Henbury railway station


Henbury railway station served the Bristol suburb of Henbury, England, from 1910 to 1965. The station was situated on the Henbury Loop Line of the Great Western Railway and was opened on 9 May 1910 for passenger services. Under the Beeching cuts, it was closed to passengers on 23 November 1964, with goods services ceasing on 5 July 1965. There is a proposal to reopen the station as part of the Greater Bristol Metro scheme, and if this goes ahead, it is scheduled to reopen in 2021.

History

Opened by the Great Western Railway on 9 May 1910, Henbury station was situated on the Henbury Loop Line which was inaugurated on the same day. The new line formed part of the Great Western's main route to Avonmouth Docks via Stoke Gifford Junction on the Bristol and Gloucester Railway. Regular passenger services ceased to call at the station between 1915 and 1922, although it appears that unadvertised workmen's services were used by the public to reach the station. In fact, a note in the list of stations issued by the Railway Clearing House in 1921 stated that "Season Ticket and Ordinary Passengers are conveyed". The station was publicly advertised again from 10 July 1922.
Henbury station was listed for closure by the Beeching report and it duly closed to passengers on 23 November 1964, with goods services being withdrawn as from 5 July 1965.

Present and future

The station's former goods yard was sold at auction in October 2008 by BRB Limited after South Gloucestershire Council had declined to make an offer.
Improved services on the Severn Beach Line are called for as part of the Greater Bristol Metro scheme, a rail transport plan which aims to enhance transport capacity in the Bristol area. It has been suggested that Henbury railway station be reopened as part of the scheme, with the possibility of services running from Bristol Temple Meads to via and Henbury. The Metro scheme was given the go-ahead in July 2012 as part of the City Deal, whereby local councils would be given greater control over money by the government.
It is proposed for reopening in 2021.
In January 2018, it was revealed that the new station would be on a new site rather than the former site due to high costs. The new station could open in May 2021.