Bristol Temple Meads - station, facilities, incidents and events (merged posts)

[whole diary]

[johnneyw]

You can't really see much of the work going on above your head for the refurbishment of the Temple Meads canopy because of the temporary work ceiling that the task necessitates.  Today though, you could see things going on from outside (pictured) including an orange clad individual who clearly has a head for heights.

[Phantom]

TAKEN FROM:  https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/new-shops-toilets-opening-temple-9217030

New shops and toilets planned for Temple Meads

Network Rail is applying to refurbish empty rooms in the Midland Shed to create three retail units and passenger toilets. The building is on Station Approach, to the left of the main entrance to Temple Meads train station.

In planning documents, architects said: “With direct pedestrian access from Station Approach, the Midland Rooms are in a prime location to be utilised to provide benefit to all station users. The rooms are currently not in use and are in a very poor condition including missing floors, roof propped up and water ingress.”

Plans for the retail units include a convenience store, a cafe and a gift shop. The toilets will include a changing facility. The Midland Rooms were built in the 1870s, and were used as offices next to terminating platforms until 1965. Since then, the train shed has been used as a car park, while the offices have been largely left empty and derelict.

There are currently no public toilets on the non-paid side of the station. The new ones planned will be accessible to people who haven’t crossed the turnstiles, but will likely only be open from 7am to 7pm.

[johnneyw]

There seems to be some sort of progress with refurbishment and reuse of the derelict offices in the old station building along station approach according to the attached article.  The fabric of the buildings concerned seem to be in a bad state.

https://www.bristolworld.com/news/new-shops-and-toilets-to-open-at-bristol-temple-meads-4586311


Edit:  Oops, just beaten to it.....Mods/admin, feel free to delete this as the above looks like the same link.

[Red Squirrel]

There seems to be some sort of progress with refurbishment and reuse of the derelict offices in the old station building along station approach according to the attached article.  The fabric of the buildings concerned seem to be in a bad state.

https://www.bristolworld.com/news/new-shops-and-toilets-to-open-at-bristol-temple-meads-4586311


Edit:  Oops, just beaten to it.....Mods/admin, feel free to delete this as the above looks like the same link.

Actually your link is different, though it's the same story. The planning app is at https://pa.bristol.gov.uk/online-applications/, ref 24/01243/LA

[Red Squirrel]

Here's a direct link: https://pa.bristol.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=SB3IA1DNMMN00

[chuffed]

No loos with no views ...for gentleman at least

Went into TM^▸ (Train Manager, or possibly Ticket Machine, depending on context) today. The gents loos in the subway are now branded ladies... the ladies loos are cordoned off.
Toilets are advertised on Plat 10/12...but for ladies only.

Gentleman of the crossed legged variety have to make their way out into the covered car park outside the barriers, where there are 6 smelly dirty unhygenic portaloos.

Come on TM....this is hardly equal provision is it ??. I would hazard a guess that the footfall of passengers on a daily basis is 60% male 40% female.

[ChrisB]

But there are only 3 cubicles in those 'gents' in the subway....

[chuffed]

Add in the cubicles on Platform 12 and it still makes unequal provision...

Still doesn't seem right to have all the Ladies loos stationside and all the Gents outside in the car park
If this position was reversed I am sure there would be even more shrill loud complaints.

[ChrisB]

Presumably only a temporary situation while the toilets are refurbished, we can't comment until the reconfigurement is complete.

[johnneyw]

I noticed the new arrangement at Temple Meads yesterday afternoon while changing onto the Severn Beach line but couldn't see a announcement anywhere as to the estimated duration of the work.  Could it be linked to the general rewiring of the  whole station?

[grahame]

Presumably only a temporary situation while the toilets are refurbished, we can't comment until the reconfigurement is complete.

Oh yes we can 

We can comment on how inadequate and unequal we feel that the temporary arrangements are and, surely, somewhere in the consultations that must have cost millions we have been told what the outcome will be and had a chance to comment.  I would agree that now, with work in progress, any permanent suggestions made would be unlikely to have any effect. 

[grahame]

I would hazard a guess that the footfall of passengers on a daily basis is 60% male 40% female.

Now there is a very VERY interesting guess and study.  I don't know if you're on target there but I do see a variety in balance some times of day / week where passengers are predominately male and times of day / week where females are dominant.   It ranges in the extremes between "am I the only bloke here?" to "oh look - there's a woman".

[johnneyw]

Went into TM^▸ (Train Manager, or possibly Ticket Machine, depending on context) today. The gents loos in the subway are now branded ladies... the ladies loos are cordoned off.
Toilets are advertised on Plat 10/12...but for ladies only.

Gentleman of the crossed legged variety have to make their way out into the covered car park outside the barriers, where there are 6 smelly dirty unhygenic portaloos.

The subway ladies loos are now reinstated, the gents loos are now shut for whatever works are being carried out.  The platform 10/12 ladies loos are now a temporary gents facility and the portaloos in the old engine shed still there for general use.
Not much notification about timescales or what's being done but here's a photo anyway.

[Red Squirrel]

Progress on Eastern Entrance, 7/5/2024:

[JayMac]

Someone got the big Meccano set last Christmas.