Conservative Councillor Mark Weston has expressed his anger and frustration over the news that the opening of the promised new Henbury station has been further delayed until 2028.
Transport officials for the West of England Combined Authority have confirmed this forecast in public forum responses at this body’s Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting held on Monday, 14th July 2025.
Three new railway stations (Ashley Down, North Filton, and Henbury) form part of the second phase of the MetroWest programme, to be paid for out the government’s (£5.7billion) capital investment fund the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS).
However, completion work on Henbury Station, originally scheduled to reopen by 2021, has been repeatedly dogged by delays and postponements. The reasons given being the need for final planning approval, redesign work on an access ramp, and “flood risk sensitivity in this location.”
Now, the local ward councillor and Conservative Group Leader has written to Helen Godwin, the newly elected Mayor of the regional authority, to convey the many concerns raised by this latest setback.
Councillor Mark Weston (Henbury & Brentry) said: “The news of yet another postponement on reopening this important train station is absolutely ridiculous and completely unacceptable.
“As a keen supporter of investing in rail travel, I have previously urged decision-makers to make this critical infrastructure a priority.
“Even under the current timeline, there is no certainty that there will not be any more slippages.
“We might finally get planning approval this summer but, if past experience is anything to go by, this is far from being guaranteed.
“The station was meant to have opened four years ago and here we are, at least another three years of waiting.
“Disgracefully, this whole project has been allowed to simply meander. Instead, all politicians and transport planners should be straining every sinew to get its completion back on track.
“I will be asking the Metro Mayor to intervene where possible to end this drift, dally, and delay in the delivery of critical passenger services for our city.”
