The main entrance to Bristol Temple Meads dates from the 1870s

Bristol Temple Meads (Bristol)

Bristol Temple Meads station in its current form dates back to 1870 and it is glorious.

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At a Glance

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The beautiful main station building that houses the ticket office The beautiful main station building that houses the ticket office
Travellers wait on platform 3 for a CrossCountry train to the north Travellers wait on platform 3 for a CrossCountry train to the north
Looking from Platform 3 across the station Looking from Platform 3 across the station
Platforms 7 - 12 on the other side of the arched roof have Art-Deco inspired architecture Platforms 7 - 12 on the other side of the arched roof have Art-Deco inspired architecture
The station was sympathetically restored in the late 1990s The station was sympathetically restored in the late 1990s
The original 1850 station is no longer used by trains The original 1850 station is no longer used by trains

Some of the trains services which use it, call at Bristol Temple Meads while on route to other destinations, because it isn’t a terminus.

So from a traveller’s point of view, aside from its beauty, the station's main feature is the subway beneath the railway lines, which connects most of the platforms (tracks) with the main station building.
This main building houses all of the entrances/exits, the ticket counters and most of the food/drink outlets.

The passage way is served by sets of stairs and elevators, the elevator in the main station building is right by the main entrance.

Arriving by train:

When arriving by train at platforms (tracks) 6, 8, 10, 12 you will have to walk passed the stairs to find the elevator.

Platforms (tracks) 1 -4 have step free access between the trains and the entrance/exits; and platform 3 is right beside the ticket hall and it is where most of the Cross Country and GWR trains from the west of England arrive.

Departing by train:

Most of the GWR trains to London and the CrossCountry trains to Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and farther north leave from platform 3, which is adjacent to the main entrance.

When departing by a train which is leaving from platforms (tracks) 5 – 12 look out for the fact that these platforms are divided along their length.
However, instead of being split into ‘a’ and ‘b’ sections, they have different numbers at each end.
So two different trains can be occupying each end of these platforms simultaneously, but the signs in the passage beneath the trains will point you in the right direction, particularly if you take the stairs.

This passage way runs beneath the middle of the station, so the stairs on the left hand side lead up to platforms (tracks) 5, 7, 9 and 11, while the stairs on the right go up to 6, 8, 10 and 12.
Each specific platform also has its own departure indicator, so it can be worth checking these before boarding the train.

To the city centre:

There’s no hiding the fact that Bristol Temple Meads station is located some distance from the city centre and its associated attractions.
The city centre is a 12 – 25 min walk away from Bristol Temple Meads.
If you want to set off on foot head down the slope which leads away from the main exit and then go right when you reach the main road.
Then go ahead around the roundabout and walk down Victoria Street.

By Bus:

Bristol has no trams or metro of any kind, so the primary public transport option is to take a bus – routes/lines 8 and 9 and 72 stop on the station forecourt and connect Temple Meads station to the city centre.
Routes 8 and 9 also go to charming Clifton Village; leave the buses at that stop if you want to visit the wondrous suspension bridge.

By boat to the harbor area:

However, many of Bristol’s most splendid attractions, including the SS Great Britain are grouped around its former dockyards and this Harbourside area is some distance from Bristol Temple Meads.
But it’s connected to Temple Meads station by the Bristol Ferry Company – it has a pier also named Temple Meads, which is a 5 min walk from the station.

To reach it you first need to take the side exit from the station, which leads into the older part of the station that’s no longer used by trains.
Over to the right will be a footpath which crosses a car park and then goes over a short bridge.

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