Shirehampton railway station
Encyclopedia
Shirehampton railway station serves the village of Shirehampton
near to the town of Avonmouth
, England
. This station is 7.25 miles (12 km) north-west from Bristol Temple Meads on the Severn Beach Line
. All trains serving it are operated and the station is managed by First Great Western
.
on 19 February 1863, the ceremony performed by the Mayoress of Bristol Mrs S V Hare. The station opened on 6 March 1865 as a single south-facing platform on the to line, with . The station was the original headquarters of the BPRP, and the original building contained a booking office, line superintendent's office and a porter's room. Originally there were six trains per day each direction on weekdays and four on Sundays, although the Sunday service did not stop at Shirehampton until a month later due to protestaions by the local church.
The BPRP was eventually taken over by the Great Western Railway
, who in 1893 lengthened the platform and built a station master's house. An engine shed was sited at the east end of the station from 1875 to 1900 when it burnt down, to be replaced by a depot at Avonmouth. The line through the station was doubled in 1903, with the first service using it on 16 May, and the station was remodelled at the same time - the main station building had a waiting room added, and a new southern (down) platform was built with a small shelter and a footbridge to link the two. A goods yard was added, and subsequently extended in 1921 to help construction of the A4 Portway. A signal box was also sited on the down platform.
By 1920, Shirehampton station employed a station master, three clerks and four porters; with staff levels increased to 10 by the 1930s. However, the station lost its goods traffic in November 1965, although it saw some occasional use during the 1980s, and was unstaffed from 17 July 1967. The line was singled in October 1970 as an economy measure, and the southern platform and signal box abandoned. The buildings on the northern platform remained until being destroyed by fire in the 1990s, replaced by a small brick shelter. The goods yard has been redeveloped as an industrial unit, and the station master's house is now a private dwelling. A small car park has been built near the A4.
During the late 2000s, train operator First Great Western
did some improvements, adding CCTV, an information point and increasing visibility on the access path.
, using mainly Pacer units. Monday to Friday, three trains every two hours run from to , with one extended to and , giving a service at Shirehampton of one train in each direction every 40 minutes. On Saturdays there is a similar level of service, but more trains continue to Severn Beach. Sunday sees a roughly hourly service to and from Bristol, with only two services extending to Severn Beach, except from the May timetable change until September, when all services are extended.
Shirehampton
Shirehampton, near Avonmouth, at the north-western edge of the city of Bristol, England, is a district of Bristol which originated as a separate village. It retains something of its village feel, having a short identifiable High Street with the parish church situated among shops, and is still...
near to the town of Avonmouth
Avonmouth
Avonmouth is a port and suburb of Bristol, England, located on the Severn Estuary, at the mouth of the River Avon.The council ward of Avonmouth also includes Shirehampton and the western end of Lawrence Weston.- Geography :...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. This station is 7.25 miles (12 km) north-west from Bristol Temple Meads on the Severn Beach Line
Severn Beach Line
The Severn Beach Line is a local railway in Bristol, UK. It runs from Narroways Hill Junction to Severn Beach, and is the successor to the Bristol Port Railway and Pier, which ran from a Bristol terminus in the Avon Gorge to a station and pier on the Severn Estuary.Passenger trains run from Bristol...
. All trains serving it are operated and the station is managed by First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
.
History
Shirehampton saw the first sod turned for the construction of the Bristol Port Railway and PierBristol Port Railway and Pier
The Bristol Port Railway and Pier was a railway in Bristol, England.-Route:...
on 19 February 1863, the ceremony performed by the Mayoress of Bristol Mrs S V Hare. The station opened on 6 March 1865 as a single south-facing platform on the to line, with . The station was the original headquarters of the BPRP, and the original building contained a booking office, line superintendent's office and a porter's room. Originally there were six trains per day each direction on weekdays and four on Sundays, although the Sunday service did not stop at Shirehampton until a month later due to protestaions by the local church.
The BPRP was eventually taken over by the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
, who in 1893 lengthened the platform and built a station master's house. An engine shed was sited at the east end of the station from 1875 to 1900 when it burnt down, to be replaced by a depot at Avonmouth. The line through the station was doubled in 1903, with the first service using it on 16 May, and the station was remodelled at the same time - the main station building had a waiting room added, and a new southern (down) platform was built with a small shelter and a footbridge to link the two. A goods yard was added, and subsequently extended in 1921 to help construction of the A4 Portway. A signal box was also sited on the down platform.
By 1920, Shirehampton station employed a station master, three clerks and four porters; with staff levels increased to 10 by the 1930s. However, the station lost its goods traffic in November 1965, although it saw some occasional use during the 1980s, and was unstaffed from 17 July 1967. The line was singled in October 1970 as an economy measure, and the southern platform and signal box abandoned. The buildings on the northern platform remained until being destroyed by fire in the 1990s, replaced by a small brick shelter. The goods yard has been redeveloped as an industrial unit, and the station master's house is now a private dwelling. A small car park has been built near the A4.
During the late 2000s, train operator First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
did some improvements, adding CCTV, an information point and increasing visibility on the access path.
Services
Services at Shirehampton are all operated by First Great WesternFirst Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
, using mainly Pacer units. Monday to Friday, three trains every two hours run from to , with one extended to and , giving a service at Shirehampton of one train in each direction every 40 minutes. On Saturdays there is a similar level of service, but more trains continue to Severn Beach. Sunday sees a roughly hourly service to and from Bristol, with only two services extending to Severn Beach, except from the May timetable change until September, when all services are extended.
See also
- Public transport in BristolPublic transport in BristolThe majority of public transport users in the Bristol Urban Area are transported by bus, although rail has experienced growth and does play an important part, particularly in peak hours...