Bristol Temple Meads - station, facilities, incidents and events (merged posts)

[whole diary]

[Phantom]

TAKEN FROM:  https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/new-shops-toilets-opening-temple-9217030

New shops and toilets planned for Temple Meads

Network Rail is applying to refurbish empty rooms in the Midland Shed to create three retail units and passenger toilets. The building is on Station Approach, to the left of the main entrance to Temple Meads train station.

In planning documents, architects said: “With direct pedestrian access from Station Approach, the Midland Rooms are in a prime location to be utilised to provide benefit to all station users. The rooms are currently not in use and are in a very poor condition including missing floors, roof propped up and water ingress.”

Plans for the retail units include a convenience store, a cafe and a gift shop. The toilets will include a changing facility. The Midland Rooms were built in the 1870s, and were used as offices next to terminating platforms until 1965. Since then, the train shed has been used as a car park, while the offices have been largely left empty and derelict.

There are currently no public toilets on the non-paid side of the station. The new ones planned will be accessible to people who haven’t crossed the turnstiles, but will likely only be open from 7am to 7pm.

[johnneyw]

There seems to be some sort of progress with refurbishment and reuse of the derelict offices in the old station building along station approach according to the attached article.  The fabric of the buildings concerned seem to be in a bad state.

https://www.bristolworld.com/news/new-shops-and-toilets-to-open-at-bristol-temple-meads-4586311


Edit:  Oops, just beaten to it.....Mods/admin, feel free to delete this as the above looks like the same link.

[Red Squirrel]

There seems to be some sort of progress with refurbishment and reuse of the derelict offices in the old station building along station approach according to the attached article.  The fabric of the buildings concerned seem to be in a bad state.

https://www.bristolworld.com/news/new-shops-and-toilets-to-open-at-bristol-temple-meads-4586311


Edit:  Oops, just beaten to it.....Mods/admin, feel free to delete this as the above looks like the same link.

Actually your link is different, though it's the same story. The planning app is at https://pa.bristol.gov.uk/online-applications/, ref 24/01243/LA^▸ (Local Authority )

[Red Squirrel]

Here's a direct link: https://pa.bristol.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=SB3IA1DNMMN00

[chuffed]

No loos with no views ...for gentleman at least

Went into TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context) today. The gents loos in the subway are now branded ladies... the ladies loos are cordoned off.
Toilets are advertised on Plat 10/12...but for ladies only.

Gentleman of the crossed legged variety have to make their way out into the covered car park outside the barriers, where there are 6 smelly dirty unhygenic portaloos.

Come on TM....this is hardly equal provision is it ??. I would hazard a guess that the footfall of passengers on a daily basis is 60% male 40% female.

[ChrisB]

But there are only 3 cubicles in those 'gents' in the subway....

[chuffed]

Add in the cubicles on Platform 12 and it still makes unequal provision...

Still doesn't seem right to have all the Ladies loos stationside and all the Gents outside in the car park
If this position was reversed I am sure there would be even more shrill loud complaints.

[ChrisB]

Presumably only a temporary situation while the toilets are refurbished, we can't comment until the reconfigurement is complete.

[johnneyw]

I noticed the new arrangement at Temple Meads yesterday afternoon while changing onto the Severn Beach line but couldn't see a announcement anywhere as to the estimated duration of the work.  Could it be linked to the general rewiring of the  whole station?

[grahame]

Presumably only a temporary situation while the toilets are refurbished, we can't comment until the reconfigurement is complete.

Oh yes we can 

We can comment on how inadequate and unequal we feel that the temporary arrangements are and, surely, somewhere in the consultations that must have cost millions we have been told what the outcome will be and had a chance to comment.  I would agree that now, with work in progress, any permanent suggestions made would be unlikely to have any effect. 

[grahame]

I would hazard a guess that the footfall of passengers on a daily basis is 60% male 40% female.

Now there is a very VERY interesting guess and study.  I don't know if you're on target there but I do see a variety in balance some times of day / week where passengers are predominately male and times of day / week where females are dominant.   It ranges in the extremes between "am I the only bloke here?" to "oh look - there's a woman".

[johnneyw]

Went into TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context) today. The gents loos in the subway are now branded ladies... the ladies loos are cordoned off.
Toilets are advertised on Plat 10/12...but for ladies only.

Gentleman of the crossed legged variety have to make their way out into the covered car park outside the barriers, where there are 6 smelly dirty unhygenic portaloos.

The subway ladies loos are now reinstated, the gents loos are now shut for whatever works are being carried out.  The platform 10/12 ladies loos are now a temporary gents facility and the portaloos in the old engine shed still there for general use.
Not much notification about timescales or what's being done but here's a photo anyway.

[Red Squirrel]

Progress on Eastern Entrance, 7/5/2024:

[Image from here is not available to guests]

[JayMac]

Someone got the big Meccano set last Christmas.

[Red Squirrel]

Eastern Entrance reaches construction milestone with building shell complete

Building of a new £23m Eastern Entrance at Bristol Temple Meads station is moving forward at pace, with the entry building’s structure now complete.

The steel frame shell of the building has been fully installed, standing 6 metres high and 20 metres wide in the Cattle Market Road compound, with the top visible from platform 15.

The main structural steel frame was delivered to site at the end of March and was fitted together on site, with contractor BAM Nuttall working around Storm Kathleen to get the steelwork in place. The first stage of fitting out has begun, with the glazing and cladding to follow over the coming months. The building will be opened alongside the new University of Bristol Enterprise Campus in 2026.

Starting on site at the end of 2023, the entrance construction has included extending the subway by excavating through the retaining wall and underneath platforms 13 and 15, followed by drainage and foundations work.

The build of the new entrance is part of the Bristol Temple Quarter programme, one of the largest and most ambitious regeneration programmes in Europe, which aims to deliver thousands of new homes, jobs and opportunities for Bristol and the West of England.

The new entrance is one of three new entrances to the station funded by £94.7m of government funding secured by the Temple Quarter partners in 2022. It will connect Bristol Temple Meads to the new University of Bristol Enterprise Campus.

Daniel Round, Network Rail’s Industry Programme Director, said:

“Our forecasts show that by 2030 – only four years after opening – two and a half million people a year will be using this new entrance in and out of the station. That will make a real difference and really open up this part of the city to new rail passengers, as well as to our existing customers.”

Dan Norris, Mayor of the West of England said:

“I’m thrilled to see this brand-new entrance for Brunel’s iconic station taking shape. It’s all part of one of most exciting regeneration projects in Europe, which I’m proud is being administered by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority and will create a real gateway to the region.”

Barra Mac Ruarí, Chief Property Officer at the University of Bristol said:

“The progress on the new Eastern Entrance at Bristol Temple Meads is great to see. Opening directly onto University Square, it will integrate the new campus into its surroundings, and enhance connectivity and accessibility in the area. The station improvements will encourage our students, staff, partners and the community to use sustainable travel options.”

Stephen Peacock, CEO^▸ (Chief Executive Officer), Bristol City Council said:

“Structural completion of the Eastern Entrance is another sign of the momentum behind the Bristol Temple Quarter programme. Alongside the recent creation of the BTQLLP and the fantastic progress on the university’s campus, this is a fantastic point to reflect on how far we’ve come as we look forward to the delivery of new homes, jobs and opportunities for the city-region.”

Source: Bristol Temple Quarter Partnership