IT has been 12 months since the introduction of half-hourly services to and from Bristol Temple Meads for Keynsham residents.

In that time, services between Bristol and Westbury - benefitting those in Keynsham, Oldfield Park, Bath Spa and Freshford – plus those between Bristol and Gloucester - have clocked up more than 3.4 million journeys.

This is a year-on-year increase in passengers at 27%, a boon for the local economy and the region, offering significantly better transport opportunities.

The anniversary event took place at Keynsham station and was attended by West of England Mayor Dan Norris, whose Mayoral Combined Authority funded the services, plus representatives from GWR and Network Rail.

The new and improved services have been funded by a £7 million-plus investment by the Mayoral Combined Authority in May 2023, and delivered by GWR, and Network Rail.

Dan Norris said: “Growing passenger numbers is my biggest priority in terms of building the sustainable West of England public transport system we all want to see.

“I’m pleased to see the uptake in these half-hourly services benefitting residents in Keynsham and elsewhere funded thanks to my multi-million-pound programme of rail improvements. That’s doing things like funding enhanced services, and building seven new stations in our region.”

This is all part of a wider package of rail improvements from the Mayoral Combined Authority, Network Rail and other partners including the opening of seven brand-new stations.

Meanwhile, a new station study by the Mayoral Combined Authority is looking at the case for building an additional station in Saltford in the coming years.