English village to get first railway station in 60 years as part of £39.5m renovation – with direct trains to the city
AN ENGLISH village is to get its first railway station in 60 years as part of a huge £39.5million renovation.
Planning and funding has been approved for a new train station at the village in the South West of England.
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The new station at Charfield has been officially approved with construction starting this month.
When it opens, passengers will be served by hourly trains in both directions, including routes to Bristol, Yate and Gloucester.
Funding approved
It follows approval of £39.5 million of funding for the project from the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.
The station will be located in the centre of Charfield, within easy walking and cycling distance for many residents.
There will also be infrastructure improvements to surrounding infrastructure to allow easier access to the station.
Facilities will include a pedestrian footbridge, bus stop and cycle parking.
There will also be car parking facilities for those travelling from surrounding towns and villages.
It will be the first time the village will have been served by trains since 1965.
Improved network
South Gloucestershire Council Cabinet Member for Planning, Regeneration, and Infrastructure, Councillor Chris Willmore, said: “The new station at Charfield will help local people connect without as much need to rely on their cars.
“It will improve the local and regional road network and give people the option of fast, clean travel to the heart of neighbouring towns and cities for work, education and leisure.
“We know this project has been a long time coming, and there will inevitably be some disruption while the work is carried out, but it’s an investment for the future of the village and the surrounding area and we are so pleased to be getting on with delivering the infrastructure that people need.”
The Mayor of the West of England, Helen Godwin, added: “Charfield station is one of five new train stations being built in the West over the next few years.
“Local people in and around Charfield will see and feel the difference, with new travel options thanks to regional investment with the support of local and national partners.
“But our ambition goes further.
“Delivering projects like Charfield station lays the foundations for a better transport system overall for the West of England, building the kind of regional railway network that other places take for granted.
“In the government’s recent Spending Review, we secured £752 million for that next stage.
“That means that the West can get out of the slow lane on transport and start to catch up with other city-regions, with better buses, more trains, and mass transit – with trams and much more on the table.”
It is estimated the station will be completed by Spring 2027.
