New station at North Filton - now named as 'Bristol Brabazon' - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

[Image from here is not available to guests]

As an aside, while I commend their wearing of apparently 'fresh out of the packet' orange high visibility gear, I will point out that there are some woefully badly adjusted hard hats there.

[johnneyw]

[Image from here is not available to guests]

As an aside, while I commend their wearing of apparently 'fresh out of the packet' orange high visibility gear, I will point out that there are some woefully badly adjusted hard hats there.

Is the chap in the blue hard hat a photo bomber from another building site?   

[Red Squirrel]

I found this video, posted rather obscurely on something called 'Face Book', which gives an indication of how things have progressed: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1533852407867827

Incidentally does anyone else find it odd that Network Rail feel that they have to call ballast 'track stones', assuming that people who are interested in railway maintenance wouldn't know what ballast was? Next they'll be calling the rails 'shiny steel strips'...

[Mark A]

Incidentally does anyone else find it odd that Network Rail feel that they have to call ballast 'track stones', assuming that people who are interested in railway maintenance wouldn't know what ballast was? Next they'll be calling the rails 'shiny steel strips'...

Yes, it's bananas.

Mark

[Western Pathfinder]

The term track stones is used to help the hard of thinking…

[John D]

Brabazon is one of 7 new towns (although some are more like a new district on edge of an existing conurbation) in today's Government announcement

Built for the future from the ground up, the next generation of new towns will create well-connected new communities with homes, jobs, schools, green space and transport links planned from the start.

Each proposed location is expected to deliver at least 10,000 homes, with several delivering 40,000 or more in the decades to come.

Brabazon and the West Innovation Arc, South Gloucestershire — up to 40,000 homes at the heart of a world-class research and advanced engineering economy

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/seven-new-towns-proposed-to-kickstart-housebuilding-push

[johnneyw]

Rail Advent has an article regarding the latest at Brabazon with he accessible lift now installed.  There's pictures on the link below.

https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2026/06/installation-progress-made-at-new-bristol-station.html

[XPT]

Wonder when this station will actually open.  Hope we get news of an actual definite opening date sometime soon.  So far we've been given an update of sometime in the autumn.  Autumn ends on 30th November.  On Realtimetrains it's showing the new Bristol Temple Meads-Bristol Brabazon services starting on Sunday 13th December with the 0908 service to Bristol Brabazon.  That's the date when the new winter timetable starts.  Hopefully the station and the new services actually ends up starting a bit before then.

[Chris from Nailsea]

It's rather reminiscent of the 'Portishead Line reopening for passengers', which has been 'just three years away' - for the past 30 years. 

[Noggin]

Wonder when this station will actually open.  Hope we get news of an actual definite opening date sometime soon.  So far we've been given an update of sometime in the autumn.  Autumn ends on 30th November.  On Realtimetrains it's showing the new Bristol Temple Meads-Bristol Brabazon services starting on Sunday 13th December with the 0908 service to Bristol Brabazon.  That's the date when the new winter timetable starts.  Hopefully the station and the new services actually ends up starting a bit before then.

Experience suggests that the majority of delays to station openings are caused by delays in local highways issues, but IIRC^▸ ('if I recall/remember/read correctly') the public realm is all the developer's responsibility and reasonably straightforward.

Its a pretty standard Network Rail design - similar to Ashley Down, Charfield, Okehampton Interchange etc, so should be pretty much "tried and tested" by now.

IIRC, the service is already running but currently terminates at Filton, so hopefully no issues with rolling stock availability. 





 

[Red Squirrel]

I’m told that rains actually go some way along the Henbury line before reversing, rather than turning at Filton Abbeywood.

[IndustryInsider]

I’m told that rains actually go some way along the Henbury line before reversing, rather than turning at Filton Abbeywood.

They go a short way onto the Filton Chord so that they're in behind BL2052 signal to shunt back into Filton Abbey Wood.

[XPT]

According to this article, the station is now in it's final stages of construction and still on course for opening this autumn.
https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/community-invited-to-drop-in-event-as-bristol-brabazon-station-enters-final-stages-of-construction

The actual opening date of Ashley Down station back in September 2024 was only announced about 3 weeks in advance.  So still a chance Bristol Brabazon will actually open this autumn and not during the winter(December to February) period.  My guess is sometime during November.

[Red Squirrel]

Last time I checked, realtime trains showed first train on 13th Dec

[XPT]

Last time I checked, realtime trains showed first train on 13th Dec

Well yes, I can see why you think that might be the actual opening date and services serving it.  But the opening date and services serving it could still be sooner than that.  Even though realtimetrains still shows a start date at the start of the winter timetable on 13th December. The services will be extensions of the current Bristol Temple Meads-Filton Abbey Wood stopping services.  These services generally depart Temple Meads at xx:04 and arrive at Filton Abbey Wood at xx:18.  Then they depart Filton Abbey Wood at xx:48.  So the current services can easily be extended to run to and from North Filton, and before 13th December.

Also take into account that even completely brand new services like the West Midlands Railway Birmingham New Street-Kings Norton(via the Camp Hill Line) and Lumo London Euston-Stirling services, the start dates were only announced about 3 weeks in advance.