Nailsea and Backwell railway station
Encyclopedia
Nailsea and Backwell railway station is a station on the Bristol to Taunton Line. It is located in the village of Backwell
and close to the town of Nailsea
in North Somerset
, England
. The station is 8 miles (13 km) west of Bristol Temple Meads railway station
.
on 14 June 1841 as 'Nailsea' and was the first station after leaving Bristol until Bedminster
opened in 1871. When it was built it was surrounded by fields and served these rural communities, but both Nailsea and Backwell have expanded to accommodate commuters for Bristol and further afield since the 1970s. The main station buildings were provided on the Nailsea side of the station; Backwell has now spread right up to the railway line while the edge of Nailsea is still a little way distant to the north. Because of this, the station was renamed 'Nailsea and Backwell' on 1 May 1905. It reverted to plain Nailsea in 1974 but has been has since become 'Nailsea & Backwell' once again.
Goods sidings were placed on the north side of the station, immediately west of the platforms. A connection from these ran to the Nailsea Colliery, a long-closed outlying mine of the Somerset coalfield. Goods traffic ceased entirely from 1 June 1964.
stop on the main road next to the car park.
Access to the two platforms is by steps from the road on either side; there is also a ramp leading up to the platform for trains towards Bristol. A small ticket kiosk on this platform was re-opened by the Severnside Rail Partnership in 2008, and 2 ticket machines are located under the platform. These are subject to frequent vandalism. There are waiting shelters on both platforms and even a footbridge between them, built by E. Finch and Company Ltd of Chepstow
in 1907. There are "next train" monitors and an automated public address
system to announce the trains.
The remains of the old station buildings can still be seen behind the shelters on Platform 2 (Bristol Bound) as well as from the taxi rank
. The basic train service comprises two trains in each direction each hour. One train is the Bristol Parkway
to Weston-super-Mare
service that calls at all stations; the second is the faster Cardiff Central
to Taunton
service which runs non-stop between Bristol Temple Meads and Nailsea & Backwell. A similar stopping pattern is used by the peak period services to and from London Paddington. All trains call at Yatton
, the next station westwards.
The typical journey time to Bristol Temple Meads is 11 minutes, while to London takes about two hours. The High Speed Train
s used on the London services are longer than the station, and so passengers in the frontmost carriage have to go to a different carriage to disembark.
A morning eastbound CrossCountry
service made a stop at the station to serve as a morning peak service, but this operation was dropped in the December 2008 timetable change. Instead, First Great Western now operates a loco-hauled set to replace this service. CrossCountry services still pass through the station, but none stop.
Backwell
Backwell is a suburban village and civil parish in Somerset, England. It falls within the Unitary Authority of North Somerset and has a population of 5,455.It is south west of Bristol, on the A370 to Weston-super-Mare...
and close to the town of Nailsea
Nailsea
Nailsea is a town in the unitary authority of North Somerset within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England, approximately to the southwest of Bristol and about to the northeast of the seaside resort of Weston-super-Mare. The nearest village is Backwell, which lies south of Nailsea on the...
in North Somerset
North Somerset
North Somerset is a unitary authority in England. Its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The station is 8 miles (13 km) west of Bristol Temple Meads railway station
Bristol Temple Meads railway station
Bristol Temple Meads railway station is the oldest and largest railway station in Bristol, England. It is an important transport hub for public transport in Bristol, with bus services to various parts of the city and surrounding districts, and a ferry service to the city centre in addition to the...
.
History
The station was opened by the Bristol and Exeter RailwayBristol and Exeter Railway
The Bristol & Exeter Railway was a railway company formed to connect Bristol and Exeter.The company's head office was situated outside their Bristol station...
on 14 June 1841 as 'Nailsea' and was the first station after leaving Bristol until Bedminster
Bedminster railway station
Bedminster railway station is on the Bristol to Taunton Line and serves the suburb of Bedminster in Bristol, England. It also serves the area of Windmill Hill.-History:The Bristol and Exeter Railway was opened on 14 June 1841...
opened in 1871. When it was built it was surrounded by fields and served these rural communities, but both Nailsea and Backwell have expanded to accommodate commuters for Bristol and further afield since the 1970s. The main station buildings were provided on the Nailsea side of the station; Backwell has now spread right up to the railway line while the edge of Nailsea is still a little way distant to the north. Because of this, the station was renamed 'Nailsea and Backwell' on 1 May 1905. It reverted to plain Nailsea in 1974 but has been has since become 'Nailsea & Backwell' once again.
Goods sidings were placed on the north side of the station, immediately west of the platforms. A connection from these ran to the Nailsea Colliery, a long-closed outlying mine of the Somerset coalfield. Goods traffic ceased entirely from 1 June 1964.
Description
The station sits atop a bridge that spans the main road between Nailsea and Backwell. There is a car park on the Nailsea side of the station, and bus services from Nailsea to Backwell and Flax BourtonFlax Bourton
Flax Bourton is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England. The parish, with a population of 659, is situated within the Unitary Authority of North Somerset, on the edge of Nailsea Moor on the A370 road south west of Bristol city centre....
stop on the main road next to the car park.
Access to the two platforms is by steps from the road on either side; there is also a ramp leading up to the platform for trains towards Bristol. A small ticket kiosk on this platform was re-opened by the Severnside Rail Partnership in 2008, and 2 ticket machines are located under the platform. These are subject to frequent vandalism. There are waiting shelters on both platforms and even a footbridge between them, built by E. Finch and Company Ltd of Chepstow
Chepstow
Chepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway...
in 1907. There are "next train" monitors and an automated public address
Public address
A public address system is an electronic amplification system with a mixer, amplifier and loudspeakers, used to reinforce a sound source, e.g., a person giving a speech, a DJ playing prerecorded music, and distributing the sound throughout a venue or building.Simple PA systems are often used in...
system to announce the trains.
The remains of the old station buildings can still be seen behind the shelters on Platform 2 (Bristol Bound) as well as from the taxi rank
Services
The station is managed and all trains are operated by First Great WesternFirst Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
. The basic train service comprises two trains in each direction each hour. One train is the Bristol Parkway
Bristol Parkway railway station
Bristol Parkway railway station is situated in Stoke Gifford in the northern suburbs of Bristol, England. It is part of the British railway system owned by Network Rail, and is managed by First Great Western....
to Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare railway station
Weston-super-Mare railway station serves the town of Weston-super-Mare in North Somerset, England. It is situated on a loop off the main Bristol to Taunton Line....
service that calls at all stations; the second is the faster Cardiff Central
Cardiff Central railway station
Cardiff Central railway station is a major railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Wales and one of the major stations of the British rail network, the tenth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London , based on 2007/08...
to Taunton
Taunton railway station
Taunton railway station is a junction station on the route from London to Penzance, from London Paddington station. It is situated in Taunton, Somerset, England and is operated by First Great Western...
service which runs non-stop between Bristol Temple Meads and Nailsea & Backwell. A similar stopping pattern is used by the peak period services to and from London Paddington. All trains call at Yatton
Yatton railway station
Yatton railway station serves the village of Yatton in North Somerset, England. It is west of Bristol Temple Meads railway station on the Bristol to Taunton Line.-History:...
, the next station westwards.
The typical journey time to Bristol Temple Meads is 11 minutes, while to London takes about two hours. The High Speed Train
High Speed Train
There are three types of trains in Britain that have been traditionally viewed as high speed trains:* Advanced Passenger Train - Tilting trains which never entered into regular revenue-earning service....
s used on the London services are longer than the station, and so passengers in the frontmost carriage have to go to a different carriage to disembark.
A morning eastbound CrossCountry
CrossCountry
CrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
service made a stop at the station to serve as a morning peak service, but this operation was dropped in the December 2008 timetable change. Instead, First Great Western now operates a loco-hauled set to replace this service. CrossCountry services still pass through the station, but none stop.
See also
- Nailsea (Transport)