Bristol Temple Meads - finally emerging from its wrapper.

[The exile]

Over 4 years after the scaffolding started going up, the roof at Temple Meads is finally beginning to emerge (photo later). Unfortunately, the glazing is already filthy!

 

[zwk500]

Over 4 years after the scaffolding started going up, the roof at Temple Meads is finally beginning to emerge (photo later). Unfortunately, the glazing is already filthy!

Took the opportunity to snap it on the way home. Photo showing crash deck having been removed from approx 1.5 carriage lengths of the north end of the train shed platform 3 & 5.

The crash deck is in place in the centre of the station, including the scaffolding towers. I forgot to ehck the platform 4/6 end.

 

[Peter0124]

Weirdly I like the scaffolding design

 

[zwk500]

Weirdly I like the scaffolding design

It's got a certain something to it but I'll be extremely glad when they get rid of the beefy hoardings and tower bang in front of the dateline.

Also the scaffolding coming down means another excuse removed from the list for not finishing off the electrification.

 

[The exile]

Took the opportunity to snap it on the way home. Photo showing crash deck having been removed from approx 1.5 carriage lengths of the north end of the train shed platform 3 & 5.

The crash deck is in place in the centre of the station, including the scaffolding towers. I forgot to ehck the platform 4/6 end.

It’s just the odd numbered end that’s coming down so far - after all, it did go up about 2 years before the even numbered end.

 

[WesternBiker]

Also the scaffolding coming down means another excuse removed from the list for not finishing off the electrification.

Quite.

And it'll be nice to get some daylight back into the station too!

 

[zwk500]

It’s just the odd numbered end that’s coming down so far - after all, it did go up about 2 years before the even numbered end.

And they've been replacing the glazing in sequence in that direction.

 

[Russel]

Is there a timescale for when it's all going to come down?

 

[dutchbedford]

Summer 26.

 

[RupturedDuck]

Summer 26.

Sumer 2126?

 

[Melancholia]

Sumer 2126?

Certainly seems like it. It's come to the point where I've forgotten what those platforms looked like without the Meccano and wooden boarding

 

[dutchbedford]

East end is slowly being revealed piece by piece.

 

[zwk500]

Took the opportunity on the way home from work to snap a picture and I was very pleasantly surprised to see not just the deck but the actual scaffolding is being removed.

 

[The exile]

interestingly, the roof glass at the east end is reasonably clean, whereas from about eight panels in, it’s clearly still renewed, but filthy. Shame they couldn’t have installed some kind of auto-cleaning device.

 

[Annetts key]

On Monday, I was on one of the higher number platforms, looking up at the top of the roof for platforms 1/3/4/5/6, you could see some of the workers cleaning the glass (I presume it's back to being glass) with a hose pipe and some kind of brush.

 

[zwk500]

Nearly the entire crash deck has been removed and the first few scaffolding towers have been taken down from Platform 5. I'll attach a photo when I'm home.

 

[The exile]

It’s certainly an impressive job - though I confess I preferred the 1990 style paint job.

 

[Russel]

Looking forward to seeing it in when I'm next down that way in November!

 

[Snow1964]

Waa there yesterday, just a few small areas of scaffolding on platform behind hoardings now, which aren't holding up anything

 

[The exile]

Took this photo yesterday, just a few small areas of scaffolding on platform behind holdings now, which aren't holding up anything

Think they’re still holding up a few electrical cables, speakers, monitors etc. at least they were last time I actually had time to look. Still waiting to see if the rotten plywood at the end of the canopy on 1/3 is going to be replaced….

 

[zwk500]

There's some TRTS equipment mounted to the one on P5. The removal of the one just outside the gateline has made a very big difference.

 

[The exile]

There's some TRTS equipment mounted to the one on P5. The removal of the one just outside the gateline has made a very big difference.

Especially since the kiosk has also gone - it’s a huge area all of a sudden!

 

[QueensCurve]

Also the scaffolding coming down means another excuse removed from the list for not finishing off the electrification.

When they did the Carlisle roof a few years ago the scaffolding when up around the OHLE. Interestingly the connection of it which used to supply the InterCity Sleepers shore line was removed when the scaffolding went in.

 

[Acathater]

Are there still plans to bring the old station back into use, or has that died?

 

[The exile]

When they did the Carlisle roof a few years ago the scaffolding when up around the OHLE. Interestingly the connection of it which used to supply the InterCity Sleepers shore line was removed when the scaffolding went in.

Clearly scaffolding can be erected around OHLE - however if you have bi-modes it makes quite a lot of sense to do the junction remodelling and scaffolding-y bits before stringing up wires rather than immediately afterwards!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Jan 2026 ==

Are there still plans to bring the old station back into use, or has that died?

Dead for the time being at least.

 

[Annetts key]

Are there still plans to bring the old station back into use, or has that died?

There is still the matter of Bristol Panel (PSB) being in the way. This still controls all lines (the main lines and the Weston "loop") between Bridgwater and Flax Bourton (just east of Nailsea & Backwell).

Network Rail a couple of years ago had no funding in the current Control Period to replace Bristol Panel.

The revised station layout was deemed good enough such that the extra platform capacity was not needed.

An option was included during the relaying of Bristol East Junction and Temple Meads to upgrade/convert the middle (engine) spur to become a bay platform if needed (the intention would be for a 2 car unit, but with further work, extend it for a 5 car unit). This new bay would be between the existing platform 5 and 7.

 

[John R]

AIUI, the need for the old station reopening was predicated on the two per hour new fast trains to London via Filton Bank using it.

Which of course was killed off during COVID and never resurrected.

 

[cle]

Bristol and the wider area is having a good bit of rail growth (and indeed the economy and station precinct is doing well there) -

in the future there could be an additional:
1tph Oxford - all week
1tph Henbury (could see this going to 2tph and/or looping via Avonmouth in time)
1tph Portishead (this might also grow to 2tph)
1tph additional Cardiff service slated
1tph Birmingham Moor St (part of earlier Midland Connect scheme)
1tph XC extended to Exeter (long discussed) - or something else in that direction, esp when Wellington/Cullumpton open

if all of this happened, plus anything else - those platforms might be very useful.

 

[John R]

This is the potential for three extra services to Cardiff. A West Wales to Bristol (every second hour), and two "Burns" services ph.

I think the XC extension to Exeter would if anything ease platform capacity, as services would no longer turn around at Bristol. And the Birmingham Moor St is IMO very speculative at this stage.

 

[zwk500]

Bristol and the wider area is having a good bit of rail growth (and indeed the economy and station precinct is doing well there) -

in the future there could be an additional:
1tph Oxford - all week
1tph Henbury (could see this going to 2tph and/or looping via Avonmouth in time)
1tph Portishead (this might also grow to 2tph)
1tph additional Cardiff service slated
1tph Birmingham Moor St (part of earlier Midland Connect scheme)
1tph XC extended to Exeter (long discussed) - or something else in that direction, esp when Wellington/Cullumpton open

Also I think there's a WECA Plan for an additional 1tph on the Severn Beach Line (to give 3tph to Avonmouth), and TfW plans to have local services between Cardiff and Bristol for their local stations recommended in the Burns Report.

Worth noting that of the services listed, only the Oxford, Henbury and Portishead are committed to firmly. Bristol-Cardiff is being served by a committed 0.5tph between Bristol and west of Carmarthen.

if all of this happened, plus anything else - those platforms might be very useful.

The problem with any new platforms in the 'old' shed is that you lose platform 1 to provide access, and they're all on the relief line side, so unless you dedicate those platforms to services to/from the Filton Reliefs terminating at Bristol then you just add in more conflicts to a very congested junction.

To take your list:
Oxford - slated to operate via Bath, would terminate on the high-numbered sidee.
Henbury - could use the new platforms, but highly likely either it of the existing Filton train would work through to Portishead.
Portishead - wouldn't use the new platforms as on wrong side of station
Cardiffs - TfW's trains would be able to use the new platforms, although it's possible these trains may need to use the Filton Mains to get around local trains (especially the West Wales, the locals would probably use the Filton reliefs.
Birmingham - would come in on the Filton mains
XC - running through so can't use the platforms.

They're a bright idea, but sadly unless people are willing to break cross-Bristol TM connectivity in the local services (or provide more capacity for 'right handed' moves to/from the Filton Mains) then they'd be a beige elephant.

but this thread is about the works to the train shed on platforms 3-6, so perhaps a new speculative thread would be the place to continue the conversation?