Plans for new transport hub and entrance to 'transform' Bristol Temple Meads unveiled

Ambitious plans to transform the entrance and create a transport hub at Bristol Temple Meads have been unveiled.

A new ‘Southern Gateway’ is the first proposed development as part of the Bristol Temple Quarter (BTQ) project which aims to regenerate the area around the station.

Proposals include a new 350-space car park to the south of the station, a cycle hub for more than 700 bikes, a new pedestrian access over the River Avon and new bus stops ‘futureproofed for mass transit’.

Plans are set to be submitted in April, with the hope of gaining approval by the end of the year and completion in March 2028.

The project is being delivered by the Bristol Temple Quarter Limited Liability Partnership (BTQLLP) which was set up in 2024 by Bristol City Council, Homes England and the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.

Announcing the ‘Southern Gateway’, the partnership said: “The land around Temple Meads station is currently dominated by car parking, creating a poor experience for people arriving in the city. Much of this parking is regulated for rail staff and passengers.

“By relocating regulated parking into a single location at the ‘Southern Gateway’, the space to the north of station at the Friary, Station Approach, and in the Grade 1 listed Midland Shed can be transformed with new development, public spaces and travel routes as part of the BTQ ‘Northern Gateway’ to create a world-class welcome to the city-region.”

The government awarded £95 million to Temple Quarter in 2022, with the Southern Gateway estimated to cost £30m. The ultimate aim is to build 10,000 new homes in the area as well as create new jobs, infrastructure and public spaces across 135 hectares of central Bristol.

A new eastern entrance, which was completed in 2024 and cost around £23m, is set to open in autumn 2026 to coincide with a new University of Bristol campus.

Dan Norris, the Mayor of the West of England, said: “Plans for the new Southern Gateway to Brunel’s historic station sit alongside work already underway for a new eastern entrance to Temple Meads itself. New spaces for bikes, electric vehicle charging, and space for further transport connections will completely change commuters’ experience of our region’s busiest station.”

Francis McGarry, Investment Director, Network Rail, added: “This is another step in the transformation of Bristol Temple Meads station into a world-class transport hub. The new Southern Gateway will improve the passenger experience dramatically, both for those coming to the station to travel, and for those coming to the West of England who will finally have the welcome to Bristol that the city deserves.”