Sharpness Branch Line
Encyclopedia
The Sharpness Branch Line was a railway in Gloucestershire
, England
, built by the Midland Railway
(MR) to connect the port of Sharpness
to the main Bristol and Gloucester Railway
. The line opened for goods traffic in 1875 and to passenger traffic a year later.
, which was the junction with the main line, to Sharpness
, with an intervening station to serve the town of Berkeley
.
The line's status as a branch was short-lived. In 1879, the Severn Bridge Railway
(SBR) opened to connect Sharpness across the Severn Railway Bridge
to Lydney
and the Forest of Dean
on the north bank of the river Severn
. Passenger through-services were run between Lydney
and Berkeley Road, and the through-line's freight capacity contributed to the further development of Sharpness docks. Sharpness station was re-sited as a through station.
Upon the opening of the SBR on 17 October 1879, it amalgamated with the Severn and Wye Railway
to form the Severn and Wye and Severn Bridge Railway. This railway got into financial difficulties in 1883, and on 1 July 1894 was sold to the Great Western Railway
(GWR) and the MR, becoming a joint line. The Sharpness branch (totalling 4 miles (6.43736 km)) was transferred from the MR to the joint committee on the same day.
On 9 March 1908, together with the opening of new connections between the MR and GWR to the south of , a second junction of the Sharpness branch with the main line was provided south of Berkeley Road to enable freight trains from Sharpness Docks to go south towards Bristol
; this line, 1 miles (1.60934 km) in length and known as the Berkeley Loop, was always GWR property.
This state of affairs lasted until October 1960, when an accident involving petroleum barges on the river Severn brought down part of the railway bridge. The bridge was judged to be beyond economic repair, and the Sharpness Branch Line resumed its earlier status as a branch. Passenger services lasted for only four more years, though, being withdrawn in November 1964, and the stations at Sharpness and Berkeley were closed. The line remains open for freight traffic to and from Sharpness Docks, though these services are not frequent.
. It will use the trading names "Berkeley Vale Railway" and "The Beaver Line". Freight train
s serving the Berkeley
and Oldbury
nuclear power stations
will continue to be operated by Direct Rail Services
(DRS). Rolling stock from the Stratford on Avon and Broadway Railway
was expected to be used but this plan has been dropped. Site clearance at Sharpness was under way in March 2011, but the project has since been put on hold.
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, 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...
, built by the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
(MR) to connect the port of Sharpness
Sharpness
Sharpness is an English port in Gloucestershire, one of the most inland in Britain, and eighth largest in the South West. It is on the River Severn at , at a point where the tidal range, though less than at Avonmouth downstream , is still large .The village of Sharpness is pronounced with the...
to the main Bristol and Gloucester Railway
Bristol and Gloucester Railway
The Bristol and Gloucester Railway opened in 1844 between Bristol and Gloucester, meeting the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway. It is now part of the main line from the North-East of England through Derby and Birmingham to the South-West.-History:...
. The line opened for goods traffic in 1875 and to passenger traffic a year later.
History
The branch line opened on 1 August 1876, and was four miles long and ran from Berkeley Road stationBerkeley Road railway station
Berkeley Road railway station served the towns of Berkeley and Dursley in Gloucestershire, England.-History:The station was one of the first six stations built on the Bristol and Gloucester Railway, originally a broad gauge line overseen by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, but later taken over by the...
, which was the junction with the main line, to Sharpness
Sharpness railway station
Sharpness railway station served the village of Sharpness in Gloucestershire, England.-History:The station was on the Sharpness Branch Line, part of the Midland Railway, which connected the Bristol and Gloucester Railway main line at Berkeley Road station with the docks at Sharpness...
, with an intervening station to serve the town of Berkeley
Berkeley railway station
Berkeley railway station served the town of Berkeley in Gloucestershire, England. The station was on the Sharpness Branch Line, part of the Midland Railway , which connected the Bristol and Gloucester Railway main line at Berkeley Road station with the docks at Sharpness.-History:The Midland...
.
The line's status as a branch was short-lived. In 1879, the Severn Bridge Railway
Severn Bridge Railway
The Severn Bridge Railway was an early British railway company. It ran from Berkeley Road railway station to Sharpness railway station via the Sharpness Branch Line. It then went over the River Severn on the Severn Railway Bridge and to Lydney Junction railway station. It was opened in 1879 as a...
(SBR) opened to connect Sharpness across the Severn Railway Bridge
Severn Railway Bridge
The Severn Railway Bridge was a crossing across the River Severn between Sharpness and Lydney, Gloucestershire. It was badly damaged in an accident involving river barges in 1960 and demolished in 1970.-Construction:...
to Lydney
Lydney
Lydney is a small town and civil parish in the English county of Gloucestershire. It is located on the west bank of the River Severn, close to the Forest of Dean. The town lies on the A48 road, next to the Lydney Park gardens with its Roman temple in honour of Nodens.-Transport:The Severn Railway...
and the Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...
on the north bank of the river Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
. Passenger through-services were run between Lydney
Lydney Town railway station
Lydney Town railway station is a railway station on the Dean Forest Railway in Lydney in Gloucestershire. It is located a few metres from the High Street which a level crossing runs over on the Norchard end.-History:...
and Berkeley Road, and the through-line's freight capacity contributed to the further development of Sharpness docks. Sharpness station was re-sited as a through station.
Upon the opening of the SBR on 17 October 1879, it amalgamated with the Severn and Wye Railway
Severn and Wye Railway
The Severn and Wye Railway was a small railway network in west Gloucestershire that was constructed to allow exploitation of the mineral resources of the Forest of Dean. The Severn and Wye Railway and Canal Company began construction of the tramway and the Lydney Canal in 1810. In 1868 the tramway...
to form the Severn and Wye and Severn Bridge Railway. This railway got into financial difficulties in 1883, and on 1 July 1894 was sold to the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
(GWR) and the MR, becoming a joint line. The Sharpness branch (totalling 4 miles (6.43736 km)) was transferred from the MR to the joint committee on the same day.
On 9 March 1908, together with the opening of new connections between the MR and GWR to the south of , a second junction of the Sharpness branch with the main line was provided south of Berkeley Road to enable freight trains from Sharpness Docks to go south towards 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...
; this line, 1 miles (1.60934 km) in length and known as the Berkeley Loop, was always GWR property.
This state of affairs lasted until October 1960, when an accident involving petroleum barges on the river Severn brought down part of the railway bridge. The bridge was judged to be beyond economic repair, and the Sharpness Branch Line resumed its earlier status as a branch. Passenger services lasted for only four more years, though, being withdrawn in November 1964, and the stations at Sharpness and Berkeley were closed. The line remains open for freight traffic to and from Sharpness Docks, though these services are not frequent.
Re-opening proposal
Sharpness Berkeley Railway Ltd (company No. 07166656) intends to re-open the line as a heritage railwayHeritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
. It will use the trading names "Berkeley Vale Railway" and "The Beaver Line". Freight train
Freight train
A freight train or goods train is a group of freight cars or goods wagons hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway, ultimately transporting cargo between two points as part of the logistics chain...
s serving the Berkeley
Berkeley nuclear power station
Berkeley nuclear power station is a disused Magnox power station situated on the bank of the River Severn in Gloucestershire, England.-History:The construction of the power station, which was undertaken by a consortium of AEI and John Thompson began in 1956....
and Oldbury
Oldbury nuclear power station
Oldbury nuclear power station is a nuclear power station located on the south bank of the River Severn close to the village of Oldbury-on-Severn in South Gloucestershire, England. It is operated by Magnox North Limited, on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority...
nuclear power stations
Nuclear power plant
A nuclear power plant is a thermal power station in which the heat source is one or more nuclear reactors. As in a conventional thermal power station the heat is used to generate steam which drives a steam turbine connected to a generator which produces electricity.Nuclear power plants are usually...
will continue to be operated by Direct Rail Services
Direct Rail Services
Direct Rail Services is a freight operating company created by British Nuclear Fuels Limited. The company started rail operations in 1995 using five heavily refurbished Class 20/3 diesel locomotives. Since then it has expanded greatly, and has acquired many more locomotives, most bought...
(DRS). Rolling stock from the Stratford on Avon and Broadway Railway
Stratford on Avon and Broadway Railway
The Stratford on Avon and Broadway Railway project aimed to re-open the closed railway from Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire to Honeybourne railway station for main-line connection...
was expected to be used but this plan has been dropped. Site clearance at Sharpness was under way in March 2011, but the project has since been put on hold.