Severn Bridge railway station

Severn Bridge railway station was a small station on the Severn Bridge Railway located close to the north west bank of the River Severn, 2 miles (3 km) northeast of Lydney in Gloucestershire, England.

Severn Bridge for Blakeney
Severn Bridge station and the Bridge
General information
Location	Purton, Forest of Dean England
Grid reference	SO667043
Platforms	2
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	Severn Bridge Railway
Pre-grouping	Severn and Wye and Severn Bridge Railway (GWR & MR joint line)
Post-grouping	S&W&SBR
Key dates
20 October 1879 (1879-10-20)	Station opened
26 October 1960 (1960-10-26)	services suspended
November 1964	officially closed

History

A 1911 Railway Clearing House map of railways in the vicinity of Severn Bridge

A map from 1946, showing the station location

The Severn Bridge Railway linked Lydney Junction railway station on the north bank of the River Severn with Sharpness Docks on the south bank via the Severn Railway Bridge. The railway joined up at Sharpness with the Sharpness Branch Line which had been built from Berkeley Road railway station on the Bristol and Gloucester Railway to the docks in 1875. The opening of the bridge in 1879 provided a cross-Severn route for Forest of Dean and south Wales coal both to Sharpness docks and to Bristol.

On the north side of the river, the bridge was approached on a series of arches, one of which traversed the Gloucester to Chepstow and Newport main line. Severn Bridge station was on the embankment leading up to these arches, on a section of the line that ran almost parallel with and to the north of the main line as both went into Lydney Junction, about two miles to the south west.

Berkeley Rd to Lydney train at Severn Bridge station, looking east, towards the Severn Bridge, hauled by GW '1600' class 0-6-0T No. 1616 (built 12/49, withdrawn 10/59!).

Severn Bridge station had a passing loop, small shelters on the two platforms and a signalbox. There was a short siding with a cattle pen at the end of the station nearer to the bridge, which closed in 1957. At times, the station was known as "Severn Bridge for Blakeney".

The Severn Railway Bridge was hit by petrol barges in a shipping accident on 25 October 1960 which demolished two of its 22 spans, and it was judged to be beyond economic repair. All services on the line were suspended, though it was not officially closed until November 1964. The Severn Bridge station site, according to a book published in 2003, was then "just left to rot".

Severn Bridge Railway
For canal icons used below, please refer to waterways legend instead. Dean Forest Railway Severn Bridge Tunnel Lydney Town Severn Bridge St Mary's Halt Lydney Junction Lydney Gloucester–Newport line (From Newport to Gloucester) Lydney Harbour Branch Pidcock's Canal Forges Lydney Canal Lower Docks Upper Docks Severn Railway Bridge over River Severn (Dismantled 1970) Swing bridge over Gloucester and Sharpness Canal Locks onto River Severn Sharpness Sharpness Docks Locks onto River Severn Old Docks Branch River Severn Cross Country Route (To Gloucester) Berkeley Berkeley Road (Closed 1965) Berkeley Loop Cross Country Route (To Bristol)

Sharpness branch line
For canal icons used below, please refer to waterways legend instead.
Dean Forest Railway (To Parkend) Severn Bridge Gloucester–Newport line (From Newport to Gloucester) Severn Railway Bridge over River Severn (Dismantled 1970) Swing bridge over Gloucester and Sharpness Canal Sharpness Old Port Sharpness (closed 1964) Sharpness Docks New Docks Branch Sharpness New Port Berkeley (closed 1964) Cross Country Route (To Gloucester) Berkeley Road (closed 1965) Berkeley Loop Cross Country Route (To Bristol)

Services

Preceding station		Disused railways		Following station
Lydney Junction GWR station remains open		Severn Bridge Railway Midland Railway and Severn and Wye Railway		Sharpness Station closed

External links

• Photographs of the disused location in the mid 1960s