RAIL users were invited to join them on the twice a week “parliamentary service” from Pilning railway station by a campaign group highlighting issues with the service.

On Saturday, March 21, Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways (FOSBR) along with rail users caught the service, showing the potential of the station.

In the year to March just 88 passengers used the station to travel on the parliamentary service – a token service run to avoid the cost of formal closure of a railway station.

Currently from Pilning, a service is provided by two trains on a Saturday, the 08:32 to Bristol Temple Meads and the 15:41 to Newport.

15 members of the group took a roundabout route to Pilning riding the Beach Line to Severn Beach before walking to Pilning.The group then caught the westbound service to Newport before heading back into Bristol.

Lionel White of FOSBR said: “We believe Pilning station has massive potential for passengers in view of planned commercial developments nearby at West Gate, Western Approach and Central Park which could employ more than 10,000 workers in the locality.”

Group member Tina Biggs said: “We are pleased that our ‘Mad as a March hare’ rail jaunt has raised passenger numbers by 15 for the total to end-March 2015.”

A spokesman for First Great Western said that there were no plans to alter the services offered at the station or close it.

As part of their franchise with the Department for Transport, they have a service level agreement to meet at this station, however the level of passenger demand to and from the station does not warrant additional calls.

This event was part of a series of “Celebrate Public Transport” events for Bristol Green Capital 2015. Ticket costs were subsidized by First Great Western.

For further information about the group visit www.fosbr.org.uk or contact Julie on 07791 867 512 or campaigns@fosbr.org.uk