a number of estate paths and some local roads.

Oldfield Park is, as you say, ideally located for a large population living round it, which is why it is so well used (far more well used that station usage figures show, for reasons that have been explained on other threads). However, that area has rapidly become a home for students at the two universities (now accounts for a high percentage of the local population, and in my road it is about 50% student houses and 50% more permanent residents) and while the station is used by students for getting home at end of term or for visits to Bristol, they don't have need for it to reach their universities. If that demographic change hadn't happened in the last 20 years, Oldfield Park would probably have a far larger number of commuters (and as it is, it can have up to 100 for each rush hour train).

I will comment separately on the suitability of having a Twerton station.

* most footpaths in Bath are unsignposted, which reduces hugely the potential for encouraging people to walk to local facilities like the station. It is because the Public Rights of Way team seem to have been extremely lethargic in getting rights of way adopted, but they have recently done a large exercise in this, so I'm hoping (though given past performance not expecting) that this may change.

Many a time I would walk past Oldfield Park station and shout out to those on the platform that there would be no trains today. Either they didn’t bother to read the poster or FGW couldn’t be bothered to put one up.

Specifically about this weekend, I suspect that was because the actual timing of those replacement buses was not confirmed until Friday! Just two days before the date. Not great at all and I had a bit of a go at GWR via Twitter and at Temple Meads over that. Really not good enough in my view.

As for the station itself, froome gives a pretty good overview!


To be fair, especially over the last 6 months, I don't think Oldfield could actually physically cope with any more commuters considering we have seen regular short formings and cancellations because GWR do not have enough stock or staff!

Ooh, you hooligan!  ;) :D ;D

I agree that the case for Saltford is stronger, and I am not convinced by the case for any new station which will slow down the mainline trains, which are slow enough already and have been getting slower over the decades.  The real answer for linking Bath to its hinterland is of course a tramline along the old midland trackbed all the way to Bristol. 

Would be a huge success if they did reopen the line to trams. Cyclists and the Avon Valley Railway might have something to say about it mind.

Double trackbed though, room for both. Avon Valley Railway might have a thing or two to say about it though.

Room for both (but not all three) from Bath to Warmley probably. Quite a bit of alteration to the route from there to Bristol. Some of the gradients would need re-engineering for certain!

I would suggest that an alternative cycle route across adjacent fields could be provided.  Post-brexit, the UK might even be able to make farming subsidies dependent on things like making public paths across land.  It would be a shame to loose the AVR. 

Many, many years ago a proposition was put forward to retain the Bath to Bristol Midland Line line via Mangotsfield from where the line crossed the River Avon where the present AVR Avon Riverside platform is situated. To connect this line a double junction was proposed to the GW Main Line at a point where the A4 crossed the line at Newbridge and build an embankment about 200 metres long to connect with the Midland line before passing over the river bridge at Riverside. It was pointed out at the time that it would provide an alternative route between Bath and Bristol when engineering work was taking place on the GW line. The powers to be dismissed this and cited the fact that when engineering work was taking place SLO with a pilotman was put in place and, at the time, was the normal practice. TODAY the practice is to close the line and bustitute but had that proposition been put in place bustitution would only mean in todays operational railway bustitution between Bath / Bristol and intermediate stations and thus prevent the chaos which we have seen in the recent past.