Bristol stations need money spent on them and soon
PARSON Street and Bedminster stations need money spent on them and as soon as possible. I saw the state of them myself when I visited the stations with some rail campaigners.
They were Nigel Bray and Bruce Williamson from the campaigning group Railfuture and Daniel Casey and Mike Wheeler of the South West Transport Development Community Interest Company.
We began with Parson Street, a main line station that has no disabled access to its platforms.
The first thing that you notice is lack of investment and the run down condition of this station. Only two thirds of the island platforms where trains to Bristol and Weston- super-Mare stop are maintained and cleaned.
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At present these platforms are geared up for local stopping trains of only two to four carriages.
But with the prospect of the Portishead line reopening in 2017 which will form part of the Bristol Metro, these platforms need to be tidied up to accommodate at least six car multiple train sets.
Parson Street station is also plagued by graffiti on one of its retaining walls and also on location boxes on the line side.
It is about time First Great Western and Network Rail spent some money on this station to make it an attractive place to use with a better train frequency.
In my opinion to attract more passengers it must become more user friendly usable. It needs larger or additional shelters and CCTV cameras.
Parson Street station has the potential to become a rail-bus interchange.
Bedminster station doesn't look too bad until you approach the fences separating the good part of the platforms from the run down side. Here you will find platform slabs are uneven and sinking.
I have brought this to First Great Western and Network Rail's attention. They have covered over some of the sinking parts.
But this is not the answer. The entrances and staircases to Bedminster platforms from under the rail arch at Windmill Hill Close have also been blocked up.
Passengers from Totterdown and Victoria Park are left with a quarter of a mile walk along Whitehouse Street to the main entrance to Bedminster station.
David Wood
Rail Maritime and Transport Union Bristol
Written in a personal capacity
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