North Filton Platform railway station

North Filton Platform was a railway station which served the northern part of Filton, Gloucestershire, England. It was on the railway line between Filton and Avonmouth, and was situated on the western side of Gloucester Road (the present A38).

North Filton Platform
The remains of the railway station, under the bridge, in 2018
General information
Location	Filton, South Gloucestershire England
Coordinates	51.5171°N 2.5728°W / 51.5171; -2.5728
Grid reference	ST603799
Other information
Status	Demolished
History
Original company	Great Western Railway
Pre-grouping	Great Western Railway
Post-grouping	Great Western Railway
Key dates
9 May 1910 (1910-05-09)	Opened as Filton Halt
22 March 1915	Closed
1926	Reopened as North Filton Platform
23 November 1964	Regular public services ceased
12 May 1986	Complete closure

History

v t e Railways in the Bristol area
Legend
Cross Country Route Thornbury branch line Yate South Wales Main Line New Passage Pier Westerleigh Junction New Passage Halt Cross Hands Halt South Wales Main Line via Severn Tunnel Pilning Severn Beach Coalpit Heath Severn View Industrial Park Winterbourne Chittening Industrial Estate Bristol Parkway Patchway Smoke Lane Industrial Estate Ram Hill Colliery Chittening Platform Hallen Halt Avonmouth Docks Henbury St Andrews Road Charlton Halt Avonmouth (BPR&P) North Filton Platform Avonmouth (Royal Edward) Stoke Gifford depot Avonmouth Docks Westerleigh Goods Depot Avonmouth Avonmouth Light Railway Filton Junction Avonmouth Docks Filton Portway Park & Ride Filton Abbey Wood Shirehampton Horfield Ashley Down Sea Mills Ashley Hill Clifton Down Tunnel Mangotsfield (1845–1869) Clifton Down Mangotsfield (1869–1966) Redland Staple Hill Montpelier Fishponds Hotwells Halt Warmley Hotwells Narroways Hill Junction Stapleton Road sidings Grey line represents Stapleton Road boundary of Bristol Oldland Common unitary authority area Avon Valley Railway Lawrence Hill Waste depot Bitton Bristol St Philip's Barton Hill Depot St Mary Redcliffe tunnel Avon Riverside Bristol Temple Meads Bristol Temple Meads Princes' Wharf Kelston Bristol Harbour Railway St Philip's Marsh T&RSMD SS Great Britain East Depot Bristol Docks (North) Bedminster Bristol Docks (South) Parson Street CREATE Centre Mangotsfield to Bath line South Liberty Lane Depot Ashton Gate St Anne's Park Clifton Bridge Brislington Nightingale Valley Halt Long Ashton Ham Green Halt Bristol–Exeter line Pill Whitchurch Halt Portbury shipyard Keynsham Royal Portbury Dock Bristol & North Somerset Rly Portbury Shipyard Saltford Portbury Great Western Main Line (1954–1964) Portishead Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Light Railway (1879–1954) Portishead Portishead Pier

The railway line between Stoke Gifford Junction and Holesmouth Junction (Avonmouth), now known as the Henbury Loop Line, was opened by the Great Western Railway (GWR) on 9 May 1910, together with the Filton West Loop (Filton Junction to Filton West Junction).^[1] Among the stations on that line which opened the same day was one originally known as Filton Halt. It closed less than five years later, on 22 March 1915.^[2]

It was reopened either on 12 July 1926^[3] or on 20 September 1926,^[4] and was now known as North Filton Platform.^[3]

Regular passenger services ceased from 23 November 1964, but workman trains continued until 12 May 1986.^[5][6]

Reopening

Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways (FOSBR) and other local rail campaign groups have long supported the reopening of the Henbury Line to passengers, as well as the stations at North Filton and Henbury.^{[7][8][9][10]} FOSBR suggest this would help services along the Severn Beach Line, allowing a Bristol Temple Meads-Avonmouth-Bristol Parkway service, and also provide services to the north of Bristol generally, the Cribbs Causeway shopping centre,^[11] and the redevelopment at Filton Aerodrome. FOSBR say that local councils have committed to a feasibility study into reopening the line.^[11] In December 2011 a South Gloucestershire Council planning committee recommended that the station, along with Henbury station, be re-opened for passenger services.^[12]

In 2021 a planning application was opened for the new station. It will be built close to Gloucester Road North, and will link in with the proposed Cribbs/Patchway New Neighbourhood development being built by YTL. It will be served by an hourly service between Bristol Temple Meads and Henbury, and will be an unstaffed station. It will have two platforms, connected by a footbridge and lifts ensuring step-free access for all users. Both platforms will have ticket machines and covered waiting areas and the station will have a car park to include spaces for Blue Badge holders as well as general vehicle spaces and cycle parking. The station will be accessible from the north, via a station square, with drop-off spaces as well as locations for rail-replacement buses.^[13]

Planning permission was granted in January 2023 with a planned opening date of 2026.^[14]

Preceding station	Future services			Following station
Henbury		Great Western Railway Henbury Loop Line		Filton Abbey Wood

Notes

1. MacDermot, E.T. (1931). History of the Great Western Railway, vol. II: 1863-1921. Paddington: Great Western Railway. pp. 449, 612.
2. Butt 1995, p. 96
3. Butt 1995, pp. 96, 173
4. Nock, O.S. (1967). History of the Great Western Railway, vol. 3: 1923-1947. Shepperton: Ian Allan Publishing. p. 248. ISBN 0-7110-0304-1.
5. Butt 1995, p. 173
6. Private and Untimetabled Railway stations by G.Croughton and others
7. "Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways making rail difference". This is Bristol. Northcliffe Media. 25 September 2010. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
8. "Council leader's claim is a distortion of the facts". This is Bristol. Northcliffe Media. 29 July 2011. Archived from the original on 9 December 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
9. Leslie, Charlotte (10 November 2008). "Unite to fight the sale of Henbury train station". This is Bristol. Northcliffe Media. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
10. Bristol Evening Post (28 March 2012). "Campaigners raise questions over Henbury rail route". This is Bristol. Northcliffe Media. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
11. "Our Case". Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
12. "Planners back Filton Airfield's closure". BBC News. 5 December 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
13. "North Filton and Henbury train stations". Travelwest. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
14. "New railway station to connect visitors to Bristol arena". BBC News. 24 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.

References

• Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.

External links

• North Filton Platform on navigable O.S. map

Preceding station	Historical railways			Following station
Filton Junction Line closed, station open		Great Western Railway Henbury Loop Line		Charlton Halt Line and station closed
Winterbourne Line and station closed