Clifton Extension Railway

The Clifton Extension Railway was a joint railway in Bristol, owned by the Great Western Railway (GWR) and the Midland Railway (MR) companies.

Clifton Extension Railway runs along the top of this 1911 Bristol railway map

Description of line

The railway ran from a junction with the GWR at Narroways Hill, just north of Stapleton Road railway station, to Avonmouth Docks. The branch was joined at Ashley Hill junction, just beyond Narroways Hill, by a line which left the Midland main line at Kingswood Junction, south-west of Fishponds station.

The first section of line through Montpelier to Clifton Down opened on 1 October 1874. The greatest engineering feature of the branch was a mile-long tunnel underneath Clifton Down. The section through the tunnel from Clifton Down station to Sneyd Park Junction, where it connected to the Bristol Port Railway, opened to goods traffic in 1877 and to passenger trains on 1 September 1885.[1]

Originally the railway was promoted by the Bristol Port Railway and Pier Company, incorporated under the Bristol Port Railway and Pier Act of 17 June 1862. In 1871 the railway was transferred to the Great Western and Midland railway companies jointly, under the Great Western and Midland railway companies (Clifton and Bristol) Act of 25 May 1871, and the Midland Railway (Additional Powers) Act of 25 July 1890. The line was administered by the Clifton Extension Railway Joint Committee until 1894, and from then the Great Western and Midland Railways Joint Committee.[2]

Recent history

Severn Beach Line
South Wales Main Line
Pilning
Cross Hands Halt
River Severn
New Passage Pier
New Passage Halt
Severn Tunnel
South Wales Main Line
Station Road
Severn Beach
A403 Severn Road
Border of Bristol
Henbury Loop Line
A403 St Andrew's Road
Kings Weston Lane
Stores Road
Zinc Road
St Andrews Road
Avonmouth Docks
Avonmouth
Victoria Road
River Severn
M5 Avonmouth Bridge
Portway (proposed)
Station Road
Shirehampton
Hung Road
Woodwell Road
River Trym
Sea Mills
A4 Portway
Sneyd Park Junction
Clifton Down Tunnel (1751 yds)
Circular Road
Hotwells Halt
Ladies Mile
Hotwells
River Avon
A4176 Clifton Down
B4467 Pembroke Road
Downfield Road
Apsley Road
Beaufort Road
Duchess Road
Clifton Down Tunnel (1751 yds)
St John's Road
Clifton Down
A4018 Whiteladies Road
Hampton Park
Hampton Road
Redland Grove
Redland
Redland Road
Kingsley Road
A38 Cheltenham Road
Montpelier
St Andrew's Road
Montpelier Tunnel (288 yds)
B4052 Ashley Hill
Cross Country Route
Mina Road
Midland Railway
Narroways Junction
James Street
M32 motorway
A432 Stapleton Road
Stapleton Road
St Mark's Road
Bannerman Road
B4465 Easton Road
Midland Railway
To waste depot
Lawrence Hill
A420 Church Road
Ducie Road
Barton Hill Road
Dr Days Junction
Silverthorne Lane
Great Western Main Line
A4320 St Philips Causeway
Silverthorne Lane
Temple Meads Goods Depot
Kingsland Road
Gas Lane
Avon Street
Bristol Docks
Bristol Temple Meads
Cattle Market Road
River Avon
Bristol to Taunton Line

The line from Narroways Hill is now part of the Severn Beach Line.

The connection to the Midland Railway closed in 1965, and the thirteen arch viaduct over the River Frome valley was demolished in 1968.[3]

References

  1. Maggs, C. (1981) Rail Centres: Bristol Ian Allan ISBN 0-7110-1153-2
  2. "Series reference RAIL 81 - Bristol Port Railway and Pier Company (including Clifton Extension Railway)". National Archives. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
  3. Viaduct Demolished. British Pathé. 26 May 1968. 3311.14 / UN 4356 C. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
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