![Bristol MMB «A1 Narroways Junction 43301](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Bristol_MMB_%C2%ABA1_Narroways_Junction_43301.jpg)
Filton Bank is the name given to a section of the
Bristol to Birmingham line in
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
, England, roughly between and stations.
Description
The line runs from Dr Days Junction where the
Great Western Main Line
The Great Western Main Line (GWML) is a main line railway in England that runs westwards from London Paddington to . It connects to other main lines such as those from Reading to Penzance and Swindon to Swansea. Opened in 1841, it was the or ...
branches off from the
Bristol to Birmingham line just south of
Lawrence Hill station, to Filton Junction just north of
Filton Abbey Wood station where the
South Wales Main Line
The South Wales Main Line ( cy, Prif Linell De Cymru), originally known as the London, Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway or simply as the Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway, is a branch of the Great Western Main Line in Great Britain. ...
branches off. The
Severn Beach line branches off at Narroways Hill Junction. The line has recently (autumn 2018) been returned to quadruple track for its full length.
[Bristol Upgrades Filton Bank]
Network Rail
History
The line was built by the
Bristol and South Wales Union Railway
The Bristol and South Wales Union Railway was built to connect Bristol, England, with south Wales. The route involved a ferry crossing of the River Severn but was considerably shorter than the alternative route through Gloucester. The ferry w ...
. It was four-tracked until 1984 when it was reduced to double track, with the running lines slewed over to increase line speeds. In late 2018 it was returned to four-track.
Reinstatement
![2018 at Horfield - relaying the main line (02)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/2018_at_Horfield_-_relaying_the_main_line_%2802%29.JPG)
It was announced in July 2012 that Filton Bank would be returned to a four-track layout. This has restored the separation between fast, main line services and stopping, relief line services, increasing capacity on the line. A fourth platform has been built at
Filton Abbey Wood station. It will allow services on the
Severn Beach line to be increased to twice hourly, and the introduction of a twice hourly
London Paddington
Paddington, also known as London Paddington, is a London station group, Central London railway terminus and London Underground station complex, located on Praed Street in the Paddington area. The site has been the London terminus of services pro ...
to
Bristol Temple Meads
Bristol Temple Meads is the oldest and largest railway station in Bristol, England. It is located away from London Paddington. It is an important transport hub for public transport in the city; there are bus services to many parts of the city ...
via
Bristol Parkway service.
The additional tracks were opened on 19 November 2018 with work scheduled to finish in 2019.
The line was to have been electrified as part of the
Great Western Main Line electrification scheme.
In preparation for electrification, the footbridge at was replaced to give room for overhead cables.
In November 2016 it was announced that electrification on this section of line had been deferred due to cost overruns.
See also
*
Rail transport in Bristol
Rail services in the West of England refer to passenger rail journeys made in the Bristol commuter area. 17 million passenger rail journeys were made in 2019-20 within the Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Bristol/ Bath region.
Services in the W ...
*
MetroWest
*
Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways
Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways (FoSBR) is a Bristol-based campaign group, calling for better rail transport in the Bristol area.
Formation
FoSBR was formed in 1995 as ''Friends of Severn Beach Railway'', to protest against the potential ...
References
{{Transport in Bristol
Railway inclines in the United Kingdom
Rail transport in Bristol
Railway lines in South West England