Sea Mills railway station
Encyclopedia
Sea Mills railway station serves the Sea Mills
area of Bristol
, England
. The station is located near to the River Avon
. This station is 6 miles (10 km) north-west from Bristol Temple Meads on the Severn Beach Line
. All trains serving it are operated and the station managed by First Great Western
.
route from Hotwells
to a deep water pier on the Severn Estuary
at Avonmouth
. In 1885 the line was diverted and extended to run via Clifton Downs tunnel to Bristol Temple Meads
, and in 1922 it was extended to Severn Beach
.
On 16 February 1878, the station was the scene of a shooting accident when former Wales
international footballer, Alexander Jones
, a master at Clifton College
, was accompanying a party of cadets from the college home after rifle practice at Avonmouth. One of the pupils was waving a loaded rifle around when it discharged accidentally, killing Jones.
As with most stations on the Severn Beach line, the second platform is no longer in use, but can still be seen covered with weeds and bushes. The ground floor of the former station building is now being used as offices by Accountants, King and Partners and Financial Advisors, Dumnonia.
, using mainly Pacer units. Monday to Friday, three trains every two hours run from to , with one extended to and , giving a service at Sea Mills of roughly one train in each direction every 40 minutes. On Saturdays there is a similar level of service, but more trains continue to Severn Beach. Sunday sees a roughly hourly service each way between 9am and 6pm.
, published details of the improvements they plan to undertake over the next three years at Sea Mills. They are:
Sea Mills, Bristol
Sea Mills is a suburb of the English port city of Bristol. It is situated some 3.5 miles north-west of the city centre, towards the seaward end of the Avon Gorge. Nearby suburbs are Shirehampton, Sneyd Park, Combe Dingle and Stoke Bishop...
area of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The station is located near to the River Avon
River Avon, Bristol
The River Avon is an English river in the south west of the country. To distinguish it from a number of other River Avons in Britain, this river is often also known as the Lower Avon or Bristol Avon...
. This station is 6 miles (10 km) north-west from Bristol Temple Meads on the Severn Beach Line
Severn Beach Line
The Severn Beach Line is a local railway in Bristol, UK. It runs from Narroways Hill Junction to Severn Beach, and is the successor to the Bristol Port Railway and Pier, which ran from a Bristol terminus in the Avon Gorge to a station and pier on the Severn Estuary.Passenger trains run from Bristol...
. All trains serving it are operated and the station managed by First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
.
History
The station was opened on 6 March 1865, as part of the Bristol Port Railway and PierSevern Beach Line
The Severn Beach Line is a local railway in Bristol, UK. It runs from Narroways Hill Junction to Severn Beach, and is the successor to the Bristol Port Railway and Pier, which ran from a Bristol terminus in the Avon Gorge to a station and pier on the Severn Estuary.Passenger trains run from Bristol...
route from Hotwells
Hotwells
Hotwells is a district of the English port city of Bristol. It is located to the south of and below the high ground of Clifton, and directly to the north of the Floating Harbour. The southern entrance to the Avon Gorge, which connects those docks to the sea, lies at the western end of Hotwells. The...
to a deep water pier on the Severn Estuary
Severn Estuary
The Severn Estuary is the estuary of the River Severn, the longest river in Great Britain. Its high tidal range means it has been at the centre of discussions in the UK regarding renewable energy.-Geography:...
at Avonmouth
Avonmouth
Avonmouth is a port and suburb of Bristol, England, located on the Severn Estuary, at the mouth of the River Avon.The council ward of Avonmouth also includes Shirehampton and the western end of Lawrence Weston.- Geography :...
. In 1885 the line was diverted and extended to run via Clifton Downs tunnel to Bristol Temple Meads
Bristol Temple Meads railway station
Bristol Temple Meads railway station is the oldest and largest railway station in Bristol, England. It is an important transport hub for public transport in Bristol, with bus services to various parts of the city and surrounding districts, and a ferry service to the city centre in addition to the...
, and in 1922 it was extended to Severn Beach
Severn Beach railway station
Severn Beach railway station serves the village of Severn Beach, England. This is the terminus of the Severn Beach Line.This station is north west from Bristol Temple Meads on the Severn Beach Line...
.
On 16 February 1878, the station was the scene of a shooting accident when former Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
international footballer, Alexander Jones
Alexander Jones (footballer)
Alexander Fletcher Jones was a Welsh amateur footballer who played at centre-forward for Wales in their second international match against Scotland in March 1877. He was killed in a shooting accident on board a train....
, a master at Clifton College
Clifton College
Clifton College is a co-educational independent school in Clifton, Bristol, England, founded in 1862. In its early years it was notable for emphasising science in the curriculum, and for being less concerned with social elitism, e.g. by admitting day-boys on equal terms and providing a dedicated...
, was accompanying a party of cadets from the college home after rifle practice at Avonmouth. One of the pupils was waving a loaded rifle around when it discharged accidentally, killing Jones.
As with most stations on the Severn Beach line, the second platform is no longer in use, but can still be seen covered with weeds and bushes. The ground floor of the former station building is now being used as offices by Accountants, King and Partners and Financial Advisors, Dumnonia.
Services
Services at Sea Mills are all operated by First Great WesternFirst Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
, using mainly Pacer units. Monday to Friday, three trains every two hours run from to , with one extended to and , giving a service at Sea Mills of roughly one train in each direction every 40 minutes. On Saturdays there is a similar level of service, but more trains continue to Severn Beach. Sunday sees a roughly hourly service each way between 9am and 6pm.
Proposed improvements
In March 2007 First Great WesternFirst Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
, published details of the improvements they plan to undertake over the next three years at Sea Mills. They are:
- CCTV;
- Help and information points;
- Public address system;
- Upgrade or replace shelter.
See also
- Rail services in BristolRail services in BristolThere are three train operating companies in Bristol: CrossCountry, First Great Western and South West Trains.-Services in Bristol:* Bristol - Manchester* Plymouth - Edinburgh* Bristol Parkway - Weston-super-Mare* Cardiff - Portsmouth...