Bristol Parkway. 50 years young.

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

This Sunday, Bristol Parkway will be 50 years old. The UK^▸ (United Kingdom)'s first 'Parkway' station opened on 1st May 1972.

By no stretch is it a 'destination' station, but it serves a need, is functional and has seen improvement over the years. It proved the 'Parkway' concept leading to other such stations in subsequent years. Some more 'Parkway' than others. I'm looking at you Bodmin Road!

I can't say Bristol Parkway is a station I particularly look forward to using. It's a means to an end/beginning/change. But it is convenient for certain journeys instead of Temple Meads if you live in its catchment. It also has relatively decent interchange with buses for many North Bristol destinations.

It's at it worst though when used as a Rail Replacement Bus hub.

Oh, and not very useful when no one turns up on a cold November morning to open it for the first train to London, as once happened to me and a few other early commuters.

Being somewhat soulless I have very few pictures of Bristol Parkway. Despite using it on a regular basis when I lived in North Bristol it would seem I was never inspired to get my camera/phone out and take snaps.

Best I could find.


Anyone else have memories of Bristol Parkway from the past 50 years?

[johnneyw]

First became aware of it's existence when we saw it on the departures board at Paddington, probably during it's first summer of being open.  We were weary coming back from Germany after the overnight ferry and the next service to Temple Meads was not for some time but a "Bristol Parkway" was due to go shortly.  We had no idea where in Bristol this was but mum decided to take a punt in it.
Arriving there did feel a bit like stepping into the middle of nowhere in those days but we got ourselves back reasonably soon....can't remember if it was with a bus or taxi though.

[bobm]

First day of 387s in passenger service from Bristol Parkway to London Paddington.  (May 2021)

[PhilWakely]

Not quite 'at birth', but a 6-year-old Parkway in May 1978....

[Merthyr Imp]

Gives an idea of what it used to be like - sometime in the 1980s:

[johnneyw]

I certainly recall that the ticket office, where the main building is now, was something of a pre-fab affair, certainly into the 1990s.

[Bmblbzzz]

The whole district was something of a wasteland until the early 90s. I'm sure the station played a small but key part in triggering Bristol's North Fringe boom.

[eXPassenger]

I remember when it opened.  At that time the M32 was called 'Parkway' in American style and I always understood that this gave the station its name, and then the current usage evolved.

When it opened parking was free, I was most surprised some years later to find I had to pay.

[TonyK]

The whole district was something of a wasteland until the early 90s. I'm sure the station played a small but key part in triggering Bristol's North Fringe boom.

I reckon a large but key part.

[Western Pathfinder]

Worth a quick watch .https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=46bhGEMFdJQ.

[bobm]

Some archive footage here from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page).