New Temple Meads entrance opens gateway to Bristol’s wider regeneration

A new eastern entrance at Bristol Temple Meads is set to open this month, improving access to the railway station while providing a key piece of infrastructure for the wider regeneration of the Temple Quarter.

image: University of Bristol

The £23m entrance will provide a direct connection between the station and the University of Bristol’s new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus. It will also improve access for communities and businesses in St Philip’s Marsh and the east of Bristol. The entrance is expected to serve around 2.5m passengers a year by 2030.

The project is part of a wider programme to transform Temple Meads into a larger, more accessible transport hub. Government funding of £94.7m was awarded to the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority to support three new station entrances, with the eastern entrance the first to be delivered.

The station investment is closely linked to the redevelopment of the surrounding Temple Quarter. The 135-hectare regeneration programme aims to create up to 10,000 homes and 22,000 jobs, transforming brownfield land around the station into mixed-use neighbourhoods.

The new entrance will help establish the station as a gateway between these emerging communities, the city centre and the university campus. The wider programme includes improvements to walking, cycling and public transport connections.

The University of Bristol’s £500m Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus is another major component of the regeneration programme. The West of England Combined Authority has invested £35m in the campus, which is intended to act as a catalyst for innovation-led growth and further development around the station.

The infrastructure investment is already helping to unlock the next phase of development. In January, the Bristol Temple Quarter LLP selected Muse as preferred development partner for Temple Meads West and St Philip’s Marsh, with plans for new homes, commercial space and improvements to public realm and connectivity.

Network Rail is also carrying out a wider programme of improvements at the Grade I-listed station, including refurbishment of the historic roof and platform canopies. The organisation has invested around £130m in upgrading and modernising Temple Meads, with the longer-term objective of creating capacity for millions more passengers.