Henbury Loop Line

Henbury Loop
The line at Henbury
Overview
Type	Heavy rail
System	National Rail
Status	Operational
Locale	Bristol South Gloucestershire
Termini	Filton Avonmouth
Stations	5 (0 in use)
Operation
Owner	Network Rail
Technical
Line length	6 miles 39 chains (10.4 km)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge

[ ] Henbury Loop
Miles and chains from London Paddington 112.03 South Wales Main Line and Cross-Country Route Cross-Country Route 112.78 South Wales Main Line 113.10 North Filton Platform 114.15 Charlton Halt 115.31 Henbury 116.08 Hallen Halt M5 motorway M49 motorway 118.03 Chittening Platform 118.42 Severn Beach Line Hallen Marsh Junction 119.41 St Andrew's Road 120.33 Avonmouth Severn Beach Line

The Henbury Loop Line, also known as the Filton to Avonmouth Line is a railway line following the boundary between Bristol and South Gloucestershire between the Severn Beach Line at Hallen Marsh Junction, Avonmouth and the Cross Country Route/South Wales Main Line at Filton. It is currently only used for freight.

The line was opened on 9 May 1910, as a more direct route to Avonmouth docks, and was initially known as the Avonmouth and Filton Railway. Although the line was mainly intended for freight services, passenger services were also provided until 1915, with stations at Filton Halt, Charlton, Henbury and Hallen. In 1917 a small station was opened at Chittening Platform to serve a new factory. The line was fully reopened to passenger traffic in 1922. Filton Halt, Charlton and Hallen stations did not reopen, but in 1926 a new station, North Filton Platform, was opened on the site of Filton Halt. The line closed to passenger traffic in 1964.

In 1971 a curve was opened to link the line to the South Wales Main Line at Patchway. This was to facilitate traffic to and from South Wales, including zoo excursions to Clifton Down.

Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways (FOSBR) and other local rail campaign groups support the reopening of the line to passengers, as well as the stations at North Filton and Henbury. FOSBR suggest this would help services along the Severn Beach Line, allowing a Bristol Temple Meads-Avonmouth-Bristol Parkway service, and also provide services to the north of Bristol generally, the Cribbs Causeway shopping centre, and the redevelopment at Filton Aerodrome. A South Gloucestershire Council planning committee in 2011 recommended that the line be re-opened for passenger services.