# Brunel's Old Temple Meads to be brought back into use as a station.



## Crispy (Mar 29, 2012)

For the new electric trains (1h15m to London!)

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Brun...istol-London/story-15655545-detail/story.html


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Mar 29, 2012)

Wowzers on account of the revival and the speed of the trains. 
Can't imagine the tickets will be cheap.


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## butchersapron (Mar 29, 2012)

Do you know if they're planning to electrify the existing Bristol - Paddington line or put a new one in? The old station should be dead easy to get in use again - just knock down the bit separating it from platform one, but as for the rest of the proposed plans...i'll believe them when i see them...


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## Puddy_Tat (Mar 29, 2012)

butchersapron said:


> Do you know if they're planning to electrify the existing Bristol - Paddington line or put a new one in?


 
Broadly speaking, electrify the existing line.

The amount of demolition (and therefore cost) that would be involved in a completely new line would be huge.

There are bits along the line that are being / will be improved, the railway round Reading is getting new bridges / underpasses and more platforms at the station, for example.


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## butchersapron (Mar 29, 2012)

Puddy_Tat said:


> Broadly speaking, electrify the existing line.
> 
> The amount of demolition (and therefore cost) that would be involved in a completely new line would be huge.
> 
> There are bits along the line that are being / will be improved, the railway round Reading is getting new bridges / underpasses and more platforms at the station, for example.


Was pretty sure that had to be the case but stopped following the story after the lib-dems and tories started backing out of committing funds.


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## Crispy (Mar 29, 2012)

butchersapron said:


> Do you know if they're planning to electrify the existing Bristol - Paddington line or put a new one in? The old station should be dead easy to get in use again - just knock down the bit separating it from platform one, but as for the rest of the proposed plans...i'll believe them when i see them...


 
Electrification of the existing line and a fleet of new trains to replace the aging Intercity 125s. £5bn project: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21st_Century_modernisation_of_the_Great_Western_Main_Line

The journey will be quicker initially due to the better acceleration of the new trains. There's potential in both the trains and the track for 140mph running for large stretches, if the signaling supports it. That could potentially bring the TM-Paddington journey down to under an hour, if a stop was skipped (ie reading or swindon)


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## William of Walworth (Apr 12, 2012)

This could turn out to be excellent news for Bristol if it happens. Would be fantastic to see that old building in proper use again 

Suspect though that with limited project-money to go round, this scheme would happen at the expense of any hope of electification of the line anywhere West of Cardiff (a long hoped project out here, but one always delayed to the back end of never)


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## editor (Apr 12, 2012)

Fab news!  It's a stunning building.


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## editor (Apr 12, 2012)

http://www.alextrack.co.uk/model_railways/bristol_old_station/prototype_photographs.shtml


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## big eejit (Apr 13, 2012)

Great pic. Really wasted as a car park at the moment. Apparently it could cause difficulties as the HS trains will have to cross from the far side of Temple Meads to get into this platform, but that's the one they wanted.


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