Transport secretary Mark Harper is in Bristol this morning, where he will open the new station at Portway Park and Ride on the Severn Beach branch line.

The single five-car platform, which will be unstaffed, has cost £5.8 million. It has been funded by the West of England Combined Authority, the Department for Transport, Bristol City Council, Network Rail and GWR. It was originally intended to be completed three years ago, and had been expected to cost £2.23 million.

The public train service will run half-hourly between Bristol Temple Meads and Avonmouth and hourly to Severn Beach, and will start tomorrow, when the first departure will be the 05.34 to Severn Beach. The first train to Bristol Temple Meads will leave at 06.06, taking 25 minutes to the city centre.

The Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees said: ‘Portway Park & Ride station will offer local people and commuters an efficient and sustainable travel option. Having boosted the number of free parking spaces at our park and ride site, it offers commuters more options to park up and catch a train or the bus.

‘Completion of the railway station highlights our commitment to developing modern and accessible travel solutions. As we look towards a future of improved connectivity through a mass transit system, Portway Park & Ride is a key step on our journey towards a better connected Bristol and South West.’

Portway P&R, which is close to the M5, is the second station to be opened in south west England in under a month, because Marsh Barton in suburban Exeter was opened to traffic on 4 July. The previous addition in the region was Okehampton, in November 2021. The last new station in the Bristol urban area was Filton Abbey Wood in South Gloucestershire, which was opened in 1996.

Network Rail’s Western route director Marcus Jones said: ‘This announcement marks an important milestone in our efforts to transform rail travel for our passengers in and around Bristol and the wider West of England area.

‘I’d like to thank our partners in the project for their hard work and dedication in bringing this new station to the city. We hope that passengers from Bristol and beyond will experience the benefits that this new station will bring for years to come.’