STATION USER GROUP STEPS IN TO STOP PASSENGERS BEING STRANDED
Pilning Station Group stepped in promptly when they discovered that a slip-up by rail operator GWR would have left the station without any trains on New Year’s Eve. Pilning only gets two trains a week (yes, really!), but GWR had rescheduled both of these on Dec 31st to run through the station without stopping. Pilning Station Group immediately swung into action, tweeting GWR to point this out and requesting urgently that stops at Pilning be reinstated so that passengers would not find themselves helplessly stranded on the platform as the train swept past them. GWR duly responded by ordering two other trains to stop at the station instead, but the reason for the oversight is as yet unknown. Said Pilning Station Group Chair, Parish Cllr Olga Taylor, This highlights the vital role that rail user groups play in keeping an eye on things and calling train operators to account when…
Current Timetable and Travel Ideas (2022)
CURRENT TIMETABLE Currently Pilning has just two trains a week, on Saturdays only, both towards Bristol, at 08:32 and 15:32. However, with a bit of ingenuity and changing trains where necessary, you can get to/from a surprising variety of places, see some attractive scenery and spend a few hours exploring. Here are just a couple of examples: PILNING TO BRISTOL & BACKOUTWARD Pilning dep 08:32 Bristol Temple Meads arr 08 52 – direct train RETURN Bristol Temple Meads dep 14:32 Pilning arr 15:31 – changing trains (and direction) at Severn Tunnel Junction PILNING TO WESTON-SUPER-MARE & BACK OUTWARD Pilning dep 08:33 Weston W-S arr 09:22 – direct train RETURN Weston W-S dep 14 02 Pilning arr 15 31 – changing trains (and direction) at Severn Tunnel Junction PILNING TO GLOUCESTER & BACK OUTWARD Pilning dep 08:32 Gloucester arr 10:28 – changing trains at Filton Abbey Wood RETURN Gloucester dep 13:58…
The return of the 15:32 (May 2021)
Pilning Station Group are celebrating the return of the 15:32 service from May 2021. Sadly, this is not an extra stopping train, but rather a replacement of the current 14:32 service. Nevertheless, this is still a cause for a modest celebration as it will give Pilning travellers an extra hour to enjoy a day out.
Taking Stock of 2020 – the Campaign Continues…
The Group’s application to the DfT’s Ideas Fund for reinstatement of the station footbridge was unsuccessful, but useful pointers were offered for making future submissions and the campaign continues. After that disappointment, the Group was delighted to find that the latest ORR Station Usage statistics showed yet another significant increase in usage (55%) for the period April 2019 – March 2020 – making a staggering 1,440% increase since the footbridge was demolished in November 2016. The Group therefore put a well-argued case to GWR, asking them to recognise this increase in interest and demand by providing one extra train on Saturday lunchtimes. However, GWR refused this very modest request, giving no reasons but merely observing that the present service of two trains a week (Saturdays only) met DfT requirements and they had no plans to increase it. This disappointingly negative response is markedly at variance with Transport Minister Grant Shapps’…
Our Response to WECA The Future of the Region Consultation
West of England Combined Authority are developing a Spatial Development Strategy and invited everyone to help them shape the plan https://consultation.westofengland-ca.gov.uk/infrastructure/the-spatial-development-strategy/ This is Pilning Station Group’s response to the consultation: – It is discouraging that WECA continue to disenfranchise residents, commuters, and leisure travellers to Pilning and Severnside. Despite a long-running campaign (which stems back to the late 1980s), WECA continue to ignore pleas from the local campaigners and refuses to include Pilning in the plans for MetroWest. According to the letter from Tim Bowles to Jack Lopresti MP, dated 2 April 2019, the reason for that is that WECA feel that the demand for the services at Pilning will be limited and investments in Pilning will not deliver a high enough return. Upon further investigation, we found out that WECA’s assumption was not based on any tangible evidence. In the email to Pilning Station Group dated 21 February 2020,…
Another request to GWR for an extra Saturday stop at Pilning (spoiler: rebuffed again….)
By email to GWR Interim MD (sent 9 December 2020): – Dear Matthew, The latest Station Usage figures have just been released by ORR, and show a further significant increase for Pilning – 55% compared to 2018/19, and a truly remarkable 1,440% increase compared to 2015/16. This shows beyond doubt that the initial increase was no flash in the pan – it has not only been maintained, but usage has continued increasing year on year as more and more people become aware of the station and the journey opportunities that even its current very limited service offers. The normal reaction of any commercially-minded organisation to such an upward trend would be “There’s clearly demand and further potential here – what can we do to capitalise on it and develop it further?” Covid has of course affected usage since March, but our observations indicate that in the circumstances it is holding…
Pilning Station on Government List for Possible Improvements
A bid to secure improvements at Pilning station is among a number of schemes submitted to the Department for Transport’s Ideas Fund for restoring lost railway services to communities. Ten projects were successful in the first round of bidding (none in the Bristol or South Gloucestershire area), and bids for the second round closed on 19 June 2020. The Pilning bid is centred on reinstatement of the station footbridge, which was controversially demolished by Network Rail in November 2016 to make way for overhead electrification wires, cutting off access to the westbound platform and rendering the station’s service “one way only”. Reinstatement of the footbridge, above the overhead lines, would enable a two-directional train service to be restored at the station, and would pave the way for future much-needed service improvements. Despite its reduction to two trains a week (Saturdays only) in only one direction, the station’s recorded usage has…
An exchange with GWR
A blanket email from GWR, dated 30 March 2020 I wanted to drop you a quick note to confirm that FirstGroup and the Department for Transport (DfT) have signed a new Direct Award to continue operating GWR from 1 April 2020, when the current agreement comes to an end. This will run for three years, with the option for the government to add a further year and will run concurrently with the six months Emergency Measures Agreement now in place with the DfT. This will mean we can use our experience of managing the route over many years to keep the railway running for key workers and essential travel. Our responsibility right now is to run a service that can be relied upon, and this is where our current focus lies. It is also important to take a moment to look forward to a time when things return to normal,…
Response to WECA Bus Consultation
Pilning Station Group responded to WECA Bus Consultation. We request that a bus service is provided to connect with the weekly train service at Pilning Station, as at the moment, there is no public transport suitable for rail / bus interchange, despite the growing numbers of Pilning passengers. The majority of passengers arrive at Pilning either by walking from the 625 bus stop at Swanmoor Lane, walking from Severn Beach railway station, or by car. A provision of the bus service that coincides with the Pilning train arrival and departure would be very welcome. Read our proposed new times for a Pilning Station bus / rail interchange here
Filton Arena Development – Concerns over Transport Arrangements
Email from Pilning Station Group to Jack Lopresti MP Dear Jack, I am writing to you to express our concerns over the local transport arrangements in Severnside, particularly in the light of the new Arena at the former Filton Airfield being approved for development earlier today.I understand that the plans have been approved by the planning committee, and Bristol City Council decided that it should be referred to the Secretary of State. However, there were concerns raised by Highways England that the Filton location will have a negative impact on the already congested road network, in particular the Cribbs Causeway and Aztec West motorway junctions. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/filton-arena-m5-traffic-council-3905771 Pilning residents will start feeling trapped very soon – once the speed restriction measures on the B4055 have been introduced fully, bringing the speed down to 20mph through the villages and 40mph along Marsh Common Road it will probably be quicker and easier to get…
Correspondence with South Gloucestershire Council
30 January 2020 Dear Chairman and members of Pilning Station Group Thank you for your email correspondence of 24 January 2020. WECA and the West of England Authorities have embarked upon an ambitious plan to invest in connectivity to support growth and sustainability with public transport including rail as an integral of the plan. Based on a vision which supports business, communities and sustainable growth the West of England Joint local transport plan (JLTP) sets out the priorities to guide investment . For rail which has the potential to expand and carry more people reducing car use and adding to the resilience of our local network the focus is on the new stations and routes to be delivered as part of the MetroWest project. The project includes 5 new stations and a new link to Portishead as well as more services on the Severn Beach line to Bath and to…
GWR Rebuffs Yet Another Request for an Improved Service from Pilning Station
Despite South Gloucestershire Council declaring Climate Emergency, Jack Lopresti MP urging station improvements in the House of Commons, and local residents and commercial organisations crying for more public transport links, GWR have rebuffed yet another request for some extra services to stop at Pilning station, which could be used to create better connections to Bristol, Swindon, Gloucester, Newport and Cardiff for thousands of residents and commuters to Severnside. In the message sent on behalf of GWR MD Matthew Golton, they write – We don’t have any plans to add more station calls at Pilning. I know that this is disappointing but unless the Service Level Commitment is altered by the Department for Transport Pilning will continue to have two station calls a week, provided by our West fleet and not on our high speed InterCity Express Trains. We have the easement in place that allows travel to and from Severn Beach station on…
Message to Luke Hall MP from a Thornbury Resident
*** Pilning Station Group were forwarded this message, which we publish unedited. This message highlights the importance of Pilning station, which would facilitate Thornbury residents’ commute to Bristol, Newport and Cardiff *** Dear Luke I trust you are well. I am writing with regard to the WECA JLTP4 Consultation draft, picking up on previous correspondence that we’ve had regarding provision for rail returning to Thornbury, acting as both a Thornbury resident and member of FOSBR (Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways). When we last spoke back in 2018 regarding this, you had written to Network Rail to ask them their intentions about the Tytherington line. Did they ever come back to you with a response? I know they have been working on relaying track in the headshunt at Grovesend recently, which suggests freight activity recommencing. Recent changes to the JLTP4 Consultation draft added in a new phrase about “new links to…
Pilning Station Improvements Urged in House of Commons
The campaign to improve Pilning station and its current skeleton service received a major boost on 13th February, when MP Jack Lopresti highlighted the issue in a speech about developing Severnside. … there are some issues that need addressing. First, a regular service must be restored to Pilning railway station. We are lucky enough in my constituency to have the Wave, the first inland surfing lake of its kind in England, on the edge of Pilning and Easter Compton. That amazing facility opened recently and will attract thousands of tourists. If we do not want people to drive there, which would put pressure on rural road networks with limited capacity, it would be sensible to ensure that they have a reliable rail service, especially because there is a railway station already on the door step” Full text can be viewed here The quote is also available to view on YouTube How many stations get their case for…
Message to Jack Lopresti MP:Pilning Station – Plans for Future Investment
Dear Jack, We were greatly encouraged by the commitment to rail demonstrated by the Government’s announcement yesterday that HS2 is to go ahead. The Prime Minister was absolutely right to say that this country is being held back by its inadequate infrastructure and that the transport revolution is local, because it must be local. He added that the government will unite and level up the country with local improvements. This is so relevant to Pilning! He also said that the government is embarking on a massive programme of investment in local transport, and that there will be more details in the Budget. In view of this, we are anxious to ensure that when the additional funding to support the Government’s ‘transport revolution’ is announced in the coming weeks (including the Budget in March), Pilning station will be included, especially taking into consideration the recent successes of the campaign to improve…
Message to GWR – awaiting response!
When questioned by they would not stop IETs at Pilning, GWR came up with the following excuse: – Giving a station clearance for IETs to set down / pick up at a station requires a significant amount of work and is particularly in-depth for this type of rolling stock – it includes a variety of safety checks, measurements, calculations, upgrading of systems and software, and physical testing. We can fulfil our service level commitment by stopping an alternative service at Pilning formed of stock that already has the necessary clearance in place. Is this enough to put us off demanding a better service? NOPE! Here’s what we wrote back: – Thank you – but this is far too vague to be an acceptable reply, and I cannot believe that it can be so difficult to stop a new-design train at a station which already meets the stringent present-day requirements for…
No Trains on Saturday 28 December 2019
If you can’t wait to get to Bristol on Saturday 28th to spend your Christmas money, gift tokens etc, don’t expect to get the train from Pilning – they’re suspended due to engineering works. Rail replacement taxis will run from Pilning station to Bristol Parkway (change for Temple Meads) at 08:00 and 15:15 (!!) In the other direction, taxis leave Bristol Parkway for Pilning at 07:30 and 14:45 – train connections leave Temple Meads at 07:00 and 14:28 respectively. So at least that day we have a service in both directions! NB – the taxi may not come right up to the station to pick up – we suggest you wait at the bottom of the station approach road and flag it down if it goes past you! Luckily, we’ve been told that there is Zero Chance for Pilning to be served by Bloodhound LSR, so at least taxis will definitely stop there!
The Darkest Day in Pilning’s History
21 December 2019 marked Pilning’s Darkest Day in its recent history as station users had another hour of their Saturday excursion time shaved off. The 15:34 service was replaced with the 14:33 afternoon stop. Why, you ask. All because GWR refused to add the Pilning stop to their shiny new electric trains’ onboard computer system. We asked the authorities to intervene, but to no avail. Pilning Challenges will be adjusted accordingly – watch out for the announcements! Here is your new pocket timetable, valid from Saturday 21/12/19.
Pilning Station Group Opposes Plan to Cut Bus Link to Chepstow and Newport
Pilning Station Group has joined the call to reprieve the bus link between Cribbs Causeway, Aust and Chepstow, which connects with buses to Newport. With no prior consultation and just one month’s notice, bus operator Stagecoach is rerouting the Severn Express service from 5 January 2020 to cut out stops at Cribbs Causeway and Aust, depriving people of a vital link for work, college and leisure trips. Olga Taylor, Chair of Pilning Station Group said: We have already lost our direct rail service through the Severn Tunnel to Wales, with the closure of Pilning Station’s westbound platform. Now this area is losing its only other public transport alternative, which will create real difficulties for those who rely on it and will put more cars onto already-congested roads. We urge people to sign the petition at http://chng.it/JDNtxRcqF5 calling on Stagecoach to think again”. Update 9 December 2019. It was brought to…
Railway Data Stats
We love the latest Pilning station stats published by the Railway Data Centre! So we are currently the 1011st busiest station, even though we only have 2 services per week. That’s 4.6 passengers per service, compared with Patchway’s 9.13! The increase in passenger numbers at Pilning since 1997 is…. 895.83%! Woohoo!!!!!
Parliament Petition to Reopen Platform 2
The Petition to reopen Pilning Station’s 2nd platform and make it a request stop closed early because of a General Election. The petition was set up at the end of August 2019 and was due to run until 28 February 2020. Over 500 signatures from all over the country were collected in the first few days. We joked that should the petition raise over 100,000 signatures, the Parliament would have to debate Pilning’s parliamentary service! During the time when the petition was open, Pilning Station Group received a letter of support from Jack Lopresti MP saying that he believes that Pilning is a neglected station with great potential and that it could be invaluable in facilitating commuting to the Severnside Enterprise Area, and also to allow tourists to travel to the new Wave facility in a sustainable manner. We also went into an argument with GWR over their decision not…
Pilning Railway Station – Wikipedia Article Update
Pilning Station Group would like to thank Wikipedia contributor Mattbuck, who spent many hours raking through various Pilning station related documents and updating our Wikipedia page. We are particularly pleased that the article on Pilning station met a core set of Wikipedia editorial standards and was highlighted as a Good Article. This means that it is well written, contains factually accurate and verifiable information, is broad in coverage, neutral in point of view, stable, and illustrated by relevant images with suitable copyright licences.
Pilning Station Group GWR CCIF Application – 2020/2021
Pilning Station Group submitted an application for GWR Customer and Communities Improvement Fund for a modest amount of £175, which would enable us to run the 4th season of Pilning Challenges. You can download the application from here. GWR will now review all the bids and shortlist a few for further evaluations. The preferred projects will be sent to the DfT for approval. Source: https://www.gwr.com/about-us/supporting-our-community/customer-and-communities-improvement-fund
Pilning Station Group Submission to the Williams Rail Review
Dear Sir, We would like to bring your attention to the appalling situation at Pilning railway station on the South Wales Main Line. As you are probably aware, Pilning was a major transport hub for bringing farm produce from the South West to London, and for providing transport links to and from Wales via the Severn tunnel. However, the prosperity of Pilning station suffered a setback with the opening of the Severn Bridge. Years of neglect and decay followed: in 1987 the station’s lighting was dismantled and not replaced, meaning that from then on only services operating during daylight hours could stop at the station. In 2006, with the introduction of the new franchise, Pilning’s service was cut to “one a day in each direction”. In 1990 a local resident Jonathan King started a campaign to bring the service back to the station. His campaign was picked up by other…
Campaigning Continues
Ongoing. We campaign for service improvements at Pilning Railway Station – platform lighting, more stopping trains and the reinstatement of the footbridge to enable westbound travel. Click here to read the latest update (March 2019).
Modest, Cost-Neutral — and Do-able!
January 2019. We presented a business case to GWR asking them to stop more Saturday trains at Pilning from May 2019. We also asked Jack Lopresti MP to support our campaign and to write to GWR in the hope that they would consider improving services at Pilning station. (Update April 2019)A letter from received from GWR Managing Director to Jack Lopresti MP: “Due to the low footfall at Pilning, proximity to the well-served Severn Beach station and its position on the South Wales to London main line, we don’t feel it is currently in customer’s best overall interests to make changes to Pilning’s service. […] Located on a two-track railway, line capacity is at premium at Pilning […] We will not be increasing calls at Pilning beyond the commitments set out by the Department for Transport.” #FAIL
Station Usage 2017/18
Office of Rail and Road published the Annual Station Usage statistics on 11 December 2018. Pilning has shot up from the 3rd least-used station in 2016 to the respectable 2525th place in the charts (out of the total of 2559). There is still a lot of work to be done, but we are no longer in the bottom 10 (or even 30)!
Spare Footbridge, Anyone?
October 2018. We hear Angel Road station in North London is closing in May 2019 when it’s replaced by the new Meridian Water station nearby. This will make its footbridge redundant…..and as it spans overhead lines it would be the right height for Pilning. If you look at AllTheStation’s video filmed there, it’s pretty modern and all-steel, so hopefully it’d be relatively easy to dismantle, move and re-erect it. At present the two staircases face opposite ways, but one would imagine that could be changed pretty easily. (Update 24 January 2019) – Of 27 responses to the DfT consultation, 21 urged that the footbridge be dismantled and re-erected at Pilning station. Please read our press-release here: –ANGELS COULD BRING BACK PILNING STATION FOOTBRIDGE! (Update April 2019) – The following correspondence was received from Network Rail: A message from NR Western Community Relations Manager to Pilning Station Group: “There are no…
Special Sunday Service II
August 2018. We asked GWR to repeat last year’s Sunday Special Service event, by stopping the Cardiff Central to Brighton service at Pilning on September the 2nd. Unfortunately, GWR’s Special Events Team rejected our request without offering a reason. #FAIL
Where is Pilning?
In May 2017 Pilning suddenly disappeared from the “stations column” of the GWR timetables, giving the impression that it had closed completely and that there was no longer a station between Patchway and Severn Tunnel Junction. The only reference to Pilning in the whole booklet was in a couple of obscure footnotes in very small print – this made it virtually impossible to see which trains called at the station, and indeed it appeared as if the station had closed altogether. A campaign was duly launched to get the station back on the map and shown properly in the timetable. Whilst Pilning went AWOL in GWR’s booklets, Pilning Station Group created our own Pilning Journey Planners and (with GWR’s permission) distributed them at Bristol Parkway and Bristol Temple Meads stations. In May 2018 we were delighted to see Pilning Station back on the map and back in the timetables! #SUCCESS
Campaigning for the 13:34
February – April 2018. From 6 January 2018, GWR replaced our increasingly-popular 13:34 service with one at 15:34. This is welcome in one way as it allows people two more hours in Bristol (or wherever else we are going) – but we had urged GWR to retain the 13:34 as well. This would enable Pilning passengers to make a later start to our journey than the 08:33, and crucially would allow visitors from elsewhere to arrive on the 13:34 and depart on the 15:34, maybe enjoying a lunchtime drink and a meal at the Plough Inn a few minutes’ walk away. GWR admitted that there was no actual timetabling reason why an extra call could not be provided. However, they are concerned that an extra stopping service would not generate enough interest among passengers, thus making GWR lose any profit they may (or not) be making on Pilning station already.…
Pilning Challenges
July 2017 – March 2018. We created Pilning Challenges to encourage more passengers to have an adventure and explore the area. The passenger footfall figured doubled year-on-year! #SUCCESS
Special Sunday Service
August 2017. We asked GWR to stop a Sunday Special Service (Cardiff Central to Brighton) at Pilning at 10:45 on August the 20th. The event proved very popular, as the extra service attracted more passengers than the station’s previous year’s footfall. #SUCCESS
Saving Pilning Station
November 2016 – June 2017. We promoted Pilning station to local residents, hoping to raise awareness of the station’s potential, and increase the passenger numbers to get Pilning out of the 10 least used stations. We produced and distributed 2000 leaflets (thank you, FoSBR, for your very generous donation towards our campaign). Twitter account @PilningStation and the campaign website were set up. #SUCCESS