Henbury Loop Line
{{Short description|Railway line in England}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox rail line
| name = Henbury Loop
| image = Bristol MMB «L5 Henbury Loop Line.jpg
| image_width = 280px
| image_alt = A double-tracked railway line passes through a cutting. The lines are clean and well-maintained, with fresh ballast. The banks of the cutting have light foliage, with few buildings visible nearby.
| caption = The line at Henbury
| type = Heavy rail
| system = National Rail
| status = Operational (freight only)
| locale = Bristol
South Gloucestershire
| start = Filton
| end = Avonmouth
| stations = 5 (0 in use)
| owner = Network Rail
| operator =
| linelength = {{convert|6|mi|39|chain|km}}{{cite web|url=http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/ELRs/_mileages/A/AFR.txt|title=Engineer's Line References: AFR – Avonmouth and Filton Railway|access-date=15 April 2012|author=Deaves, Phil}}
| gauge = {{RailGauge|sg|allk=on}}
| speed =
| map = 280px
(Click to expand)
| map_state = uncollapsed
}}
{{Henbury Loop|collapse=y}}
{{Bristol railway map|collapse=yes}}
The Henbury Loop Line, also known as the Filton to Avonmouth Line, is a railway line following the boundary between Bristol and South Gloucestershire between the Severn Beach Line at Hallen Marsh Junction, Avonmouth and the Cross Country Route/South Wales Main Line at Filton. It is currently only used for freight.
History
The line was opened on 9 May 1910, as a more direct route to Avonmouth docks, and was initially known as the Avonmouth and Filton Railway. Although the line was mainly intended for freight services, passenger services were also provided until 1915, with stations at Filton Halt, Charlton, Henbury and Hallen. In 1917 a small station was opened at Chittening Platform to serve a new factory. The line was fully reopened to passenger traffic in 1922. Filton Halt, Charlton and Hallen stations did not reopen, but in 1926 a new station, North Filton Platform, was opened on the site of Filton Halt. The line closed to passenger traffic on 09/05/1986.[http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/n/north_filton/index.shtml Disused Stations site record: North Filton Platform]
In 1971 a curve was opened to link the line to the South Wales Main Line at Patchway. This was to facilitate traffic to and from South Wales, including zoo excursions to Clifton Down.Maggs, C. (1981) Rail Centres: Bristol Ian Allan {{ISBN|0-7110-1153-2}} p. 22
Reopening
{{Update|section|date=June 2020}}
Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways (FOSBR) and other local rail campaign groups support the reopening of the line to passengers, as well as the stations at {{rws|North Filton}} and {{rws|Henbury}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/FRIENDS-MAKING-RAIL-DIFFERENCE/story-11231595-detail/story.html|title=Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways making rail difference|publisher=Northcliffe Media|work=This is Bristol|date=25 September 2010|access-date=14 April 2012|archive-date=13 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110913111203/http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/FRIENDS-MAKING-RAIL-DIFFERENCE/story-11231595-detail/story.html|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Council-leader-s-claim-distortion-facts/story-13034792-detail/story.html|title=Council leader's claim is a distortion of the facts|publisher=Northcliffe Media|work=This is Bristol|date=29 July 2011|access-date=14 April 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121209110925/http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Council-leader-s-claim-distortion-facts/story-13034792-detail/story.html|archive-date=9 December 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Unite-fight-sale-Henbury-train-station/story-11288941-detail/story.html|title=Unite to fight the sale of Henbury train station|date=10 November 2008|access-date=15 April 2012|author=Leslie, Charlotte|author-link=Charlotte Leslie|work=This is Bristol|publisher=Northcliffe Media|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120915093652/http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Unite-fight-sale-Henbury-train-station/story-11288941-detail/story.html|archive-date=15 September 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Campaigners-raise-questions-Henbury-rail-route/story-15643342-detail/story.html|title=Campaigners raise questions over Henbury rail route|date=28 March 2012|access-date=15 April 2012|author=Bristol Evening Post|author-link=Bristol Evening Post|work=This is Bristol|publisher=Northcliffe Media|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130114030922/http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Campaigners-raise-questions-Henbury-rail-route/story-15643342-detail/story.html|archive-date=14 January 2013}} FOSBR suggest this would help services along the Severn Beach Line, allowing a {{rws|Bristol Temple Meads}}-{{rws|Avonmouth}}-{{rws|Bristol Parkway}} service, and also provide services to the north of Bristol generally, the Cribbs Causeway shopping centre,{{cite web|url=http://fosbr.org.uk/ourcase|title=Our Case|publisher=Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways|access-date=15 April 2012}} and the redevelopment at Filton Aerodrome. South Gloucestershire Council planning committee recommended in 2011 that the line be re-opened for passenger services.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-16035123 |title=Planners back Filton Airfield's closure |date=5 December 2011 |access-date=6 December 2011 |publisher=BBC News}}
A consultation document produced for the West of England Partnership by the Halcrow Group suggested passenger services use the line as a spur. Campaigners objected that the suggested services would not call at stations such as {{rws|Stapleton Road}} and {{rws|Lawrence Hill}}.
A one-off service, operated by First Great Western, ran on the line on 27 July 2013.{{cite web|title=Bristol Henbury Loop train runs again after 50 years|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-23465043|publisher=BBC News|date=27 July 2013|access-date=27 July 2013}} The train operator hoped to use the service to demonstrate the feasibility of running services over the line, and to make the case for suitable funding. and depends in part upon the four-tracking of Filton Bank to allow more trains to operate the line from {{rws|Bristol Temple Meads}} to {{rws|Filton Abbey Wood}}.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-23630850|title=Bristol Henbury Loop railway line case pushed by MP|date=9 August 2013|access-date=10 August 2013|publisher=BBC News}} Work on restoring four-track use on Filton Bank was completed in late 2018.
In October 2022 the opening of a new station, North Filton, on the line was pushed back to 2026.{{Cite web |last=Seabrook |first=Alex |date=2022-10-28 |title=Station serving new Bristol arena will not open until 2026 |url=https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/local-news/bristol-arena-train-station-open-7758714 |access-date=2023-01-28 |website=BristolLive}}
In March 2023 construction work began on Ashley Down station, which, along with Filton Abbey Wood and new stations at North Filton and Henbury, will serve a planned new route along part of the Henbury Loop Line. {{Cite web |date=2023-10-03 |title=Ashley Down station |url=https://travelwest.info/projects/ashley-down-station/ |access-date=2023-10-08 |website=Travelwest}} The new Ashley Down station opened to passenger traffic on 28 September 2024. {{Cite web |date=2024-09-27 |title=Ashley Down station |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdenderyjr9o |access-date=2025-01-26 |website=BBC.co.uk}}
This line has been identified by Campaign for a Better Transport as a Priority 1 candidate for reopening.{{cite web |title=The case for expanding the rail network |url=https://bettertransport.org.uk/sites/default/files/research-files/case-for-expanding-rail-network.pdf |website=Campaign for Better Transport |access-date=31 May 2025}}{{rp|22}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{commons category|Henbury Loop Line|position=left}}
{{Railway lines in South West England}}
{{Transport in Bristol}}
Category:Rail transport in Bristol
Category:Transport in South Gloucestershire District