Busiest and quietest railway stations in Bristol region revealed

Figures show rail usage is yet to return to pre-pandemic levels
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Passenger usage of Bristol Temple Meads - the Bristol region’s busiest railway station - has risen significantly, but is still well below pre-pandemic levels, new figures have shown.

Office of Rail and Road figures show that 6.6 million entries and exits were made by passengers at Temple Meads in 2021/22, up from 2 million the year before but below the 11.6 million in 2019/20.

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It showed that while usage was going up, normal travel routines had not yet returned fully while issues with the railway will have also taken a toll on the numbers.

After Bristol Temple Meads, Bristol Parkway was the next busiest with 1.4 million entries and exits in 2021/22, up from 366,904 the year before but down from 2.4 million in 2019/20.

At number three was Clifton Down with 384,584 entries and exits in 2021/22 (up from 168,394 the year before), number four was Filton Abbey Wood with 384,584 (up from 115,624) and number five was Yatton with 332,736 (up from 101,442).

Keynsham was at number six with 298,478 (up from 87,304), and Nailsea and Backwell was at number seven with 298,332 (up from 85,382).

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Severn Beach saw 180,444 entries and exits in 2021/22 (up from 92,726), Lawrence Hill had 152,906 (up from 66,852), Stapleton Road had 147,770 (up from 65,722), Parson Street had 101,482 (up from 29,702) and Avonmouth had 88,332 (up from 46,076).

The 3.32pm train heading toward Taunton pulls into Pilning Railway Station Credit: Pilning Station GroupThe 3.32pm train heading toward Taunton pulls into Pilning Railway Station Credit: Pilning Station Group
The 3.32pm train heading toward Taunton pulls into Pilning Railway Station Credit: Pilning Station Group

At the other end of the spectrum, Pilning again came bottom with 418 entries and exits in 2021/22, up from 210 but down from 710 in 2020/21. It means that the station is the 40th least-used station in the UK. Passengers can only go one way, toward Bristol, using the station due to there no longer being a footbridge.

St Andrews Road in Avonmouth was next with 7,164 entries and exits in 2021/22 (up from 4,910) followed by Sea Mills with 36,408 (up from 13,108), Shirehampton with 42,264 (up from 17,454), Bedminster with 63,064 (up from 23,974) and Redland with 83,576 (up from 33,332).

The ORR’s estimates of station usage are taken from the rail industry’s ticketing and revenue system Lennon, with some local ticketing data.

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ORR director of planning and performance Feras Alshaker said: “It is heartening to see passengers return to travelling by rail following what was a difficult period for the industry during the pandemic.

“There’s still some way to go in order for station usage figures to return to pre-pandemic levels.

“Once again it is important to thank all those in the rail industry, who continue to work hard to help people travel safely and with confidence.”

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