North Filton / Brabazon

[John R]

Interestingly, the BBC is reporting that the WECA Chief Executive is suggesting that the full loop line is being reconsidered, 10 years after the decision was made to restrict the Henbury service to a spur line to Filton.

Dropped 'Henbury Loop' train plan around Bristol may be revived

Councillors dropped the idea a decade ago as it was deemed too risky but are now reviewing it.

www.bbc.co.uk

Plans to create a railway "loop" connecting two growing parts of Bristol are to be looked at again despite originally being deemed too risky.

Plans are currently in place for a passenger train service between Bristol Temple Meads and Henbury, where the service will terminate.

But campaigners have long been calling for the reopening of the Henbury Loop line, to link Henbury to Avonmouth and the Severn Beach line, to create a circle line around the city,.

Despite the idea being dropped a decade ago, Stephen Peacock, chief executive of West of England Combined Authority (Weca), said they "will be looking at it" again as part of their overall delivery planning.

 

[Stompehh]

Interestingly, the BBC is reporting that the WECA Chief Executive is suggesting that the full loop line is being reconsidered, 10 years after the decision was made to restrict the Henbury service to a spur line to Filton.

Dropped 'Henbury Loop' train plan around Bristol may be revived

Councillors dropped the idea a decade ago as it was deemed too risky but are now reviewing it.

www.bbc.co.uk

Looking at it at some point in the future, not as part of this phase which is just opening North Filton and Henbury with an hourly service.

 

[John R]

Looking at it at some point in the future, not as part of this phase which is just opening North Filton and Henbury with an hourly service.

Yes, that’s correct, so thanks for clarifying.

 

[Annetts key]

Looking at it at some point in the future, not as part of this phase which is just opening North Filton and Henbury with an hourly service.

The first part is opening North Filton only. Then opening Henbury as a terminus station.

However, having Henbury as a station on a short spur as a terminus station does appear to be a rather short sighted idea. Especially now that the amount of freight on the line is now significantly lower due to the bulk handing terminal no longer having an operational hopper system.

Both the hoppers were used for loading bulk materials into trains and have been out of use for a number of years. The conveyor system that used to feed the hoppers from Portbury Docks (under the river) having been dismantled on the Avonmouth side. The conveyor and hoppers were mostly used for coal. this going for use at the former Didcot and Aberthaw power stations. Didcot having closed on 22 March 2013 and Aberthaw having closed on 31 March 2020.

I don't know if the hoppers are still standing. They were still present when I was last at Avonmouth. But they are both supposed to be demolished / dismantled at some point, as they no longer serve any purpose.

 

[lachlan]

It's an interesting point that they felt the Loop line would require ongoing subsidy whereas a spur would break even. I wonder if this is still the case?

 

[Baxenden Bank]

The costs are withheld as being "Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)" but substantial amounts (quite possibly £m) have already been spent on design and preparation. Now something in a £15m to £20m ballpark figure is about to be spaffed up the wall on a station being built off-line unnecessarily with a potentially very short payback period if the full loop is subsequently reinstated in 10 years time (we'll call that 20 real years!).

 

[zwk500]

The costs are withheld as being "Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)" but substantial amounts (quite possibly £m) have already been spent on design and preparation. Now something in a £15m to £20m ballpark figure is about to be spaffed up the wall on a station being built off-line unnecessarily with a potentially very short payback period if the full loop is subsequently reinstated in 10 years time (we'll call that 20 real years!).

If the full loop is reinstated, there's nothing to say there won't continue to be trains terminating at Henbury. Given that there's additional costs involved in modifying the signalling and installing crossovers, there's presumably a reason the station isn't simply being built next to the existing track and the train shunting via Hallen Marsh Jn.

 

[jazzy]

Given that there's additional costs involved in modifying the signalling and installing crossovers, there's presumably a reason the station isn't simply being built next to the existing track and the train shunting via Hallen Marsh Jn.

Where is Henbury station being built if not next to the existing track? Is there a plan somewhere that shows the detail of this spur?

 

[zwk500]

Where is Henbury station being built if not next to the existing track? Is there a plan somewhere that shows the detail of this spur?

Sorry for any conclusion. I meant platforms on the existing tracks. AFAIK Henbury station is being built with a bay platform track parallel to the existing tracks.

 

[Snow1964]

Where is Henbury station being built if not next to the existing track? Is there a plan somewhere that shows the detail of this spur?

The plan is to lay a siding on the north side of the existing double track, with a platform on the north side. So the new single platform will serve the (reversing) siding, but nothing on the existing through tracks.

Because the reversing siding ends just east of the A4018 road overbridges, it wouldn't even be possible to extend the siding into a loop with a platform

 

[The exile]

The plan is to lay a siding on the north side of the existing double track, with a platform on the north side. So the new single platform will serve the (reversing) siding, but nothing on the existing through tracks.

Because the reversing siding ends just east of the A4018 road overbridges, it wouldn't even be possible to extend the siding into a loop with a platform

Seems daft not to lay the siding further out, with space for an island platform between it and the main. Level access could still be maintained by going around the end of the siding. OK, it would take a bit more land (as the platform would presumably need to be a bit wider - it could initially be fenced off from the main).

 

[zwk500]

Seems daft not to lay the siding further out, with space for an island platform between it and the main. Level access could still be maintained by going around the end of the siding.

The plans are viewable here: https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/regional-news/bid-new-railway-station-south-9581503

The masterplanning could have left a bigger space for the station but between what's already been built and the attenuation lake there's not much space been left.

 

[Snow1964]

Where is Henbury station being built if not next to the existing track? Is there a plan somewhere that shows the detail of this spur?

The plan is on planning application P23/02146/F with South Gloucestershire council

https://developments.southglos.gov.uk/online-applications/files/727A22E4FCBCE387FD5B397C362EEA2C/pdf/P23_02146_F-PROPOSED_LOCATION_PLAN-8244435.pdf

https://developments.southglos.gov.uk/online-applications/files/806C78B2BF2E311CD7B9133A9A1549A0/pdf/P23_02146_F-SITE_LOCATION_PLAN-8244436.pdf

The original two track station was a bit further west, between the A4018 and B4055 roads

 

[Tomos y Tanc]

Frequencies can be increased later of course, but 1tph for a 19,000 seat arena is a drop in a bucket. Cardiff's new arena, for example, is about 3,000 seats smaller but will have 6tph from day one and is within easy walking distance of the city centre.

I reckon YTL will have to come up with some kind of shuttle bus system, at least intially, if they're to avoid traffic chaos.

I'm not across Bristol politics but surely the original "Arena Island" site would have been a much better location.

 

[morrisobrien]

Off subject a wee bit, but when did North Filton initially close?
I can remember going from there sometime in the 1950's I think,
with my parents, on an excursion direct to Weymouth.

 

[Snow1964]

Off subject a wee bit, but when did North Filton initially close?
I can remember going from there sometime in the 1950's I think,
with my parents, on an excursion direct to Weymouth.

November 1964 (although some works services survived until 1986)

 

[Annetts key]

Off subject a wee bit, but when did North Filton initially close?
I can remember going from there sometime in the 1950's I think,
with my parents, on an excursion direct to Weymouth.

According to Wikipedia, "regular passenger services ceased from 23 November 1964, but workman trains continued until 12 May 1986".
By workmen trains, they mean the trains provided for staff working at Filton Airfield.

 

[Fishandbananas]

Frequencies can be increased later of course, but 1tph for a 19,000 seat arena is a drop in a bucket. Cardiff's new arena, for example, is about 3,000 seats smaller but will have 6tph from day one and is within easy walking distance of the city centre.

What sort of Bus connection will the Arena receive? Seems quite a short sighted location if it doesn't get a good public transit service (especially for me, a student without a car)

 

[Yindee8191]

What sort of Bus connection will the Arena receive? Seems quite a short sighted location if it doesn't get a good public transit service (especially for me, a student without a car)

It'll be near the m4 Metrobus route, which will (eventually) be rerouted through Brabazon. I'm not sure what the plan is for the 2a but that currently terminates at a temporary turning loop just short of the development so it's a safe bet that it'll go in once the road is finished. I'd hope for a bus loop of some kind at the station but I haven't seen any designs so I don't know for sure. Other than that, YTL are supposedly planning to run shuttle buses on event days (presumably similar to the Ashton Gate shuttle operation, so probably to the main P&R sites plus Temple Meads and maybe Parkway).

 

[-Colly405-]

That 'temporary turning loop' (currently used by the 2a and the 13) has been there, and been used, for many a year, as it was at the gate to the factories. It and the bus stops immediately before/after it are in a bit of South Gloucestershire whose road access is only from Bristol. Of course, the Brabazon hangar is in Bristol, but the old runway and station are in S Glos...

 

[Snow1964]

There is a short video on X by Network Rail western, which shows summary of 12 days of work over Christmas period.

New track laid, new drainage, and some platform edging blocks being installed

https://x.com/networkrailwest/status/2010729478755115050

 

[Envoy]

All well and good but note that initially there will be only 1 (old diesel) train per hour on the north Filton / Henbury route. Same with the Portishead line. Compare that with what is happening with the Metro in SE Wales and it is pretty pathetic.

 

[The Planner]

All well and good but note that initially there will be only 1 (old diesel) train per hour on the north Filton / Henbury route. Same with the Portishead line. Compare that with what is happening with the Metro in SE Wales and it is pretty pathetic.

You can work to improve that over time. Getting the stations and services in is the correct start.

 

[lachlan]

I really hope they move to half-hourly sooner than later, but is there enough room on the line through Temple Meads for that to happen?

If nothing else the Portishead service will be an extra train per hour for Parson Street and Bedminster, which will be much appreciated I'm sure.

 

[zwk500]

I really hope they move to half-hourly sooner than later, but is there enough room on the line through Temple Meads for that to happen?

I'd be more concerned about the capacity of various single lines than Temple Meads for half-hourly.

As a current Bristol resident, I'd say half-hourly on all arms is priority number 1 (already achieved for Avonmouth) and then electrification/BEMU operation of 4x23/25m or 5x20m carriage trains. Once we have reasonable length trains with decent acceleration, then we can look at whether any arms need to go beyond 2tph.

 

[Snow1964]

I'd be more concerned about the capacity of various single lines than Temple Meads for half-hourly.

As a current Bristol resident, I'd say half-hourly on all arms is priority number 1 (already achieved for Avonmouth) and then electrification/BEMU operation of 4x23/25m or 5x20m carriage trains. Once we have reasonable length trains with decent acceleration, then we can look at whether any arms need to go beyond 2tph.

The big problem is the timetable which hasn't really be rewritten for years, and is based on relatively slow (by modern standards) diesel trains, along with loops on single track not in optimum location, and extra trains that have been added but unevenly.

So get silly things like 26 or 34 minute intervals (instead of half hourly) on Severn Beach line, or 34, 7, 19 minute gaps at Trowbridge towards Bristol.

Sadly I could easily see more random intervals if Brabazon gets 2 trains per hour

 

[The exile]

I really hope they move to half-hourly sooner than later, but is there enough room on the line through Temple Meads for that to happen?

Don’t know why my answer thinks it’s part of the quote (below)

There should be - after all, Filton Bank was re-quadrified a few years ago and “all thats been added so far is 1 tph to Gloucester and the Filton Shuttle (if that as the Parkway - Weston has gone).

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Jan 2026 ==

So get silly things like 26 or 34 minute intervals (instead of half hourly) on Severn Beach line, or 34, 7, 19 minute gaps at Trowbridge towards Bristol.

The Trowbridge example is however inevitable somewhere on a route where those three trains are 2 stoppers and a (semi)-fast. The semi-fast will inevitably close the gap with the preceding stopper while the gap behind it increases.

 

[WelshBluebird]

They defo will have to get more efficient in terms of platform allocations at Temple meads. I seem to be sat on a train just outside the station waiting for the platform on an annoyingly frequent basis.

 

[The exile]

They defo will have to get more efficient in terms of platform allocations at Temple meads. I seem to be sat on a train just outside the station waiting for the platform on an annoyingly frequent basis.

A couple of crossovers in the main shed to allow trains to use the centre roads to leapfrog others on 3 & 5 and access 4 & 6 might help, but while you’ve got several an hour having to cross the throat at the eastern end there’s always going to be potential for delays.

 

[zwk500]

A couple of crossovers in the main shed to allow trains to use the centre roads to leapfrog others on 3 & 5 and access 4 & 6 might help, but while you’ve got several an hour having to cross the throat at the eastern end there’s always going to be potential for delays.

Ideally yes, but you've got the curvature and the subway under the tracks where you'd want them to go. A buildout might be a better option for Platform 3 or 5.

However the bigger issue is that Crosscountry tend to go across to Platforms 3-6 when they're primarily running on the main lines which feed platforms 7-12 because Barton Hill Depot can't access 7 and higher. That and the fact you can't do parallel moves from the low-numbered side and the Filton Mains over Bristol East Jn.