Henbury Loop Line

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Henbury Loop
Bristol MMB <<L5 Henbury Loop Line.jpg
The line at Henbury
Overview
StatusOperational (freight only)
Owner Network Rail
Locale Bristol
South Gloucestershire
Termini
Stations5 (0 in use)
Service
Type Heavy rail
System National Rail
Technical
Line length6 miles 39 chains (10.4 km) [1]
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Route map
Henbury Loop Line.png
(Click to expand)

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.

Contents

History

The line was opened on 9 May 1910, as a more direct route to Avonmouth docks, and was initially known as the Avonmouth and Filton Railway. Although the line was mainly intended for freight services, passenger services were also provided until 1915, with stations at Filton Halt, Charlton, Henbury and Hallen. In 1917 a small station was opened at Chittening Platform to serve a new factory. The line was fully reopened to passenger traffic in 1922. Filton Halt, Charlton and Hallen stations did not reopen, but in 1926 a new station, North Filton Platform, was opened on the site of Filton Halt. The line closed to passenger traffic in 1964. [2]

In 1971 a curve was opened to link the line to the South Wales Main Line at Patchway. This was to facilitate traffic to and from South Wales, including zoo excursions to Clifton Down. [3]

Reopening

Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways (FOSBR) and other local rail campaign groups support the reopening of the line to passengers, as well as the stations at North Filton and Henbury. [4] [5] [6] [7] FOSBR suggest this would help services along the Severn Beach Line, allowing a Bristol Temple Meads-Avonmouth-Bristol Parkway service, and also provide services to the north of Bristol generally, the Cribbs Causeway shopping centre, [8] and the redevelopment at Filton Aerodrome. [8] South Gloucestershire Council planning committee recommended in 2011 that the line be re-opened for passenger services. [9]

A consultation document produced for the West of England Partnership by the Halcrow Group suggested passenger services use the line as a spur. Campaigners objected that the suggested services would not call at stations such as Stapleton Road and Lawrence Hill. [7]

A one-off service, operated by First Great Western, ran on the line on 27 July 2013. [10] The train operator hoped to use the service to demonstrate the feasibility of running services over the line, and to make the case for suitable funding. [10] and depends in part upon the four-tracking of Filton Bank to allow more trains to operate the line from Bristol Temple Meads to Filton Abbey Wood. [11] Work on restoring four-track use on Filton Bank was completed in late 2018.

In October 2022 the opening of a new station, North Filton, on the line was pushed back to 2026. [12]

In March 2023 construction work began on Ashley Down station, which, along with Filton Abbey Wood and new stations at North Filton and Henbury, will serve a planned new route along part of the Henbury Loop Line. [13] The new Ashley Down station opened to passenger traffic on 28 September 2024. [14]

This line has been identified by Campaign for a Better Transport as a candidate for reopening. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Severn Beach line</span> Railway in Bristol and Gloucestershire, England

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stapleton Road railway station</span> Railway station in Bristol, England

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Filton Abbey Wood railway station</span> Railway station in Gloucestershire, England

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patchway railway station</span> Railway station in Gloucestershire, England

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montpelier railway station</span> Railway station in Bristol, England

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clifton Down railway station</span> Railway station in Bristol, England

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redland railway station</span> Railway station in Bristol, England

Redland railway station is on the Severn Beach Line and serves the districts of Cotham and Redland in Bristol, England. It is 3.3 miles (5.3 km) from Bristol Temple Meads. Its three letter station code is RDA. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sea Mills railway station</span> Railway station in Bristol, England

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shirehampton railway station</span> Railway station in Bristol, England

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avonmouth railway station</span> Railway station in Bristol, England

Avonmouth railway station is located on the Severn Beach Line and serves the district of Avonmouth in Bristol, England. It is 9 miles (14 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawrence Hill railway station</span> Railway station in Bristol, England

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.

Chittening Platform railway station was a station on the former Great Western Railway between Filton and Avonmouth.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MetroWest (Bristol)</span> Project to improve the rail services in Bristol

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Filton Platform railway station</span> Former railway station in England

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henbury railway station</span> Former railway station in England

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hallen Halt railway station</span> Former railway station in England

Hallen Halt railway station was a railway station in Hallen, Gloucestershire, England, on the Henbury Loop Line. The station is closed, and the line is closed to passengers.

Charlton Halt railway station was a railway station which served the village of Charlton, west of Filton in South Gloucestershire, England, on the Avonmouth and Filton Railway, now known as the Henbury Loop Line. The station was open only between May 1910 and March 1915, when the line was closed to passengers. The line was reopened to passengers from 1922 to 1964, but the station was not reopened.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashley Down railway station</span> Railway station in Bristol, England

Ashley Down railway station is a railway station in Bristol, serving the Ashley Down area. It opened on 28 September 2024.

References

  1. ↑ Deaves, Phil. "Engineer's Line References: AFR – Avonmouth and Filton Railway" . Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  2. ↑ Disused Stations site record: North Filton Platform
  3. ↑ Maggs, C. (1981) Rail Centres: Bristol Ian Allan ISBN   0-7110-1153-2 p. 22
  4. ↑ "Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways making rail difference". This is Bristol. Northcliffe Media. 25 September 2010. Archived from the original on 13 September 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
  5. ↑ "Council leader's claim is a distortion of the facts". This is Bristol. Northcliffe Media. 29 July 2011. Archived from the original on 9 December 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
  6. ↑ Leslie, Charlotte (10 November 2008). "Unite to fight the sale of Henbury train station". This is Bristol. Northcliffe Media. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  7. 1 2 Bristol Evening Post (28 March 2012). "Campaigners raise questions over Henbury rail route". This is Bristol. Northcliffe Media. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  8. 1 2 "Our Case". Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways . Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  9. ↑ "Planners back Filton Airfield's closure". BBC News. 5 December 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  10. 1 2 "Bristol Henbury Loop train runs again after 50 years". BBC News. 27 July 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  11. ↑ "Bristol Henbury Loop railway line case pushed by MP". BBC News. 9 August 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  12. ↑ Seabrook, Alex (28 October 2022). "Station serving new Bristol arena will not open until 2026". BristolLive. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  13. ↑ "Ashley Down station". Travelwest. 3 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  14. ↑ "Ashley Down station". BBC.co.uk. 27 September 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  15. ↑ https://bettertransport.org.uk/sites/default/files/research-files/case-for-expanding-rail-network.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
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