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No, you cannot get a train there yet. Bristol Brabazon station is still under construction and is due to open in autumn 2026, with no exact date announced. The Aviva Arena, formerly YTL Arena Bristol, is targeting late 2028, around two years away. Both sit on the former Filton Airfield. Checked 3 October 2026.
Two separate projects share one name and get confused with each other constantly. One is nearly finished. The other is under construction but has a long way to go. Here is where each of them actually stands.
Where each project stands
| Project | Status on 3 October 2026 | Target opening | What has not been announced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol Brabazon station | Under construction and in its final stages, with testing and certification still to follow | Autumn 2026 | No exact date |
| Aviva Arena | Under construction: demolition of the old hangar structure is complete and building work began in early 2026 | Late 2028 | No exact date, no opening event, no programme, no on sale date, no ticket prices, no transport arrangements |
What Brabazon is
Brabazon is a new neighbourhood being built on the former Filton Airfield in North Bristol. The site straddles a council boundary. Most of it, including the station, is in South Gloucestershire, but a smaller area to the south sits in the Bristol City Council area, and it was Bristol City Council's planning committee that approved the arena. That matters the moment you need to know whose bins, whose planning department or whose council tax band applies, so check the exact address rather than assuming. The developer is YTL Developments (UK). The plans cover homes, workplaces and student accommodation.
The Brabazon Hangars are the historic aircraft hangars on the site, built for the Bristol Brabazon airliner. There are three of them. The arena goes into the central and largest one.
Bristol Brabazon station: due this autumn
The station is under construction. Testing and certification follow after the building work, which is why "built" and "open" are not the same milestone here.
| Detail | What is confirmed |
|---|---|
| Status | Under construction, in its final stages |
| Construction began | March 2025 |
| Opening | Autumn 2026, no exact date announced |
| Line | The Henbury line |
| Planned route | Bristol Temple Meads to Henbury, calling at Lawrence Hill, Stapleton Road, Ashley Down, Filton Abbey Wood and Bristol Brabazon |
| Service | Initial hourly service |
| Last regular passenger services on the line | 1964 |
That last row is the part worth reading twice. When services start, they will be the first regular passenger trains on the Henbury line since 1964. One caution on the route: Henbury station itself is a separate, later project that has not been built yet, so check National Rail for exactly where trains stop once timetables are published.
Progress this year: the lift shaft core structures were completed in April 2026, and the footbridge was craned in over the late May bank holiday weekend, nine pieces assembled on site in under 24 hours. Network Rail said then that the station is due to open this autumn, and that a second phase of construction follows to ready it for the arena in 2028. By September, Network Rail described the station as entering its final stages: the platform canopy is up, coping stones and the first layer of platform surfacing are down, the lift shafts are clad, and ticket machines, benches and passenger information screens are being fitted. A community drop-in event was held at Brabazon on 22 September.
The facts above come from Network Rail's project page and media centre, the West of England Combined Authority and South Gloucestershire Council. Until one of them names a date, there is no date. If you are planning a journey, a house move or a school run around this station, plan for the current service pattern and treat the train as a bonus when it arrives. Our guide to getting around Bristol without a car covers what actually runs today.
The Aviva Arena: late 2028, and it has slipped before
The arena inside the central Brabazon Hangar was renamed Aviva Arena in February 2026, under a naming rights deal with the insurer Aviva. It was previously YTL Arena Bristol, which is still the name most coverage and most searches use. The announced capacity is 20,000. The operator is YTL Live.
The stated target is late 2028. That is a target, not a confirmed date, and the history matters:
- In January 2023, YTL gave an estimated opening window of late 2025 to early 2026.
- The date has moved repeatedly since: by September 2024 it was reported as 2027 at the earliest, and in March 2025 YTL said the arena would open in 2028.
- Demolition of the old hangar structure is complete, and construction began in early 2026, with a public groundbreaking event in January 2026.
So the arena is roughly two years away rather than months away. If you have seen an older article saying 2025 or 2026, it is out of date rather than wrong at the time. Anyone booking a venue, planning a business around the footfall, or wondering whether to hold out for a Bristol date on a tour should work on late 2028 at the earliest and expect that to be tested again.
The naming deal was reported by Aviva's own newsroom, Music Week, NME, Bristol247 and VisitWest.
What is not known
Listing this plainly is the useful part of the page, because the gaps are where the guesswork usually starts.
- No exact opening date for the station. Autumn 2026 is the plan.
- No exact opening date for the arena within 2028. Late 2028 is the target.
- No announced opening event, programme or on sale date for the arena.
- No ticket prices.
- No confirmed transport arrangements for event nights.
That last one deserves a note. WeKnowBristol is published by the Tick Taxi group, which runs airport transfers in the area (disclosed). Beyond the station's second phase of work, nothing has been announced about how crowds of up to 20,000 people will get to and from this venue, and a taxi group's website is the last place you should read a guess about it. When Network Rail, the combined authority, South Gloucestershire Council or YTL Live publish something, we will put it here.
When this was last checked
3 October 2026. The station date will age faster than anything else on this page. If you are reading this in late 2026 or later, check Network Rail and the West of England Combined Authority before you rely on the autumn 2026 line.
FAQs
Has Bristol Brabazon station opened yet?
No. As of 3 October 2026 it is under construction and in its final stages, with testing and certification still to come. It is planned to open in autumn 2026, and no exact date has been announced.
When does the Aviva Arena open?
The stated target is late 2028. That is a target rather than a confirmed date, and no exact date within 2028 has been announced. The date has moved before: in January 2023 YTL was giving an estimated opening window of late 2025 to early 2026.
What was the Aviva Arena called before?
YTL Arena Bristol. It was renamed Aviva Arena in February 2026 under a naming rights deal with the insurer Aviva. Most existing coverage still uses the old name, so you will see both.
Is Brabazon in Bristol?
It is in North Bristol geographically, on the former Filton Airfield, but the site straddles a council boundary. Most of it, including the station, falls under South Gloucestershire Council, while a smaller southern area is in the Bristol City Council area. That distinction matters for council services, planning and council tax, so check the exact address.
What is the Henbury line, and where will the trains go?
It is the line Bristol Brabazon station is being built on. The planned hourly service runs between Bristol Temple Meads and Henbury, calling at Lawrence Hill, Stapleton Road, Ashley Down, Filton Abbey Wood and Bristol Brabazon. Henbury station itself has not been built yet, so check National Rail for where trains actually stop once timetables are published. You will still see this station called North Filton in older coverage: that was its working name, and the West of England Combined Authority confirmed Bristol Brabazon as the official one. It would be the first regular passenger service on the line since 1964.
How will people get to the Aviva Arena on event nights?
No transport arrangements for event nights have been announced. Network Rail has said the station gets a second phase of construction to ready it for the arena in 2028, but we are not going to speculate about buses, parking or taxis for a venue that is still being built.