The South Glos Post

The Sunday train service from Bristol Temple Meads to Avonmouth has been extended to serve Severn Beach for the first time in some years.

South Gloucestershire Council is funding the extension from Avonmouth to improve transport provision in the area and also to attract tourists and encourage families to have a day out travelling around the region by train. The service to Severn Beach runs hourly on Sundays through the summer until September 5 with certain trains running beyond Bristol Temple Meads to Weston-super-Mare and Taunton.

This picturesque line is ideal for family days out, as it runs along the Severn estuary into the heart of SevernBeach where there are many scenic walks and wildlife to discover and cycle routes for visitors to enjoy.

The council have been working jointly with the Severnside Community Rail Partnership, First Great Western and Bristol City Council to promote the route.

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Source: South Gloucestershire Council

From Monday 14 December capacity on the peak morning service from Yate to Bristol Temple Meads will increase by 50 per cent.

South Gloucestershire Council has been working with First Great Western to increase the number of carriages for commuters from two to three, to help relieve some of the overcrowding caused by the popularity of the service.

Councillor Brian Allinson, executive member for planning, transportation and strategic environment, said: “This extra carriage should bring much needed additional capacity on what is already a hugely overcrowded peak service from Yate.

“This is a welcome step in the right direction and goes some way towards addressing commuters’ concerns, but we will continue to work positively with First Great Western to tackle the remaining issues that local rail passengers raise.”

He added: “We are also working on achieving extra capacity on other local rail services to alleviate overcrowding and also getting improvements at Bristol Parkway Station.”

Linda Swainger, manager at Bristol Parkway and Yate station, said: “There are some days when commuters cannot get on to some services – such is their popularity. We have listened to passengers and are pleased to be able to increase the capacity on this particular peak service.”

Julian Crowe, regional manager for the West of England for First Great Western added: “We are delighted to provide this additional carriage to serve the residents of Yate. This is a very popular service and hopefully the additional carriage will provide a more pleasant journey for existing commuters and attract even more people to make the switch to rail.”

The extra carriage coincides with the annual timetable change which comes into effect from Sunday 13 December.

Source: South Gloucestershire Council