Portishead railway station

see also Portishead railway station on the Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Railway

Portishead
The 1954 Portishead railway station, in 1960
Location
Place	Portishead
Area	North Somerset
Coordinates	51°29′00″N 2°46′00″W / 51.483333°N 2.766667°WCoordinates: 51°29′00″N 2°46′00″W / 51.483333°N 2.766667°W
Operations
Original company	Bristol and Portishead Pier and Railway
Pre-grouping	Great Western Railway
Platforms	1 (Old station); 2 (New station)
History
18 April 1867	Portishead (Old) station opened
4 January 1954	Closed, replaced by a new station 400 m away
4 January 1954	Portishead (New or BTC) station opened
7 September 1964	Closed
Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom
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Bristol Area Railway Map
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 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 (BPRP) North Filton Platform Filton Triangle Depot Avonmouth (Royal Edward) Westerleigh Goods Depot Avonmouth Docks Avonmouth Filton Junction Avonmouth Light Railway Filton Avonmouth Docks Filton Abbey Wood Shirehampton Horfield Sea Mills Ashley Hill Clifton Down Tunnel Mangotsfield(1845–1869) Clifton Down Mangotsfield(1869–1966) Redland Staple Hill Montpelier Fishponds Hotwells Halt Hotwells Narroways Hill Junction Stapleton Road sidings Grey line represents Stapleton Road boundary of Bristol Warmley unitary authority area Lawrence Hill Waste depot Oldland Common Bristol St Philip's Barton Hill Depot St Mary Redcliffe tunnel Bristol Temple Meads Bristol Temple Meads Bristol Harbour Railway St Philips Marsh T&RSMD Bedminster Parson Street Bristol Docks (North) Bristol Docks (South) South Liberty Lane Depot East Depot Bitton Ashton Gate St Anne's Park Clifton Bridge Brislington Nightingale Valley Halt Long Ashton Ham Green Halt Avon Riverside Pill Keynsham Portbury shipyard Whitchurch Halt Royal Portbury Dock Kelston Portbury Shipyard Saltford Portbury Mangotsfield Branch Line (1954–1964)Portishead Great Western Main Line Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Light Railway Bristol & North Somerset Rly (1879–1954)Portishead Bristol to Exeter Line Portishead Pier

Portishead railway station was opened by the Bristol and Portishead Pier and Railway in 1867; it was approximately 0.5 miles (0.80 km) from the village of Portishead. After the opening of the Pier in 1870, the line was extended with an additional railway station opened by the pier. The Pier station closed first; and the original Portishead station closed in 1954, with a new Portishead station opened nearer the town. The 1954 station closed in 1964 when passenger services were withdrawn from the line.

History

Portishead railway station was opened by the Bristol and Portishead Pier and Railway on 18 April 1867; it was approximately 0.5 miles (0.8 km) beyond the village of Portishead and handled both passengers and goods.^[1][2][3] The Pier was opened in 1870 and line was extended to the pier, with an additional railway station opened by the pier.^[2] By 1904, this was listed as a goods-only station, known as "Portishead Dock".^[3]

In the 1920s, the coal-fired Portishead power station was built adjacent to Portishead railway station; and the power station was extended in 1948 to increase its capacity. In 1949, building work also started on an additional power station, Portishead B power station.^[2] This led to the closure and demolition of the original Portishead railway station. It was replaced on the same day, 4 January 1954, by a new station 440 yards (400 m) nearer the centre of Portishead and Bristol.^[2]

The 1954 station was closed by the "Beeching Axe" on 7 September 1964, when passenger services ceased on the line.^[1][2] Freight services continued on the line until the early 1980s.

It is planned that the line is to be reopened in 2019 when a new station will be built about 600 metres (0.37 mi) east of the town centre.^[4]

References

Notes

1. Butt (1995), p.189.
2. Crowhurst, Ken (2001).
3. RCH (1904), p.80.
4. "Portishead GRIP3 report". Retrieved 15 January 2012.

Sources

• Butt, R. V. J. (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 1-8526-0508-1. OCLC 60251199.
• Crowhurst, Ken (2001). Images of England: Portishead. Stroud: Tempus Publishing Limited. ISBN 0-7524-2240-5.
• The Railway Clearing House (1970) [1904]. The Railway Clearing House Handbook of Railway Stations 1904 (1970 D&C Reprint ed.). Newton Abbot: David & Charles Reprints. ISBN 0-7153-5120-6.