Henbury Loop Train Service

[whole diary]

[Bmblbzzz]

Know Your Place is also interesting as a more local source. It doesn't have the same range of maps but it does have some fairly old ones (far older than railways).

[TonyK]

Both. A bit further apart.

An ideal solution, but not under diesel power. This could be Bristol's prototype tram-train route. The Sheffield ones (first one just been delivered) are dual voltage, so the line could be electrified to 25KV AC to please ElectricTrain (and me). With the blank canvas of the airfield, which I hate to see, a spur could be taken off at the level crossing behind what was Apron F to the Mall. Houses could be built around that instead of one of the many streets that may be found there shortly, with esoteric names like Concorde Close, Trubshaw Meadows, Brabazon Breach, and PA28-150 Place. (OK, the last one doesn't sound right, but my first solo should be commemorated).

In the way I suggest, the vehicles could act as trams around the houses. There could be a Cribbs terminal, a stop at the northern end of the airfield, round about where the Automatic Direction Finder kit was situated, another at the junction just before the level crossing, and maybe at Filton North Platform. Alternate trams could continue along to Avonmouth, stopping at roughly the old Henbury station, maybe even in Hallen, should the possibility of development be found there. All of these, after passing Filton North inbound to Bristol could take advantage of a Four Track, Now! line to Temple Meads, stopping with the briefest of dwell times at Abbey Wood, a new Horfield station by Constable Road, Ashley Down, Stapleton Road - a resurgent station since the SVB services were augmented and the WSM to BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains) services introduced - Lawrence Hill, then Temple Meads. From there, a circuit via the Centre, Cabot Circus, and Old Market back to the rail hub would provide direct travel from any A to any B that most commuters may want to take. Unless it was priced prohibitively, it would suffer overcrowding from Day One.

[Chris from Nailsea]

I agree with almost all of that latest very erudite post - except that I rather thought we wanted that station to be renamed 'Filton', rather than have it possibly confused with the other 'Abbey Wood'? 

[Bmblbzzz]

Filton North and Ashley Down stations are to be built anyway. I read it in the local media, so it must be true.

New stations are also due to open in North Filton and Ashley Down Road, as well as Portishead and Pill by 2021.

http://www.bristol247.com/channel/news-comment/daily/transport/two-station-options-in-henbury-consultation

[grahame]

I agree with almost all of that latest very erudite post - except that I rather thought we wanted that station to be renamed 'Filton', rather than have it possibly confused with the other 'Abbey Wood'? 

I think the name "Filton Abbey Wood" was applied to avoid confusion with Filton Junction - a.k.a. Filton - which closed 2 days before Filton Abbey Wood opened.

ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filton_Abbey_Wood_railway_station

After around 20 years, I suspect the current station could be renamed. If there's a Filton North to be built too - Filton Busless to emphasise that not one bus connects up to the station there, even though many pass on the main road?

[Red Squirrel]

I agree with almost all of that latest very erudite post - except that I rather thought we wanted that station to be renamed 'Filton', rather than have it possibly confused with the other 'Abbey Wood'? 

I think the name "Filton Abbey Wood" was applied to avoid confusion with Filton Junction - a.k.a. Filton - which closed 2 days before Filton Abbey Wood opened.

ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filton_Abbey_Wood_railway_station

After around 20 years, I suspect the current station could be renamed. If there's a Filton North to be built too - Filton Busless to emphasise that not one bus connects up to the station there, even though many pass on the main road?

I caught the last train from Parson St to North Filton Platform. Just sayin'.

[TonyK]

I agree with almost all of that latest very erudite post - except that I rather thought we wanted that station to be renamed 'Filton', rather than have it possibly confused with the other 'Abbey Wood'? 

Pah! Away to the Pedants' thread with you, and collect your coat on the way!

Actually, you have a point...

[grahame]

From The Bristol Post

North Bristol to get new rail station as part of Henbury line reopening

The station will cost up to £10million and will be open by May 2021

Residents in north Bristol are set to get a brand new train station as part of the reopening of the Henbury spur.

The new station – which will cost between £9million and £10million – will be built at a site just east of the A4018 in Henbury and is expected to open in May 2021.

The former Henbury station site – referred to as Henbury west – was rejected due to a higher cost and a similar levels of public support for both sites.

The station will form part of the Metro West Phase Two project, which will see a section of line between Bristol Parkway and Henbury reopen and an increase in the number of services on the Yate corridor.

Nicknamed the ‘Henbury spur’ campaigners originally wanted the line to be fully reopened and link with the current Severn Beach track to reinstate the former ‘Henbury loop’.

While this was not agreed under the original MetroWest programme, talk of building the Bristol Arena on Filton Airfield has given new hope to the 'loop' campaign.

New platforms will also be built at North Filton and Ashley Down as part of the project.

Details of the location of the new station are contained within the latest West of England Joint Committee papers and the recommendation for Henbury east is expected to be waived through at the next meeting on Friday, February 2.

[TonyK]

My punt for the sweepstake:
December 2022, costing £24 million.

[Red Squirrel]

I'm not volunteering, but it would be interesting to get a ratio of number of times announced : number of pounds spent, and compare this to other spheres of activity.

[metalrail]

Has the decision actually been made now re Henbury loop vs Henbury spur, or is it still under consultation does anyone know?

Every time i've tried to find out what the final decision on it was I come up with something along the lines of 'a spur service was agreed but this was rejected and sent back to parliament for reconsideration', and the latest Metrowest phase 2 plans i've found highlighting it as a spur service are dated November 2015 (there may obviously be more updated ones out there)

Obviously things have moved on now as the Filton Bank four tracking is heading for completion this year which was a precursor to this being able to happen, and is great, along with passive provision for the new Ashley Hill station which was part of the phase 2 Henbury plans.  Also the site of the new Henbury station has also now been confirmed

I know there's pros and cons with both options, mainly the BP^» (Beyond Petroleum (Former name - British Petroleum) - home page) freight service plus the idea of SVB being left as a branch line if it runs as a loop.  People must be literally kicking themselves for pulling up that last mile of track between SVB and PIL years ago, as then we'd still have a full loop via PWY too!   SVB would no longer be a branch, AVN could run either round the Henbury loop or to PIL and onto PWY / BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains) / YAE or back down Filton Bank to BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains).  Just 1 mile of track lost (and then built over with the new M49 link) stopped what would have been an amazingly flexible service 

But would be so great to be able to access AVN & CFN^▸ (Clifton Down station) from BPW / YAE which won't be possible with the spur option, neither will access to AVN / CFN etc for all the new homes built on the old Filton airfield who will only be able to travel eastwards, travel down Filton Bank and change to a Northbound SVB service - hardly likely to get anyone out of their cars!

At least if the spur option is the one that's been agreed for now, then there's the semi silver lining that at least the line west of Henbury is still in tact double track and will remain connected to AVN, so there's still a possibility to extend in the future 

[TonyK]

I wouldn't go so far as to say a decision has been made, at least not in the traditional sense of the inevitable next step being the reopening of the line. The latest announcement of a resurgent Henbury seemed to me to be a reaction to the latest estimate for the cost of rebuilding the line to Portishead. Almost "Good grief, we can't afford that! But we must do something."

[metalrail]

Haha...  wondered if that was the reason the response was being kept so ambiguous!   

[martyjon]

West of England Mayor hosts Heathrow Airport visit.

https://www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk/west-england-mayor-hosts-heathrow-airport-visit/


WTF


I thought the idea of having a Metro Mayor was to get the area moving, not to promote and build production facilities for other areas to use to get themselves moving and then when they've done p*** off. Henbury Loop, tongue in cheek, Portishead re-opening, MetroWest ought to be the Metro Mayors priorities NOT THIS.

[metalrail]

The two sites being considered are well-connected by road and freight links, as well as Bristol Port

...for access from outside Bristol perhaps, but that's completely missing the point for those of us who actually live here and struggle daily with our LACK of well-connected railway links and ever more congested roads!