New Station calendar

[freetoview33]

BBC local news article:

Portway Park and Ride train station opens in Bristol

From Tuesday, regular services will run from the station along the Severn Beach railway line.

www.bbc.com

Once again, the PR team is forgetting about Filton Abbey Wood with their ‘first new Bristol station for 96 years’ statement.

I suspect the station will attract a few passengers from nearby housing, as well as park and ride, as it will be much closer to them than shirehampton. It’s also not an unreasonable journey by bike from Portbury dock (there’s a path over the Avonmouth bridge that connects to another path going through Portbury) - maybe a bit of signage would help promote this.

I was there at the press event so can be seen in the video.

Well it's the technicality that Filton Abbey Wood is in South Gloucestershire not Bristol and that it was a resited station.

 

[The exile]

Most of the people leaving the train with me yesterday evening appeared to be heading for the steps up to the Portway on foot rather than picking up their car. Most looked like genuine commuters (but then so would I have done!)

 

[JKF]

Most of the people leaving the train with me yesterday evening appeared to be heading for the steps up to the Portway on foot rather than picking up their car. Most looked like genuine commuters (but then so would I have done!)

Suspect it will pilfer a few numbers from Shirehampton, quite convenient for housing on the other side of the Portway.

Well it's the technicality that Filton Abbey Wood is in South Gloucestershire not Bristol and that it was a resited station.

The boundary between Bristol and South Gloucestershire (according to Google Maps at least) actually passes down the middle of the station, so the slow line platforms are actually in Bristol! Bet that added to the planning costs quite a bit.

Thank you to my predecessors for initially creating and then taking on the updating of this thread.

Ashley Down [ASD]	2024	under construction	between Filton Abbey Wood and St Andrews Road	Discussion here

Note: Updates will be mentioned in a new post at the end of the thread, and reflected in the above table.

Just a minor correction for the main table as above - should be ‘between Filton Abbey wood and Stapleton Road’ not St Andrews.

Have there been any serious proposals for Winterbourne Station between Bristol Parkway and Yate? It would appear to score well on Altnabreac’s formula, and I have a faint recollection of it being suggested or considered in the past. 10,000+ population, short commute distance into Bristol.

 

[freetoview33]

Suspect it will pilfer a few numbers from Shirehampton, quite convenient for housing on the other side of the Portway.



The boundary between Bristol and South Gloucestershire (according to Google Maps at least) actually passes down the middle of the station, so the slow line platforms are actually in Bristol! Bet that added to the planning costs quite a bit.


Just a minor correction for the main table as above - should be ‘between Filton Abbey wood and Stapleton Road’ not St Andrews.

Have there been any serious proposals for Winterbourne Station between Bristol Parkway and Yate? It would appear to score well on Altnabreac’s formula, and I have a faint recollection of it being suggested or considered in the past. 10,000+ population, short commute distance into Bristol.

For planning purposes Filton Abbey Wood lies within South Gloucestershire.

 

[WesternBiker]

Have there been any serious proposals for Winterbourne Station between Bristol Parkway and Yate? It would appear to score well on Altnabreac’s formula, and I have a faint recollection of it being suggested or considered in the past. 10,000+ population, short commute distance into Bristol.

The Friends of Bristol Suburban Railways support (re)opening the nearby Coalpit Heath station, having concluded there are problems with the site at Winterbourne. See: https://fosbr.org.uk/coalpit-heath-station/

Is there support for Coalpit Heath station?

FoSBR have long advocated an additional station to the north-east of Bristol. The most promising locations are Winterbourne or Coalpit Heath, both of which had stations serving passengers until 1961. Both old station sites are on the Bristol Parkway to Paddington main line, so would need passing loops to allow fast trains to overtake stopping trains.

In our newsletter summaries of station re-opening potential in 2016, we came to the conclusion that Winterbourne was not an easy location as there was no potential for passing loops. East of the station, the line crosses the Winterbourne viaduct, whilst west of the former goods yard (now Travis Perkins) the line is in a cutting.

Coalpit Heath looks like a more promising location, so we have included it in our Plan for Rail.

The Coalpit Heath station site (on the down line towards Bristol) now forms the Ram Hill Business Park. On the opposite side of the track, the remains of the old up platform can be seen. It might be possible to install passing loops/platforms and there is spare land on both sides, assuming the business park can still be accommodated. As housing in Coalpit Heath is some way from the station, car parking would be needed – unless a shuttle bus could be provided, potentially from Coalpit Heath, Winterbourne and Emersons Green.

They concluded that at either location there would be a need for passing loops (given this is on the busy section of the line shared by GWR's South Wales services as well as the Gloucester-Bristol line). Aside from whether the demand exists (and the relative proximity, for those driving to the station, of Bristol Parkway and Yate), the cost of loops must be a killer - and that assumes that they would actually mitigate the capacity / timetabling issues.

As a complete aside, the FoSBR article quotes locals canvassed in the village. The "mixed" views are almost all negative... I love this response: "There are already too many trains running too fast along the viaduct at the end of my garden, the electric ones are just as noisy as the diesel trains."

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Just a minor correction for the main table as above - should be ‘between Filton Abbey wood and Stapleton Road’ not St Andrews.

Oops

Table corrected.

 

[freetoview33]

The Friends of Bristol Suburban Railways support (re)opening the nearby Coalpit Heath station, having concluded there are problems with the site at Winterbourne. See: https://fosbr.org.uk/coalpit-heath-station/



They concluded that at either location there would be a need for passing loops (given this is on the busy section of the line shared by GWR's South Wales services as well as the Gloucester-Bristol line). Aside from whether the demand exists (and the relative proximity, for those driving to the station, of Bristol Parkway and Yate), the cost of loops must be a killer - and that assumes that they would actually mitigate the capacity / timetabling issues.

As a complete aside, the FoSBR article quotes locals canvassed in the village. The "mixed" views are almost all negative... I love this response: "There are already too many trains running too fast along the viaduct at the end of my garden, the electric ones are just as noisy as the diesel trains."

This is very true, but pre covid Network Rail did look at the need for four tracking between Yate and Bristol Parkway.

 

[WesternBiker]

This is very true, but pre covid Network Rail did look at the need for four tracking between Yate and Bristol Parkway.

Indeed: it is one of the recommendations in the 2021 Bristol to Birmingham rail corridor strategic study. That would make an additional station easier to timetable (along with other wider benefits). But - along with tackling the junction at Westerleigh itself - it is going to come with a hefty price tag (given the number of viaducts and cuttings). I can't see happening in the foreseeable future. Anyway, we're into the realms of speculation, so maybe best to leave it there...

 

[Annetts key]

This is very true, but pre covid Network Rail did look at the need for four tracking between Yate and Bristol Parkway.

It is certainly true that the line between Stoke Gifford and Westerleigh is very busy and this limits the capacity of the line. But in engineering terms, four tracking the whole length would be very expensive, due to the length and number of viaducts, bridges (over and under), cuttings and embankments.

It would be possible to add a third, or fourth line in places. But part of a better solution would be to add a new, higher speed curve from just east of Coalpit Heath around to Yate.

 

[Rail Ranger]

BBC local news article:

Portway Park and Ride train station opens in Bristol

From Tuesday, regular services will run from the station along the Severn Beach railway line.

www.bbc.com

Once again, the PR team is forgetting about Filton Abbey Wood with their ‘first new Bristol station for 96 years’ statement.

I suspect the station will attract a few passengers from nearby housing, as well as park and ride, as it will be much closer to them than shirehampton. It’s also not an unreasonable journey by bike from Portbury dock (there’s a path over the Avonmouth bridge that connects to another path going through Portbury) - maybe a bit of signage would help promote this.

Arguably, Filton Abbey Wood replaced the previous Filton station.

 

[androdas]

Article has been published on the Northumberland Line project website. Construction work has been started on Northumberland Park, Bebside and Bedlington Stations with work due to resume on Seaton Delaval on the 7th of this month.

Full article below including pictures from the recent route learning / press trip by Northern:

Travelling the Northumberland Line

Wednesday 2nd August was another important day for the Northumberland Line as project partners and stakeholders had a chance to see the progress on the works along the line from a couple of special trains that ran along most of the line. Northern ran the trains from Newcastle to Morpeth via the...

www.northumberlandline.uk

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Assistance please.

Is this the proposed Darlaston James Bridge station?

Location	CRS	NLC	TIPLOC	STANME	STANOX
Darlaston	DAS	045400	DRLSTN		65087

source: http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/index.shtml

Minor updates:
Headbolt Lane: Monday 2 October, not Monday 1.
Brent Cross West: Monday 16 October, Realtime Trains shows calls in the GBTT column from that date.
Crwys Road: I've left it at 2023 with an * as there is no official statement on a later opening although it has been mentioned on the forum. There is also a blog 'The Tab' which quotes 2024.
White Rose: revised to early 2024.

 

[SargeNpton]

Assistance please.

Is this the proposed Darlaston James Bridge station?

Location	CRS	NLC	TIPLOC	STANME	STANOX
Darlaston	DAS	045400	DRLSTN		65087

source: http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/index.shtml

Yes, it is.

Never seen "James Bridge" mentioned as being in the station name before though.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Yes, it is.

Never seen "James Bridge" mentioned as being in the station name before though.

Thank you.

I have amended the name to plain 'Darlaston', the James Bridge bit comes from the location and the name of the station which used to exist close to the site of the proposed station.

 

[Snow1964]

BBC reporting today that timetable study is happening for Chard

Plans for a new railway station have taken a step forward after officials agreed to do a timetable study.
Chard Junction railway station served people for more than 100 years before it was closed in March 1966.
Network Rail has now agreed to do research in to how workable it would be for services to call at the station.
Somerset councillor Connor Payne, who spearheaded the call for a new station, said the move showed it was being taken "very seriously".
"This gives us an opportunity to provide a convincing case to reopen the station," he said.
"Chard Parkway would enable local residents to find better job and learning opportunities, and in conjunction with additional active travel projects, residents of Chard and the surrounding villages would see a significant improvement to everyday life in the area.

Chard Parkway Station plans progress after study agreed

National Rail says a timetable study will reveal if the station would cause delays or disruption.

www.bbc.co.uk

Planning Application for Henbury station has gone in
Will be on same line as North Filton and Ashley Down

A railway station which closed to passengers in 1964 looks likely to be reopened as soon as 2024 as part of a line which could one day take passengers from Bristol to the new arena at Filton.

​

The new single-platform Henbury station will not be exactly in the same location as the original, but Network Rail have now revealed more details in a planning application to South Gloucestershire Council.

It will be located just east of Wyck Beck Road – the A4018 – on former agricultural land that now makes up the Fishpool Hill development which has has planning permission for more than 1000 homes.

The reopening of the Henbury line is part of MetroWest phase 2 and will see new stations at Henbury, North Filton and Ashley Down (where construction has already started) providing an hourly service from Temple Meads to Filton Abbey Wood and onto North Filton and Henbury, and half-hourly services between Temple Meads and Gloucester via Yate.

If planning permission is granted, Henbury’s new railway station – only a few yards from the border between Bristol and South Glos – will include a rail platform, car parking for 34 cars, cycle stands for 40 bikes and an access ramp from the A4018.

The main access to the unmanned station will be off Passage Road with additional pedestrian access from the ramp.

If and when South Glos councillors grant planning permission for the new station, construction work is expected to take 12 months, with an opening date sometime in 2024.

Henbury's new railway station could open as soon as 2024

The reopening of the Henbury line is part of the MetroWest phase 2 and will see new stations at Henbury, North Filton and Ashley Down

www.bristol247.com

 

[Annetts key]

Planning Application for Henbury station has gone in
Will be on same line as North Filton and Ashley Down

It may be the same train service that runs to these three stations, but Ashley Down is most definitely not on the same line as North Filton and Henbury.

 

[Snow1964]

It may be the same train service that runs to these three stations, but Ashley Down is most definitely not on the same line as North Filton and Henbury.

You are correct, I meant same service.
Network Rail seem to call it Avonmouth and Filton railway on the plans.

Henbury station seems to be a single platform adjacent to a siding, clear of through lines on north side, accessed by 25mph crossovers, with through lines marked as 60mph.

From the plans looks like platform will be about 130m long, long enough for 5car trains, but bit too short for pairs of 3car BEMUs. However does appear proposed starting signal BL1840 is about 25m beyond platform edge. Feels they are missing a trick not allowing for 2 x 3car in future (do GWR really want to have mix of new 2car and 3car BEMUs in future)

 

[REVUpminster]

Planning application for Edginswell Station gone in today, P/2023/0708, with lifts.

 

[Dan G]

Planning application for Edginswell Station gone in today, P/2023/0708, with lifts.View attachment 141341

I was literally just thinking "I wonder what's happening with Edginswell" and opened this thread to see if there was any mention!

I believe this is the second application, is it not? And this second application is about a year late on when Torbay Council said they would submit it...

 

[REVUpminster]

I was literally just thinking "I wonder what's happening with Edginswell" and opened this thread to see if there was any mention!

I believe this is the second application, is it not? And this second application is about a year late on when Torbay Council said they would submit it...

First application was approved November 2016 and expired November 2019. This was the version with stairs and long ramps but no money to build. Torbay acquired from various sources £13m last year and the new plans with lifts are the ones presented by Network Rail Infrastructure Limited a year late and the money is now no longer enough. The new Tory council reckon they are £10m short.
Incidently the lifts at Torquay Station were approved in July 2021 have still not started even though Torbay were just required to give it the nod through.



Images of Edginswell Station

 

[norbitonflyer]

Local press https://www.bristolworld.com/news/e...ew-railway-station-for-bristol-suburb-4262466 reporting that Henbury will open in 2026 (and this has now been quoted in Wikipedia) . have they got the wrong end of the stick? - eralier reports said the branch would open next year but North Filton would open later https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/local-news/bristol-arena-train-station-open-7758714

 

[Snow1964]

Local press https://www.bristolworld.com/news/e...ew-railway-station-for-bristol-suburb-4262466 reporting that Henbury will open in 2026 (and this has now been quoted in Wikipedia) . have they got the wrong end of the stick? - eralier reports said the branch would open next year but North Filton would open later https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/local-news/bristol-arena-train-station-open-7758714

Henbury was supposed to be late 2024, and when planning application went in couple of weeks ago, were indicating that would only take 12 months as it is on a spur (siding) away from running lines.

North Filton is to serve housing (some already being occupied) and YTL arena. The arena has slipped couple of years to late 2025, maybe start of 2026

Not sure why Henbury would suddenly slip 18-24 months.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Local press https://www.bristolworld.com/news/e...ew-railway-station-for-bristol-suburb-4262466 reporting that Henbury will open in 2026 (and this has now been quoted in Wikipedia) . have they got the wrong end of the stick? - eralier reports said the branch would open next year but North Filton would open later https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/local-news/bristol-arena-train-station-open-7758714

I made a note which suggests opening 2025/26. This comes from a 'Transport Paper January 2023' that I didn't copy! I guess this was something to the West of England Combined Authority.

 

[zwk500]

Local press https://www.bristolworld.com/news/e...ew-railway-station-for-bristol-suburb-4262466 reporting that Henbury will open in 2026 (and this has now been quoted in Wikipedia) . have they got the wrong end of the stick? - eralier reports said the branch would open next year but North Filton would open later https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/local-news/bristol-arena-train-station-open-7758714

Within you 2nd link:

A source at the West of England said the delays to North Filton station were due to several design changes. These include needing to redesign a footbridge over the tracks, delays to the Henbury station—which impact North Filton as the two are being built together—and the need to do “value engineering and cost avoidance exercises” to keep project costs in control.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Found the paper, I referenced it to Ashley Down rather than Henbury Spur.

ITEM 12
REPORT TO: WEST OF ENGLAND COMBINED AUTHORITY COMMITTEE
DATE: 27th January 2023
REPORT TITLE: TRANSPORT PAPER
DIRECTOR: ALISTAIR KIRK
AUTHOR: DAVID JARMAN

2.6 It is expected that the Ashley Down Station will open for passenger use in summer 2024 and North Filton and Henbury Stations will open simultaneously in spring 2025/26.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Found the paper, I referenced it to Ashley Down rather than Henbury Spur.

ITEM 12
REPORT TO: WEST OF ENGLAND COMBINED AUTHORITY COMMITTEE
DATE: 27th January 2023
REPORT TITLE: TRANSPORT PAPER
DIRECTOR: ALISTAIR KIRK
AUTHOR: DAVID JARMAN

Spring 2025/26? So they know the season but not the year!

 

[YorksLad12]

Spring 2025/26? So they know the season but not the year!

They probably meant Q4 2025/26 - so by April 2026.

 

[norbitonflyer]

They probably meant Q4 2025/26 - so by April 2026.

Or possibly Q1, as "Spring" is generally understood to include April and May.

 

[rapmastaj]

Or possibly Q1, as "Spring" is generally understood to include April and May.

If there's any uncertainty, the safe bet is to assume they mean the station will open at the end of the time period, not the start of it

 

[InOban]

And although the Met Office goes by calendar months, others count spring as between the spring equinox and the summer solstice - the Edinburgh tram extension was advertised as opening in spring but finally opened a few days before the solstice.