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Severn Beach railway station

Coordinates: 51°33′35″N 2°39′51″W / 51.5598°N 2.6642°W / 51.5598; -2.6642
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Severn Beach
National Rail
General information
LocationSevern Beach, South Gloucestershire
England
Coordinates51°33′35″N 2°39′51″W / 51.5598°N 2.6642°W / 51.5598; -2.6642
Grid referenceST540847
Managed byGreat Western Railway
Platforms1
Other information
Station codeSVB
ClassificationDfT category F1
History
Original companyGreat Western Railway
Key dates
5 June 1922Opened (as excursion platform)[1]
26 May 1924Fully opened[1]
9 July 1928Passenger services extended to Pilning[1]
10 September 1963Closed to goods traffic[1]
November 1964Line to Pilning closed to passengers[1][2]
July 1968Line to Pilning closed completely[1]
Passengers
2018/19Decrease 0.252 million
2019/20Increase 0.301 million
2020/21Decrease 98,726
2021/22Increase 0.180 million
2022/23Increase 0.229 million
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Severn Beach railway station serves the village of Severn Beach, England. The station is the terminus of the Severn Beach Line.

This station is 13.5 miles (21.7 km) north west from Bristol Temple Meads on the Severn Beach Line. The station is managed by Great Western Railway, who are also the sole provider of trains serving the station.

History

[edit]
Severn Beach in 1981

The railway reached Severn Beach in 1900, but was at first used only for goods traffic to Pilning. A platform was built beside the line at Severn Beach by the Great Western Railway in 1922, and a bay platform added to the west for excursion traffic, with terminating passenger services from Bristol starting on 26 May 1924, subsequently extended to Pilning in a loop back to Bristol via Patchway from 9 July 1928.[1] By 1924 a brick concourse had been built perpendicular to the bay platform, providing a ticket office, the station master's office, toilets and a ladies' waiting room. The station master and keeper of the level crossing were also provided with houses, while to the east of the platform were sidings, primarily for stabling of excursion trains.

In November 1964 through services to Pilning ceased,[2] with the line north closed completely in July 1968, although goods traffic at Severn Beach had already ended in 1963.[1]

Subsequently, services to Severn Beach were cut back further, with only one in three trains from Bristol to Avonmouth continuing on to Severn Beach and a service frequency of one train every two hours. However, this was improved to hourly in the December 2021 timetable change.

The concourse and other station buildings have been demolished, replaced with a small metal and glass shelter, while the eastern rails have been pulled up, leaving just the bay platform remaining. Half of the 240 yards (220 m) platform is cordoned off, and that which remains dwarfs the diesel multiple units which use it. To the east, the land once used for sidings has become overgrown and a dumping ground for litter and general detritus.

Service

[edit]

All services at Severn Beach are operated by Great Western Railway using Class 166 Networker Turbo DMUs.[3][4]

The typical off-peak service is one train per hour to Bristol Temple Meads, with one early morning service on weekdays continuing to Weston-super-Mare, one evening peak service continuing to Salisbury and one Sunday afternoon service continuing to Exeter St Davids. There is also a Sunday evening service which terminates at Salisbury, and an early morning service which starts at Taunton, as opposed to Bristol Temple Meads. Most services from Bristol Temple Meads terminate at Avonmouth instead of continuing to Severn Beach, whilst those from Weston-super-Mare reach here. However, the return services follow the opposite pattern.[5]

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
TerminusGreat Western Railway
Disused railways
New Passage Halt   Great Western Railway
   St Andrews Road

Future

[edit]

Great Western Railway declined a contractual option to continue the Greater Western passenger franchise (of which services at Severn Beach are a part) beyond 2013, citing a desire for a longer-term contract due to the impending upgrade to the Great Western Main Line.[6] The franchise was put out to tender,[7][8][9] but the process was halted and later scrapped due to the fallout from the collapse of the InterCity West Coast franchise competition.[10] A two-year franchise extension until September 2015 was agreed in October 2013,[11][12] and subsequently extended until March 2019.[13][14][15]

With the coming upgrade to the Great Western Main Line, the main line from London to Bristol is due to be electrified by 2016.[16] However, the electrification will not extend beyond the main lines, so Severn Beach will continue to be served by diesel trains.[17] Stephen Williams, MP for Bristol West, questioned whether electrification could continue to Clifton Down. Then-Secretary of State for Transport Philip Hammond replied that it would have to be looked at in the future.[18] The group Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways supports the electrification of the entire Severn Beach Line.[19]

Improved services at Severn Beach are called for as part of the Greater Bristol Metro scheme, a rail transport plan which aims to enhance transport capacity in the Bristol area.[20][21] There is an aspiration for half-hourly services, however due to the large sections of the Severn Beach Line which are single-track and to the congested main line from Temple Meads, such frequency is not currently feasible.[22][23] The scheme was given the go-ahead in July 2012 as part of the City Deal, whereby local councils would be given greater control over money by the government.[24]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Oakley, Mike (2003). Gloucestershire Railway Stations. The Dovecote Press. pp. 118–120. ISBN 1-904349-24-2.
  2. ^ a b History of the Severn Beach Line
  3. ^ "Massive increase in Bristol train seats begins today" (Press release). FirstGroup. 3 July 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  4. ^ "Modern trains and new technology for Bristol rail passengers". Global Railway Review. Russell Publishing. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  5. ^ "Train times: Bristol Temple Meads and Weston-super-Mare to Avonmouth and Severn Beach" (PDF). Great Western Railway. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  6. ^ "First Great Western bids for longer rail franchise deal". BBC News. 11 May 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  7. ^ Haigh, Philip (18 April 2012). "First leads a field of seven bidding for rail franchises". Rail Magazine. No. 694. pp. 8–9.
  8. ^ "Great Western franchise to be extended". Railnews. 19 July 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  9. ^ "New Great Western franchise to deliver new express trains" (Press release). Department for Transport. 27 July 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  10. ^ "Great Western London to south Wales rail contest scrapped". BBC News. BBC. 31 January 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  11. ^ "First celebrates last-minute Great Western deal". Railnews. 3 October 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  12. ^ "First Great Western retains Wales and west rail franchise". BBC News. BBC. 3 October 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  13. ^ "First Great Western offered new franchise deal". BBC News. BBC. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  14. ^ "FirstGroup wins Great Western contract extension". The Guardian. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  15. ^ "Updated franchise schedule signals GW extension". Railnews. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  16. ^ "Modernising the Great Western" (PDF). Network Rail. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 April 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  17. ^ "Bristol to London line to be electrified". This is Bristol. Northcliffe Media. 23 July 2009. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  18. ^ "Benefits of Bristol to London high-speed rail link 'must go beyond just mainline'". This Is Bristol. Northcliffe Media. 3 March 2011. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  19. ^ "FoSBR Newsletter" (PDF). Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways. Autumn 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
  20. ^ White, James (13 March 2009). "Item 04: Greater Bristol Metro" (PDF). West of England Partnership. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  21. ^ "Campaign for trains from Bristol Temple Meads every half hour". This is Bristol. Northcliffe Media. 17 January 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
  22. ^ "Transport Minister hears calls for better Bristol train service". This is Bristol. Northcliffe Media. 17 October 2009. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
  23. ^ "Our Case". Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  24. ^ Ribbeck, Michael (6 July 2012). "£100 million Bristol Metro train network by 2016". The Post, Bristol. Northcliffe Media. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
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