Stapleton Road railway station
Encyclopedia
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 station platform has a long mural by local artist Bill Guilding, which features characters illustrating local and historical themes.
Stapleton Road station was opened on 8 September 1863, when the Bristol and South Wales Union Railway
was opened. The BSWUR (absorbed by the Great Western Railway
in 1868) ran from Temple Meads to New Passage
, where a ferry took passengers to South Wales.
The station became a junction station in 1874, when the branch to Clifton Down
, now part of the Severn Beach Line, was opened. Express trains started calling at Stapleton Road in 1887, when trains from London to South Wales started using the Severn Tunnel
. The London to South Wales trains passed through Bristol until 1903, when the direct line through Badminton was opened. Trains from Cardiff to Portsmouth continued to stop at Bristol (Stapleton Road) instead of Temple Meads until the 1960s.
Recently, Stapleton Road Station has become home to a community group, Eastside Roots. Local Volunteers have turned the station into an eco-garden and are holding some interesting events.
published details of the improvements they plan to undertake over the next three years at Stapleton Road:
, although CrossCountry
trains do pass through between Bristol and Birmingham.
Monday to Saturday there are five trains every two hours to/from Bristol Temple Meads.
There are three trains every two hours to Avonmouth
via Clifton Down
along the Severn Beach Line
, most using Pacer units, with certain journeys extended to Severn Beach
. On Saturdays there is a similar level of service, but more trains continue to Severn Beach. Sunday sees a roughly hourly service to and from Bristol, with only two services extending to Severn Beach, except from the May timetable change until September, when all services are extended.
In December 2007 the service towards Temple Meads doubled with the introduction of trains that previously did not stop at the station and from May 2008, a more frequent service on the Severn Beach Line led to even more trains calling. In peak hours, up to four trains per hour to or from Bristol Temple Meads call here.
The Gloucester to Westbury service also calls here every hour (Mondays - Saturdays only, southbound services only). Several of these are extended to or . An hourly to service also calls here. Also the to service also calls here every hour (Saturdays only, northbound services only).
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| First Great Western
Severn Beach Line
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| First Great Western
Great Malvern to Weymouth
(Mondays to Saturdays only, southbound only)
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| First Great Western
Bristol Parkway to Weston-super-Mare
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| First Great Western
Cardiff Central to Taunton
(Limited service)
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Easton, Bristol
Easton is both the name of a council ward in the city of Bristol in the United Kingdom, and an inner city area that lies partly within that ward. The Easton ward also contains the Whitehall and Netham areas of the city. Notable places within the ward include Lawrence Hill and Stapleton Road railway...
, Bristol
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...
, 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...
.
It is a railway station on the Severn Beach Line
Severn Beach Line
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...
; although it is also served by hourly trains between Gloucester
Gloucester railway station
Gloucester railway station serves the city of Gloucester in England. The station was originally built as the terminus of the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway in 1840, but the arrival of the Bristol and Gloucester Railway and Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway in 1844, and then conversion...
and Westbury
Westbury railway station
Westbury railway station serves the town of Westbury, Wiltshire, England. The station is managed by First Great Western.The station is a major junction, serving the Reading to Plymouth Line with services to and from Penzance and London Paddington, the Wessex Main Line with services to and from...
.
The station platform has a long mural by local artist Bill Guilding, which features characters illustrating local and historical themes.
History
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...
was opened. The BSWUR (absorbed by the Great Western Railway
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...
in 1868) ran from Temple Meads to New Passage
New Passage
New Passage is a small hamlet in South Gloucestershire, England located on the banks of the Severn estuary near the village of Pilning. It derives its name from the ferry service which operated between there and South Wales before the late 19th century, when it lost out in competition with the...
, where a ferry took passengers to South Wales.
The station became a junction station in 1874, when the branch 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...
, now part of the Severn Beach Line, was opened. Express trains started calling at Stapleton Road in 1887, when trains from London to South Wales started using the Severn Tunnel
Severn Tunnel
The Severn Tunnel is a railway tunnel in the United Kingdom, linking South Gloucestershire in the west of England to Monmouthshire in south Wales under the estuary of the River Severn....
. The London to South Wales trains passed through Bristol until 1903, when the direct line through Badminton was opened. Trains from Cardiff to Portsmouth continued to stop at Bristol (Stapleton Road) instead of Temple Meads until the 1960s.
Recently, Stapleton Road Station has become home to a community group, Eastside Roots. Local Volunteers have turned the station into an eco-garden and are holding some interesting events.
Future
In March 2007, 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....
published details of the improvements they plan to undertake over the next three years at Stapleton Road:
- CCTV
- Help and information points
- Public address system
- Rename station to Easton
- Community garden
- Maintain mural
Services
Services at Stapleton Road are all provided 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....
, although CrossCountry
CrossCountry
CrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
trains do pass through between Bristol and Birmingham.
Monday to Saturday there are five trains every two hours to/from Bristol Temple Meads.
There are three trains every two hours to 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...
via 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...
along the Severn Beach Line
Severn Beach Line
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...
, most using Pacer units, with certain journeys extended to Severn Beach
Severn Beach railway station
Severn Beach railway station serves the village of Severn Beach, England. This is the terminus of the Severn Beach Line.This station is north west from Bristol Temple Meads on the Severn Beach Line...
. On Saturdays there is a similar level of service, but more trains continue to Severn Beach. Sunday sees a roughly hourly service to and from Bristol, with only two services extending to Severn Beach, except from the May timetable change until September, when all services are extended.
In December 2007 the service towards Temple Meads doubled with the introduction of trains that previously did not stop at the station and from May 2008, a more frequent service on the Severn Beach Line led to even more trains calling. In peak hours, up to four trains per hour to or from Bristol Temple Meads call here.
The Gloucester to Westbury service also calls here every hour (Mondays - Saturdays only, southbound services only). Several of these are extended to or . An hourly to service also calls here. Also the to service also calls here every hour (Saturdays only, northbound services only).
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| 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....
Severn Beach Line
Severn Beach Line
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...
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| 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....
Great Malvern to Weymouth
Heart of Wessex Line
The Heart of Wessex Line, also known as the Bristol to Weymouth line, is a United Kingdom railway line that runs from Bristol to Westbury to Weymouth...
(Mondays to Saturdays only, southbound only)
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| style="background:#;" |
| 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....
Bristol Parkway to Weston-super-Mare
Bristol to Exeter line
The Bristol to Exeter line is a major branch of the Great Western Main Line in the southern United Kingdom and runs from Bristol, to Exeter, from where it continues as the Exeter to Plymouth line...
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| 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....
Cardiff Central to Taunton
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...
(Limited service)
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