Severn Beach Line
Encyclopedia
The Severn Beach Line is a local railway in Bristol
, UK
. It runs from Narroways Hill Junction to Severn Beach
, and is the successor to the Bristol Port Railway and Pier, which ran from a Bristol terminus in the Avon Gorge
to a station and pier on the Severn Estuary
.
Passenger trains run from Bristol Temple Meads to Severn Beach via nine local stations. The line carries little freight traffic, with most of the heavy freight traffic to Avonmouth Docks
being routed via the Henbury Loop
through Filton
. The line has been highlighted by Thomas Cook
as one of the scenic lines of Europe
.
It ran from Hotwells railway station
, originally known as Clifton, west of Bristol city centre between the Clifton Suspension Bridge
and Bridge Valley Road, to Avonmouth
, via Sea Mills and Shirehampton
.
As built the railway was isolated from the rest of the national network, and because of poor finances of the company, plans to extend the railway into the city centre and Temple Meads station were not realised for several more years.
The Great Western Railway
and the Midland Railway
decided to jointly fund a branch, known as the Clifton Extension Railway
, to connect the BPRP to both of their networks. The branch left the GWR South Wales line
at Narroways Hill Junction, just north of the existing station at Stapleton Road
.
The branch was joined just beyond Narroways Hill by a line which left the Midland main line at Kingswood Junction, just west of Fishponds station. The first section through Montpelier
to Clifton Down
opened on 1 October 1874. It was quite an achievement, running though cuttings, and tunnels and over embankments and viaducts, the longest and highest as the train travels between Montpelier and Redland.
The greatest engineering feature of the branch was a mile-long tunnel underneath Clifton Down
. The section through the tunnel from Clifton Down station
to Sneyd Park
Junction, where it connected to the Bristol Port Railway, opened to goods traffic in 1877 and to passenger trains on 1 September 1885.
As a result of this BPRP Clifton station was renamed Hotwells. The section of track from here to Sneyd Park Junction survived until 1922 when it was demolished to build the A4 Bristol Portway
.
The residents of Redland
successfully petitioned for a station
and in April 1897 one was opened close to the Lovers Walk bridge. The ticket office was on the bridge rather than the platform. St Andrews Road station was opened in March 1917 to serve the munitions factory there. Finally Severn Beach station opened in April 1922.
The line has been substantially rationalised, as with many branch lines in the UK. There are now extensive sections of single track, although in all locations where this was not originally the case, space has been left so that the second track could in theory be re-instated. The only sections at which trains can pass are on the main line between Temple Meads and Narroways Hill Junction and in the passing loops at Clifton Down
and Avonmouth
. All stations except Temple Meads are unstaffed, and it is only possible to purchase a ticket for immediate travel after boarding the train as presently no stations are provided with ticket vending machines.
In 2009 stations on the line had real-time customer information screens installed. These show details of forthcoming departures, including when they are expected to arrive. The screens are built into the white circular 'Information Points' on the platforms.
Passenger services are operated by First Great Western
using Class 143
, Class 150
, Class 153
or Class 158
diesel multiple units. These trains are usually two-man-operation, although during busy times a third member of staff may be rostered to assist in issuing tickets. With two-man-operation the guard is required to operate the passenger doors as well as serve as a ticket-issuing conductor, which can be a source of delays, as well as potentially a means of losing revenue. The plans for the line (see below) include the possibility of running trains with the driver opening the doors. In this case, the idea would be to free up the guard to simply check and issue tickets.
In the year 2005/6, 375,000 passenger journeys were officially known to have been made on the line. The main destination, other than Temple Meads, is Clifton Down, partly due to the large shopping centre immediately outside the station on Whiteladies Road
.
The route has been used as a diversionary route for trains travelling north from Bristol when the normal route is closed for engineering work. The freight-only Henbury Loop
connects Avonmouth with Bristol Parkway station on the London-South Wales
and Bristol-Birmingham
routes.
On 20 October 1981, the Severn Beach Line saw one of the first uses of a railbus
on passenger services, when BREL
Railbus RB003 operated the 10:08 service from . The first railbus concept, LEV1, would begin operations on the line less than a week later.
On Monday to Fridays, 11 trains ran from Bristol Temple Meads just as far as Avonmouth with a further seven continuing all the way to Severn Beach, only in the early mornings and evenings. A connecting bus provided through journeys from Avonmouth to Severn Beach during the daytime. During the morning, two trains provided a service approximately every 40 minutes, with an hourly daytime service using only one unit. As only one train was available to run weekday evening services, when all journeys ran to Severn Beach, the frequency of services was reduced because of the longer distance to Severn Beach. On Saturdays all 16 services ran to Severn Beach, using two trains to provide an hourly service. There was no Sunday service.
Services to Severn Beach will be reduced overall, with only one train every two hours Mondays to Fridays, as opposed to the current service provided by a bus every hour connecting with every train. However, overall journey time is shortened by 8 minutes by removing the need to change at Avonmouth. The bus continues to run on Saturdays to continue to provide, together with the through trains, one journey per hour to/from Severn Beach. For the first time in recent history, there will be a Sunday service, with hourly departures between 10am and 6pm from Bristol to Avonmouth, initially advertised to run until Sunday 7 September 2008. However this Sunday service has continued and will do so until at least 13 December 2008 when there will be the usual bi-annual timetable revision. St Andrew's Road and Severn Beach itself continue to have no Sunday service.
is due in part to its proximity to Bristol Zoo
.
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It runs from Narroways Hill Junction to Severn Beach
Severn Beach
Severn Beach is a village on the mouth of the river Severn in South Gloucestershire, England. A riverside footpath, which is part of the Severn Way, leads beneath the Second Severn Crossing bridge...
, and is the successor to the Bristol Port Railway and Pier, which ran from a Bristol terminus in the Avon Gorge
Avon Gorge
The Avon Gorge is a 1.5-mile long gorge on the River Avon in Bristol, England. The gorge runs south to north through a limestone ridge west of Bristol city centre, and about 3 miles from the mouth of the river at Avonmouth. The gorge forms the boundary between the unitary authorities of...
to a station and pier on the Severn Estuary
Severn Estuary
The Severn Estuary is the estuary of the River Severn, the longest river in Great Britain. Its high tidal range means it has been at the centre of discussions in the UK regarding renewable energy.-Geography:...
.
Passenger trains run from Bristol Temple Meads to Severn Beach via nine local stations. The line carries little freight traffic, with most of the heavy freight traffic to Avonmouth Docks
Avonmouth Docks
The Avonmouth Docks are part of the Port of Bristol, in England. They are situated on the northern side of the mouth of the River Avon, opposite the Royal Portbury Dock on the southern side, where the river joins the Severn estuary, within Avonmouth....
being routed via the Henbury Loop
Henbury Loop
The Henbury Loop is a railway line following the boundary between Bristol and South Gloucestershire between the Severn Beach Line at Holesmouth Junction, Avonmouth and the Cross Country Route/South Wales Main Line at Filton...
through Filton
Filton
Filton is a town in South Gloucestershire, England, situated on the northern outskirts of the city of Bristol, about from the city centre. Filton lies in Bristol postcode areas BS7 and BS34. The town centres upon Filton Church, which dates back to the 12th century and is a grade II listed building...
. The line has been highlighted by Thomas Cook
Thomas Cook Group
Thomas Cook Group plc is a travel company created on 19 June, 2007 by the merger of Thomas Cook AG and MyTravel Group plc. At flotation on the London Stock Exchange 52% of the shares in the new company were held by the German mail order and department store corporation Arcandor and 48% owned by...
as one of the scenic lines of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
The Bristol Port Railway and Pier
Work began on the 'Bristol Port Railway and Pier' (BPRP) in 1863 and the line was opened on 6 March 1865 with six trains each way on weekdays and four on Sundays.It ran from Hotwells railway station
Hotwells railway station
Hotwells railway station, was a railway station situated in the suburb of Hotwells in Bristol, England. It was the original southern terminus of the Bristol Port Railway and Pier which ran to a station and pier at Avonmouth...
, originally known as Clifton, west of Bristol city centre between the Clifton Suspension Bridge
Clifton Suspension Bridge
Brunel died in 1859, without seeing the completion of the bridge. Brunel's colleagues in the Institution of Civil Engineers felt that completion of the Bridge would be a fitting memorial, and started to raise new funds...
and Bridge Valley Road, to Avonmouth
Avonmouth
Avonmouth is a port and suburb of Bristol, England, located on the Severn Estuary, at the mouth of the River Avon.The council ward of Avonmouth also includes Shirehampton and the western end of Lawrence Weston.- Geography :...
, via Sea Mills and Shirehampton
Shirehampton
Shirehampton, near Avonmouth, at the north-western edge of the city of Bristol, England, is a district of Bristol which originated as a separate village. It retains something of its village feel, having a short identifiable High Street with the parish church situated among shops, and is still...
.
Connection and extension
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
and the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
decided to jointly fund a branch, known as the Clifton Extension Railway
Clifton Extension Railway
The Clifton Extension Railway was a joint railway in Bristol, owned by the Great Western Railway and the Midland Railway companies.-Description of line:...
, to connect the BPRP to both of their networks. The branch left the GWR South Wales line
Bristol and South Wales Union Railway
The Bristol and South Wales Union Railway was built to connect Bristol, England, with south Wales. The route involved a ferry crossing of the River Severn but was considerably shorter than the alternative route through Gloucester...
at Narroways Hill Junction, just north of the existing station at Stapleton Road
Stapleton Road railway station
Stapleton Road railway station lies in the inner city area of Easton, Bristol, England.It is a railway station on the Severn Beach Line; although it is also served by hourly trains between Gloucester and Westbury....
.
The branch was joined just beyond Narroways Hill by a line which left the Midland main line at Kingswood Junction, just west of Fishponds station. The first section through Montpelier
Montpelier railway station
Montpelier railway station is located in Montpelier, Bristol, England. It is a single-platformed station, north-west of Bristol Temple Meads on the Severn Beach Line. The station is managed and the service is operated by First Great Western. It is next to Cromwell Road, Cromwell Road itself is...
to Clifton Down
Clifton Down railway station
Clifton Down railway station is located on Whiteladies Road in Clifton, Bristol, England. The station is west of Bristol Temple Meads on the Severn Beach Line...
opened on 1 October 1874. It was quite an achievement, running though cuttings, and tunnels and over embankments and viaducts, the longest and highest as the train travels between Montpelier and Redland.
The greatest engineering feature of the branch was a mile-long tunnel underneath Clifton Down
Clifton Down
Clifton Down is an area of public open space in Bristol, England, north of the village of Clifton. With its neighbour Durdham Down to the northeast, it constitutes the large area known as The Downs, much used for leisure including walking and team sports...
. The section through the tunnel from Clifton Down station
Clifton Down railway station
Clifton Down railway station is located on Whiteladies Road in Clifton, Bristol, England. The station is west of Bristol Temple Meads on the Severn Beach Line...
to Sneyd Park
Sneyd Park
Sneyd Park is a suburb of Bristol, England, lying on the western fringe of Clifton Down, adjacent to the Avon Gorge and the Sea Walls observation point. Home to many millionaires, Sneyd Park was originally developed in Victorian times. Many Victorian and Edwardian villas line the edge of the Downs...
Junction, where it connected to the Bristol Port Railway, opened to goods traffic in 1877 and to passenger trains on 1 September 1885.
As a result of this BPRP Clifton station was renamed Hotwells. The section of track from here to Sneyd Park Junction survived until 1922 when it was demolished to build the A4 Bristol Portway
Portway, Bristol
The Portway is a trunk road, approximately long, which links central Bristol, England, with its port at Avonmouth. It is part of the A4 road, which was the primary east west highway in Southern England before the construction of the M4 motorway....
.
The residents of Redland
Redland, Bristol
Redland is an affluent suburb in Bristol, England. The suburb is situated between Clifton, Cotham, Bishopston and Westbury Park. The boundaries of the district are not precisely defined, but are generally taken to be Whiteladies Road in the west, the Severn Beach railway line in the south and...
successfully petitioned for a station
Redland railway station
Redland railway station is a small station on the Severn Beach Line on South Road in Redland, Bristol, England. It was opened 12 years after the line, in April 1897, following a petition by local residents. It lies between Montpelier railway station and Clifton Down railway station. It is a...
and in April 1897 one was opened close to the Lovers Walk bridge. The ticket office was on the bridge rather than the platform. St Andrews Road station was opened in March 1917 to serve the munitions factory there. Finally Severn Beach station opened in April 1922.
The line in modern times
Clifton Down railway station
Clifton Down railway station is located on Whiteladies Road in Clifton, Bristol, England. The station is west of Bristol Temple Meads on the Severn Beach Line...
and Avonmouth
Avonmouth railway station
Avonmouth railway station is a railway station serving the suburb of Avonmouth in Bristol, north-west from Bristol Temple Meads on the Severn Beach Line. All trains serving it are operated and the station is managed by First Great Western. The station is managed by First Great Western.Five...
. All stations except Temple Meads are unstaffed, and it is only possible to purchase a ticket for immediate travel after boarding the train as presently no stations are provided with ticket vending machines.
In 2009 stations on the line had real-time customer information screens installed. These show details of forthcoming departures, including when they are expected to arrive. The screens are built into the white circular 'Information Points' on the platforms.
Passenger services are operated by First Great Western
First 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....
using Class 143
British Rail Class 143
The British Rail Class 143 is a diesel multiple unit, part of the Pacer family of trains introduced between 1985 and 1986. They originally worked in the North-East of England but were later transferred to Wales and South-West England....
, Class 150
British Rail Class 150
The British Rail Class 150 "Sprinter" diesel multiple units were built by BREL from 1984-87. A total of 137 units were built in three main subclasses, replacing many of the earlier first-generation "Heritage" DMUs.- Background :...
, Class 153
British Rail Class 153
The British Rail Class 153 Super Sprinter is a single car diesel multiple unit converted from British Rail Class 155s.-Description:These units were originally built as two-car Class 155 units by British Leyland from 1987–88, but were converted by Hunslet-Barclay at Kilmarnock from 1991-92...
or Class 158
British Rail Class 158
British Rail Class 158 Express Sprinter is a diesel multiple-unit train, built for British Rail between 1989 and 1992 by BREL at its Derby Works. They were built to replace many locomotive-hauled passenger trains, and allowed cascading of existing Sprinter units to replace elderly 'heritage' DMUs...
diesel multiple units. These trains are usually two-man-operation, although during busy times a third member of staff may be rostered to assist in issuing tickets. With two-man-operation the guard is required to operate the passenger doors as well as serve as a ticket-issuing conductor, which can be a source of delays, as well as potentially a means of losing revenue. The plans for the line (see below) include the possibility of running trains with the driver opening the doors. In this case, the idea would be to free up the guard to simply check and issue tickets.
In the year 2005/6, 375,000 passenger journeys were officially known to have been made on the line. The main destination, other than Temple Meads, is Clifton Down, partly due to the large shopping centre immediately outside the station on Whiteladies Road
Whiteladies Road
Whiteladies Road is a main road in Bristol, England. It runs north from the Victoria Rooms to Durdham Down, and separates Clifton on the west side from Redland on the east...
.
The route has been used as a diversionary route for trains travelling north from Bristol when the normal route is closed for engineering work. The freight-only Henbury Loop
Henbury Loop
The Henbury Loop is a railway line following the boundary between Bristol and South Gloucestershire between the Severn Beach Line at Holesmouth Junction, Avonmouth and the Cross Country Route/South Wales Main Line at Filton...
connects Avonmouth with Bristol Parkway station on the London-South Wales
South Wales Main Line
The South Wales Main Line , originally known as the London, Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway or simply as the Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway, is a branch of the Great Western Main Line in Great Britain...
and Bristol-Birmingham
Cross Country Route (MR)
The North-East/South-West route is the major British rail route running from South West England via Bristol, Birmingham, Sheffield and Leeds to North-East England. It facilitates some of the longest inter-city rail journeys in the UK such as Penzance to Aberdeen...
routes.
On 20 October 1981, the Severn Beach Line saw one of the first uses of a railbus
Railbus
A railbus is a very lightweight type passenger rail vehicle that shares many aspects of their construction with a bus, usually having a bus, or modified bus body, and having four wheels on a fixed base, instead of on bogies...
on passenger services, when BREL
BREL
British Rail Engineering Limited , was the railway systems engineering division of British Rail, until the design and building of trains in the UK was privatised in 1993. On 31 October 1969, the company was incorporated as British Rail Engineering Limited.-Main products:The vast majority of BREL's...
Railbus RB003 operated the 10:08 service from . The first railbus concept, LEV1, would begin operations on the line less than a week later.
Prior to May 2008
On Sunday 18 May 2008, a major timetable change came into force on the line. Prior to this the service had been gradually improving over a couple of years, services on the line have not approached the frequencies and passenger numbers seen on other city branch lines in the UK.On Monday to Fridays, 11 trains ran from Bristol Temple Meads just as far as Avonmouth with a further seven continuing all the way to Severn Beach, only in the early mornings and evenings. A connecting bus provided through journeys from Avonmouth to Severn Beach during the daytime. During the morning, two trains provided a service approximately every 40 minutes, with an hourly daytime service using only one unit. As only one train was available to run weekday evening services, when all journeys ran to Severn Beach, the frequency of services was reduced because of the longer distance to Severn Beach. On Saturdays all 16 services ran to Severn Beach, using two trains to provide an hourly service. There was no Sunday service.
Current services
Bristol City Council has agreed to subsidise a more frequent service. Since December 2007 a more frequent service has operated in morning peaks, using two trains. From Sunday 18 May 2008, there is an increased service all day.. Trains start earlier in the morning and finish later in the evening, with three trains in every 2-hour cycle during the daytime. In addition to improving the frequency of services this also increases turnaround time, so the timetable should be more reliable. This will have the unfortunate side-effect of trains not being at the same times past each hour.Passenger volume
Below are the passenger usage statistics from years starting April 2002 to April 2009. Comparing 2002 with later years has shown a general increase on the line in usage. The most recent figures have been attributed to an improved service. The high usage at Clifton DownClifton Down railway station
Clifton Down railway station is located on Whiteladies Road in Clifton, Bristol, England. The station is west of Bristol Temple Meads on the Severn Beach Line...
is due in part to its proximity to Bristol Zoo
Bristol Zoo
Bristol Zoo is a zoo in the city of Bristol in South West England. The zoo's stated mission is "Bristol Zoo Gardens maintains and defends biodiversity through breeding endangered species, conserving threatened species and habitats and promoting a wider understanding of the natural...
.
| 2002-03 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54,180 | 46,508 | 55,865 | 68,371 | 55,730 | 67,338 | 77,201 | 73,202 | 86,997 | 98,446 | 72,182 | 103,576 | 62,005 | 65,108 | 73,573 | 76,969 | 60,629 | 84,834 | 50,293 | 50,063 | 55,529 | 66,852 | 61,394 | 86,234 | 187,558 | 141,838 | 153,027 | 180,656 | 204,397 | 281,876 | 34,649 | 34,113 | 36,411 | 40,786 | 33,222 | 36,358 | 37,563 | 29,645 | 31,539 | 38,493 | 30,893 | 34,292 | 40,089 | 33,815 | 43,365 | 47,834 | 44,468 | 61,948 | 3,021 | 4,969 | 8,008 | 5,518 | 3,183 | 3,582 | 36,074 | 29,295 | 37,088 | 38,202 | 54,034 | 74,712 | Severnside Severnside The geographical term Severnside refers to an area adjoining or straddling the River Severn or its estuary in the United Kingdom.The term is used by different organisations, in different contexts, to refer to quite different areas. The Severn passes through both England and Wales, in some places... Community Rail Partnership Community rail In the United Kingdom, a community rail line is a local railway which is specially supported by local organisations. This support is usually through a Community Rail Partnerships – comprising both the railway operator, local councils and other community organisations – or sometimes by... have produced the Severn Beach Line Development Plan. This plan aims to radically increase passenger numbers, train frequencies, information and station conditions, and looks at longer term development opportunities, such as using the line to serve the Portway Park and Ride site and running a 'loop' service via new stations on the Henbury line. External links
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