I use it fairly regularly and can confirm it's a well-used station. The early morning XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) services to Birmingham and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) services to London in particular always attract a large crowd of passengers. I don't think I've ever seen the car park less than half full either. Although my one criticism is regarding the two pay machines, one at either end of the car park. For months now, both of them have had a sheen of condensation on the inside of the glass in front of the LCD screen. I can navigate the interface by memory as I've done it so often, so don't actually need to see what the screen says. But several times I have had to stop and help people who can't see what the screen is saying due to the condensation. Someone needs to take away the glass in front of the screens and give them a proper wipe down!

That's not what their website says.
https://www.gwr.com/-/media/gwr-sc-website/files/Changes-to-Ticket-Retailing-at-GWR-Stations-v2.pdf

Bristol Parkway is on page 9 and says the following:

"Proposed changes - Oct 2023-Jun 2024

Colleagues move closer to customers in other locations at the station to
support and assist with ticket purchases.  Ticket Office windows close."

Surprisingly, it looks like one of the three stations we have here in Worcester has been spared the chop. https://www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk/travel-information/at-the-station/proposed-changes-ticket-offices says this of Worcester Foregate Street:
"This station will become one of our new retail and customer service hubs, meaning staff will be available throughout the week to assist with ticket purchases, as well as customer service, passenger assistance, safety and general upkeep duties".

I'm assuming that "retail and customer service hub" means there will still be ticket counters so, if so, it means that it will be the only station in the county of Worcestershire with a ticket counter.

The Severn Valley Railway has recently taken their GWR coaches out of public use for that precise reason. There had been an increase of instances where trains were arriving at stations and the doors weren't secured. No incidents fortunately, but if any passenger inside the train had happened to lean against the door then it would have opened. The railway is now going to modify all the locks to prevent the door handle from staying in the vertical position.

If you're interested, there is more information in their latest online newsletter - https://www.svrlive.com/blmay23

First day of the doubling of service frequency between Worcester and Bristol today. 15 trains Worcester to Bristol, and 13 from Bristol to Worcester. It's also nice to see some IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) working the route as well. Both the 1056 and 1456 departures from Worcester Shrub Hill were 5 coach IETs, which makes a change from the 2 coach 158's that we normally get!

The only downside is they don't go any further than Bristol anymore. Previously they would continue on to Westbury and thence to south coast destinations such as Weymouth, Portsmouth or Brighton.

Bit of a novelty at the moment, as it's currently possible to travel non-stop between Worcester and Reading. The 0537 and 0610 departures from Worcester Shrub Hill this morning both ran non-stop through Cheltenham, along the Golden Valley Line, through Swindon and Didcot, until their next booked stop at Reading.

My assumption is that "Via Evesham" tickets from Worcester are being accepted on the direct trains via the Golden Valley line for the duration of the line blockade. It would be a pretty poor show from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) if that wasn't the case!

I just wish GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) was running more of the direct services from Worcester via the Golden Valley line. Currently we have 2 early morning and 1 late evening. It is possible to travel both ways direct from Worcester to Paddington avoiding the RRB^▸ (Rail Replacement Bus) but it would be a long day. I assume lack of drivers with route awareness is the reason why?

I travelled on the line today for the first time in several months and I discovered there is a speed restriction north of Evesham, just a short distance past where the single track begins. Is this bridge replacement the cause of it or is that something else?

Rather an amusing flyer received in the post today, which I've attached to this post. I assume the whole of Worcester received it. A couple of glaring errors. It claims that this is the first time we have had a direct rail connection to London and Oxford, which is of course nonsense, and the map labels the motorway bordering Worcester as being the M4 instead of the M5. Anyone coming off at M4 Jn7 as this flyer suggests would have one heck of a drive ahead of them!

I went to Parkway this morning, in fact I purchased the first ticket to Parkway that the Shrub Hill ticket office had sold this morning. The station was relatively busy, mainly enthusiasts, but there were several batches of people who had come from St Peters in south Worcester. The consensus amongst them was that Parkway is just as close to them as the two Worcester stations, and so if they needed to go to Birmingham they would go there rather than into town.

There are a few issues with the station, all of which can probably be fixed:

1. Only two toilets for the entire station. They are both accessible cubicles, which is great, but that's all there is.
2. No seating at all inside the station building. Each platform has a few sparse seats, but some of them are right at the far end of the platforms where no one will ever go.
3. Each platform only has a single bus shelter construction for cover, located around a third of the way along. There is very little protection from the elements. The high level platform in particular was like a wind tunnel today, it's extremely exposed to the elements. What this means is that if it's chucking it down people will stay within the station building, rather than spreading out along the platform, and so will all be boarding the trains at the door closest to that end of the platform.
4. Each platform only has one info display screen, located right at the point where you join the platform, again encouraging people to all cluster at that end of the platform, rather than spreading out along it.
5. Car park machines do not take cash. Perhaps in London and the bigger cities this is the norm, but not in Worcester, and several people were caught short by it today.

Another article on the Worcester News website. This one trying to debunk the apparently popular rumour that the station will be opening this weekend.

https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/18208579.no-answer-suggestion-worcestershire-parkway-opening-weekend/

Many thanks for the replies. Incidentally, that DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) service to Southampton you mentioned still runs, along with others to Weymouth and Brighton. It's surprising how many people here in Worcester I speak to that have no idea we have direct trains to the south coast! I got the one to Southampton last time I went to the Isle of Wight. £40 for a Rail/Sail ticket Worcester to Cowes, including direct train to Southampton, bus to the docks, and catamaran to the island. Had to split the ticket at Bristol mind you, otherwise it would have been £70!

I noticed today that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) have started operating a single direct train on weekdays from Worcester Shrub Hill to Taunton, leaving Worcester at 0520 each morning. Was that service introduced in the most recent timetable change? I don't ever recall seeing it in the schedule before. I'm wondering how busy it is, it seems a bit early in the morning. There also doesn't seem to be one going back the other way, so whilst you can get from Worcester to Taunton without changing, you have to change on the way back!

A new article from the Worcester News reporting on the latest events:

https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/18194514.still-no-opening-date-worcestershire-parkway-latest-timetables-reveal-no-direct-london-train-mid-may/