Saltford railway station was a small station on the Great Western Main Line between Bath and

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 ...

in use between 1840 and 1970. It served the village of

Saltford Saltford is a large English village and civil parish in the Bath and North East Somerset unitary authority, Somerset. It lies between the cities of Bristol and Bath, and adjoins Keynsham on the same route. Saltford Manor House (built about 116 ...

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

. A local group is campaigning to have the station reopened.

History

The station was opened on 16 December 1840, four months after the Great Western Railway line opened between Bath and

. The original timber building was destroyed by fire in August 1873; its replacement was constructed from stone. A rival station had opened in 1869 at on the nearby

Mangotsfield and Bath Branch Line The Mangotsfield and Bath branch line was a railway line opened by the Midland Railway Company in 1869 to connect Bath, Somerset, Bath to its network at Mangotsfield railway station, Mangotsfield, on its line between Bristol and Birmingham. It wa ...

of the

Midland Railway The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had its headquarters. It ama ...

. The bridge carrying that line across the river Avon also carried a footpath from Saltford. Goods traffic was withdrawn from Saltford on 10 September 1959, however passenger services continued until 5 January 1970 when the station was closed. Proposals to reinstate Saltford station have not so far succeeded. Access to the old site from the A4 is awkward, but there are few other suitable sites in the village. The Saltford Environment Group is campaigning for the reopening of Saltford station. They hope to have the station reopened when the Great Western Main Line is

electrified Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source. The broad meaning of the term, such as in the history of technology, economic history ...

, including between Bath and

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 ...

Description

The station was sited at the eastern end of the village at the foot of Saltford Hill, which is the present day A4 road between Bath and Bristol. The main building was on the down platform and there was also a small siding for goods. After the station closed the buildings and platforms were demolished. Much of the main line through Saltford runs in a deep cutting or in tunnel.

References

{{Proposed rail infrastructure projects in the United Kingdom Disused railway stations in Somerset Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1840 Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1970 Great Western Main Line Proposed railway stations in England Former Great Western Railway stations