The Bristol Railway Archive

Lots of lovely new track has been laid through Sea Mills this week.

A lot of work has been going on around the level crossing at Gloucester Road, Avonmouth for many weeks now too. Looks like it is being completely replaced.

While the Severn Beach service always seems always to be under threat, it's good to see such levels of investment on this line

jules wrote: While the Severn Beach service always seems always to be under threat, it's good to see such levels of investment on this line

Got any pics?

Anyway, I think the investment has more to do with the route being used for diversions when the line through Filton is out of action, than in order to keep the Severn Beach line open.

I reckon Severn Beach will lose it's rail connection within the next few years.

I reckon Severn Beach will lose it's rail connection within the next few years.

Depends on South Glos council I guess. To me, a new station near Cribbs Causeway on the Avonmouth/Henbury would make a lot more sense than running the occasional near empty train to Severn Beach. Who knows, put the quadruple track back in between Narroways Junction and TM and we could really be talking for the Avonmouth line.

Although Clifton Down / Avonmouth should be safe, I do agree Severn Beach's days are probably numbered. Apart from a few locals, the biggest traffic flow I know up to there is for the Royal Mail junk mail sorting centre. Unless anything happened at ICI/Severnside, whose siding's reverse connection is almost down at the Beach.

I could get some pics of the new track at Sea Mills next week, but I don't have the camera to do this site's sort of quality! Agreed on the diversionary value of the route probably justifying the investment though.

jules wrote:

I reckon Severn Beach will lose it's rail connection within the next few years.

Depends on South Glos council I guess. To me, a new station near Cribbs Causeway on the Avonmouth/Henbury would make a lot more sense than running the occasional near empty train to Severn Beach. Who knows, put the quadruple track back in between Narroways Junction and TM and we could really be talking for the Avonmouth line.

One of the reasons given for not reinstating passenger services on the Henbury loop is that it would be too difficult to integrate the trains into the paths of the coal trains.

I always have visions of the Victorian engineers who built the railways spinning in their graves at such nonsense.