Filton Bank is the name given to a 4+1⁄2-mile (7 km) section of the Bristol to Birmingham line in Bristol, England, roughly between Lawrence Hill and Filton Abbey Wood stations.
Filton Bank is the name given to a 4+1⁄2-mile (7 km) section of the Bristol to Birmingham line in Bristol, England, roughly between Lawrence Hill and Filton Abbey Wood stations.
The line runs from Dr Days Junction where the Great Western Main Line branches off from the Bristol to Birmingham line just south of Lawrence Hill station, to Filton Junction just north of Filton Abbey Wood station where the South Wales Main Line branches off. The Severn Beach line branches off at Narroways Hill Junction. The 4+1⁄2-mile (7 km) line was returned to quadruple track for its full length in 2018. [1]
The line was built by the Bristol and South Wales Union Railway. It was four-tracked until 1984 when it was reduced to double track, with the running lines slewed over to increase line speeds. In late 2018 it was returned to four-track. [2]
It was announced in July 2012 that Filton Bank would be returned to a four-track layout. This would restore the separation between fast, main line services and stopping, relief line services, increasing capacity on the line. A fourth platform was built at Filton Abbey Wood station. It allowed services on the Severn Beach line to be increased to twice hourly, and the introduction of a twice hourly London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads via Bristol Parkway service. [3] [4] The additional tracks were opened on 19 November 2018 with work scheduled to finish in 2019. [5]
The line was planned to be electrified as part of the Great Western Main Line electrification scheme. [6] In preparation for electrification, the footbridge at Stapleton Road was replaced to give room for overhead cables. [7] [8] In November 2016 it was announced that electrification on this section of line had been deferred due to cost overruns. [9]
The Severn Beach line is a local railway line in Bristol and Gloucestershire, England, which runs from Bristol Temple Meads to Severn Beach, and used to extend to Pilning. The first sections of the line were opened in 1865 as part of the Bristol Port Railway and Pier; the section through Bristol was opened in 1875 as the Clifton Extension Railway.
Stapleton Road railway station is on the Severn Beach Line and Cross Country Route, serving the inner-city district of Easton in Bristol, England. It is 1.6 miles (2.6 km) from Bristol Temple Meads. Its three letter station code is SRD. The station has two platforms, four running lines and minimal facilities. It is managed by Great Western Railway, the seventh company to be responsible for the station, and the third franchise since privatisation in 1997. They provide all train services at the station, the standard service being two trains per hour along the Severn Beach Line and an hourly service between Bristol Temple Meads and Filton Abbey Wood.
Filton Abbey Wood railway station serves the town of Filton in South Gloucestershire, England; it is located 4.4 miles (7.1 km) from Bristol Temple Meads. There are four platforms but minimal facilities. The station is managed by Great Western Railway, which also operates all calling services. The general service level is nine trains per hour: two to Cardiff Central, two towards Gloucester, one towards Taunton, two towards Westbury and two to Bristol Temple Meads.
Patchway railway station is on the South Wales Main Line, serving the town of Patchway and village of Stoke Gifford in South Gloucestershire, England. It is 6 miles (10 km) from Bristol Temple Meads. Its three letter station code is PWY. It is managed by Great Western Railway, who provide all train services at the station; there is generally a train every hour in each direction between Cardiff Central and Taunton.
Montpelier railway station is on the Severn Beach Line and serves the district of Montpelier in Bristol, England. It is 2.85 miles (4.59 km) from Bristol Temple Meads. Its three letter station code is MTP. The station has a single platform, serving trains in both directions. As of 2015 it is managed by Great Western Railway, which is the third franchise to be responsible for the station since privatisation in 1997. They provide all train services at the station, mainly a train every 30 minutes in each direction.
Clifton Down railway station is on the Severn Beach line and serves the district of Clifton in Bristol, England. It is 3.9 miles (6.3 km) from Bristol Temple Meads. Its three letter station code is CFN. The station has two platforms, each serving trains in one direction only. As of 2015 it is managed by Great Western Railway, which is the third franchise to be responsible for the station since privatisation in 1997. They provide all train services at the station, mainly a train every 30 minutes in each direction.
Sea Mills railway station is on the Severn Beach Line and serves the districts of Sea Mills, Stoke Bishop, Sneyd Park and nearby Westbury on Trym in Bristol, England. It is 6 miles (9.7 km) from Bristol Temple Meads, situated at the confluence of the River Avon and River Trym and near the A4 Bristol Portway. Its three letter station code is SML. The station has a single platform which serves trains in both directions. As of 2015 it is managed by Great Western Railway, which is the third franchise to be responsible for the station since privatisation in 1997. They provide all train services at the station, mainly a train every 30 minutes in each direction.
Shirehampton railway station is on the Severn Beach Line and serves the district of Shirehampton in Bristol, England. It is 7.6 miles (12.2 km) from Bristol Temple Meads. Its three letter station code is SHH. The station has a single platform which serves trains in both directions. As of 2015 it is managed by Great Western Railway, which is the third franchise to be responsible for the station since privatisation in 1997. They provide all train services at the station, mainly a train every 30 minutes in each direction.
Avonmouth railway station is located on the Severn Beach Line and serves the district of Avonmouth in Bristol, England. It is 9.0 miles (14.5 km) from Bristol Temple Meads. Its three letter station code is AVN. The station has two platforms, on either side of two running lines. As of 2015 it is managed by Great Western Railway, which is the third franchise to be responsible for the station since privatisation in 1997. They provide all train services at the station, mainly a train every 30 minutes to Bristol Temple Meads and one every hour to Severn Beach.
Severn Beach railway station serves the village of Severn Beach, England. The station is the terminus of the Severn Beach Line.
Lawrence Hill railway station is on the Severn Beach Line and Cross Country Route, serving the inner-city districts of Easton and Lawrence Hill in Bristol, England. It is 1.0 mile (1.6 km) from Bristol Temple Meads. Its three letter station code is LWH. The station has two platforms, four running lines and minimal facilities. It is managed by Great Western Railway, the seventh company to be responsible for the station and the third franchise since privatisation in 1997. They provide all train services at the station, the standard service being two trains per hour along the Severn Beach Line and an hourly service between Bristol Temple Meads and Filton Abbey Wood.
The Henbury Loop Line, also known as the Filton to Avonmouth Line, is a railway line following the boundary between Bristol and South Gloucestershire between the Severn Beach Line at Hallen Marsh Junction, Avonmouth and the Cross Country Route/South Wales Main Line at Filton. It is currently only used for freight.
Rail services in the West of England refer to passenger rail journeys made in the Bristol commuter area. 17 million passenger rail journeys were made in 2019-20 within the Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Bristol/Bath region.
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. The ferry was replaced by the Severn Tunnel in 1886 but part of the route continues to be used, forming parts of the Cross-Country Route and the South Wales Main Line.
Ashton Gate railway station was a railway station serving the Ashton Gate area of Bristol, England, which included Ashton Gate football ground, the home ground of Bristol City F.C. It was located on the Portishead Railway.
In the 2010s Network Rail modernised the Great Western Main Line, the South Wales Main Line, and other associated lines. The modernisation plans were announced at separate times but their implementation overlapped in the 2010s.
MetroWest, formerly known as the Greater Bristol Metro, is a project to improve the rail services in Bristol, England, and the surrounding region. It was first proposed at First Great Western's Stakeholder Event in March 2008. The aim of the project is to develop half-hourly services through central Bristol which will also serve the surrounding West of England region. Transport campaigning groups Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways (FoSBR) and Transport for Greater Bristol are actively supporting the proposal, as are the three unitary authorities under the West of England Combined Authority and North Somerset Council.
North Filton Platform was a railway station which served the northern part of Filton, Gloucestershire, England. It was on the railway line between Filton and Avonmouth, and was situated on the western side of Gloucester Road.
Bristol Rail Campaign is a Bristol-based campaign group, calling for better rail transport in the Bristol area.
Henbury railway station served the Bristol suburb of Henbury, England, from 1910 to 1965. The station was situated on the Henbury Loop Line of the Great Western Railway and was opened on 9 May 1910 for passenger services. Under the Beeching cuts, it was closed to passengers on 23 November 1964, with goods services ceasing on 5 July 1965. There is a proposal to reopen the station as part of the Greater Bristol Metro scheme.
The 4 projects being deferred are:..electrification of Filton Bank