Severn Beach railway station

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Severn Beach National Rail
Severn Beach station.jpg
Location
Place Severn Beach
Local authority South Gloucestershire
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Grid reference ST540847
Operations
Station code SVB
Managed by Great Western Railway
Number of platforms 1
DfT category F1
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2002/03 36,074
2004/05 Decrease 29,295
2005/06 Increase 37,088
2006/07 Increase 38,202
2007/08 Increase 54,034
2008/09 Increase 74,712
2009/10 Increase 88,504
2010/11 Increase 0.113 million
2011/12 Increase 0.142 million
2012/13 Increase 0.167 million
2013/14 Increase 0.196 million
History
Original company Great Western Railway
5 June 1922 Opened (as excursion platform)[1]
26 May 1924 Fully opened[1]
9 July 1928 Passenger services extended to Pilning[1]
10 September 1963 Closed to goods traffic[1]
November 1964 Line to Pilning closed to passengers[1][2]
July 1968 Line to Pilning closed completely[1]
National Rail – UK railway stations

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Severn Beach from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
Portal icon UK Railways portal

Severn Beach railway station serves the village of Severn Beach, England. This 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

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]

More recently, services to Severn Beach have been cut back further, with only one in three trains to Avonmouth now continuing on to Severn Beach. 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) is cordoned off, and that which remains dwarfs the two-car 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

File:Severn Beach railway station MMB 10 143621.jpg
First Great Western 143621 departs Severn Beach with a service to Bristol Temple Meads.

Services at Severn Beach are all terminating services from Bristol Temple Meads, operated by Great Western Railway using mainly Class 150 Sprinter units. Monday to Friday, three trains every two hours run from Temple Meads to Avonmouth, with one extended to St Andrew's Road and Severn Beach, giving a service roughly every two hours, the first arriving around 6am and the last departing Severn Beach about 11pm. On Saturdays more trains continue, with either a replacement bus service or train each hour, with more trains in the evening.

Sunday sees an hourly service in the summer months (May to mid-September), but just two departures in the winter (most services terminating at Avonmouth)[3]

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Terminus   Great Western Railway
Severn Beach Line		   St Andrews Road
Disused railways
New Passage Halt   Great Western Railway
Severn Beach Line		   St Andrews Road

Future

File:Greater Western Franchise Bidders 2.jpg
Four bidders pre-qualified for the 2013– Greater Western passenger franchise: clockwise from top left, Arriva, FirstGroup, Stagecoach Group and National Express

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.[4] The franchise was put out to tender,[5][6][7] but the process was halted and later scrapped due to the fallout from the collapse of the InterCity West Coast franchise competition.[8] A two-year franchise extension until September 2015 was agreed in October 2013,[9][10] and subsequently extended until March 2019.[11][12][13]

With the coming upgrade to the Great Western Main Line, the main line from London to Bristol is due to be electrified by 2016.[14] However, the electrification will not extend beyond the main lines, so Severn Beach will continue to be served by diesel trains.[15] 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.[16] The group Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways supports the electrification of the entire Severn Beach Line.[17]

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.[18][19] 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.[20][21] 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.[22]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 History of the Severn Beach Line
  3. ↑ GB National Rail Timetable 2013, Table 133 - 20 May to 6 December 2013Network Rail; retrieved 2013-09-27
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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