Pilning Low Level to Severn Beach - closed 23rd November 1964

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Closure of line from Pilning to Severn Beach to passenger services - 23rd November 1964. You will note that I have posted this under "Railway History" and not "Campaigns" - a short line that would be so useful in a network these days for passenger and freight traffic, but which closed in 1964 and has been covered by houses and motorways and won't be back in our lifetime.

Site of Pilning Low Level:


Site of Cross Hands Halt:


Severn Beach, what was and what is:




Single line token for the section:


Walkway from New Passage to Severn Beach

[grahame]

And a branch off the branch to New Passage (Pier) for the ferry that preceded the Severn Tunnel that preceded the Severn Bridge that preceded the new Severn Crossing

[grahame]

60 years ago today - a closure that split a network into disjoint individual lines.    Imagine today with staff for the Severnside businesses at Avonmouth, Stan Drew's Road and Severn Beach who live in South Wales changing at Pilning on their way into work, and passengers from Severnside changing there for the frequent electric service into London.

[Bob_Blakey]

Closure of line from Pilning to Severn Beach to.....in 1964 and (which) has been covered by houses and motorways and won't be back in our lifetime.....

You say that, and I realise I might be invited to a stay in secure accommodation for even suggesting the following, but given the political will (fat chance) and finance (no chance) it appears from Google Maps that it would not be difficult, keeping Severn Beach as a terminus, to build a new line which leaves the existing infrastructure in an easterly direction around 550m south of SVB and then runs roughly parallel to the A403 until turning SE to rejoin the old trackbed back to Pilning Station.

NIMBYism on the part of whoever owns what appears to be active famland could be dealt with by the appropriate use of one or more viaducts or underpasses.

Would the local, and wider, transport benefits outweigh the cost? The Treasury computer would say 'NO'.

[johnneyw]

Might some of the land Bob_Blakey is referring to already be earmarked for what seems to be the ever ongoing light industrial developments around Severn Beach?  If so, would that scupper any chances of rebuilding a link or would it potentially make such land available?
Regardless of that, perhaps a curve/chord connection with the Henbury Loop line from the Severn Beach direction might help with rail connectivity in the area more cost effectively?  I remember a report being quoted on this forum some while back which included this idea in it's proposals.