Severn Tunnel Car Shuttle

[mike57]

Whilst reading about something else I came across a reference to the Severn Tunnel car shuttle, which apparently finished in 1966. I cannot however unearth any other details, what points did it run between, what rolling stock was used, how often did it run, what were fares, really any information. Was it always steam hauled or did it swap to diesel towards the end of operations.

 

[daodao]

Whilst reading about something else I came across a reference to the Severn Tunnel car shuttle, which apparently finished in 1966. I cannot however unearth any other details, what points did it run between, what rolling stock was used, how often did it run, what were fares, really any information. Was it always steam hauled or did it swap to diesel towards the end of operations.

The BR Western Region timetable from September 1962 gives details of the Severn Tunnel car shuttle on page 89. It is available at:

Timetable World

timetableworld.com

 

[simonw]

Whilst reading about something else I came across a reference to the Severn Tunnel car shuttle, which apparently finished in 1966. I cannot however unearth any other details, what points did it run between, what rolling stock was used, how often did it run, what were fares, really any information. Was it always steam hauled or did it swap to diesel towards the end of operations.

See this thread:

Severn Tunnel Junction - Pilning High Level Car Transport Service

A very good and longstanding friend and I have recently become aware of this service which was started by the GWR in 1924. We believe that, like the Aust car ferry, it operated right up until the opening of the Severn Bridge and in latter years was scheduled to operate typically between two and...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[mike57]

The BR Western Region timetable from September 1962 gives details of the Severn Tunnel car shuttle on page 89. It is available at:

Timetable World

timetableworld.com

Two trains each way per day and 3 on Mondays... Looks like they were not serious about developing it, mind you they had started the Severn Bridge by this time so the end was in sight. I wonder how the service came about as it started in GWR days.

 

[2192]

Ww went on it while youth hostelling on bicycles as teenagers (age 80 now), presumably on the mid-morning train Pilning HL to Severn Tunnel Junction, to continue our holiday in Wales. It took about 20 minutes. There were only a couple of cars, which is not surprising with only two (3 on Mondays, only 1 on some Sundays) trains a day each way. Most motorists prefered the turn-up-and-go service of the Beachley-Aust Ferry. Perhaps the railway were deliberately running a Parliamentary Service?

 

[robert thomas]

Ww went on it while youth hostelling on bicycles as teenagers (age 80 now), presumably on the mid-morning train Pilning HL to Severn Tunnel Junction, to continue our holiday in Wales. It took about 20 minutes. There were only a couple of cars, which is not surprising with only two (3 on Mondays, only 1 on some Sundays) trains a day each way. Most motorists prefered the turn-up-and-go service of the Beachley-Aust Ferry. Perhaps the railway were deliberately running a Parliamentary Service?

My parents used the service on a regular basis as it was a pre-booked service and ran to a fixed timetable.This meant that they did not have to wait in a queue of up to 2 hours for the ferry which was quite common on a summer saturday or sunday. I travelled with them on the service on a number of occasions with the following locos:-
4115 28/11/1964
4150 28/02/1965
D6976 19/06/1965
D1990 2/07/1966
D6847 3/07/1966
The train was formed of two ex GWR slip coaches plus a number of car flats.The coaches I recorded travelling in were W7375W and W7379W. On each occasion I travelled the train was well loaded.