Charfield railway station

Charfield
Charfield
General information
Location	Charfield, South Gloucestershire; England
Coordinates	51°37′41″N 2°23′59″W / 51.628051°N 2.399764°W
Grid reference	ST723922
Platforms	2
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	Bristol and Gloucester Railway
Pre-grouping	Midland Railway
Key dates
8 July 1844	Opened
4 January 1965	Station closed to passengers
6 September 1965	Station closed to goods
Listed Building – Grade II
Official name	FORMER BOOKING HALL AND WAITING ROOM AT CHARFIELD STATION, STATION ROAD
Designated	5 June 1984
Reference no.	1114969
Listed Building – Grade II
Official name	FORMER STATIONMASTER'S HOUSE AT CHARFIELD STATION, STATION ROAD
Designated	5 June 1984
Reference no.	1321194

Bristol and Gloucester Railway

Legend

Gloucester–Newport line

(SWR) to Newport

Gloucester

Gloucester (Eastgate)

Birmingham & Gloucester Rly

(MR) to Birmingham

(GWR) to Swindon

Stonehouse & Nailsworth Rly

(MR) to Nailsworth/Stroud

Stroudwater Navigation

Frocester

Cam & Dursley

Coaley Junction

Dursley & Midland Junction Rly

(MR) to Dursley

M5

Berkeley Road

Sharpness branch line

(MR) to Sharpness

M5

Charfield

Wickwar

Wickwar Tunnel

Thornbury branch line

(MR) to Thornbury

Yate

Westerleigh Junction

South Wales Main Line

(GWR) to London Paddington

Coalpit Heath Sidings

Ram Hill Colliery

Westerleigh Goods Depot

M4

Bristol Parkway

Mangotsfield & Bath branch line

(MR) to Bath

South Wales Main Line

(GWR) to Swansea

Mangotsfield

Goods line

to Avonmouth docks

Staple Hill

Staple Hill Tunnel

Filton Abbey Wood

Fishponds

Avonside Locomotive Works

Clifton Extension Rly

(GWR & MR) to Avonmouth

Kingswood Junction

River Frome

Atlas Locomotive Works

and collieries

M32

Stapleton Road

Lawrence Hill

Waste Depot

Goods Depots

Bristol St Philip's

Bristol Harbour

River Avon (from Bath)

(GWR)

Temple Meads

Goods Depot

Great Western Main Line

to London Paddington

Bristol Temple Meads

Bridge over Victoria Street

tunnel under

St Mary Redcliffe churchyard

Bristol Harbour Railway

St Philip's Marsh depot

River Avon (to the sea)

Bristol & North Somerset Rly

(GWR)

Bristol and Exeter Railway

(GWR) to Taunton and Exeter

Charfield railway station served the village of Charfield in South Gloucestershire, England. The station was on the Bristol and Gloucester Railway, originally a broad gauge line overseen by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, but later taken over by the Midland Railway and converted to standard gauge.

History

Charfield station opened with the Bristol and Gloucester line on 8 July 1844 and had substantial Brunel-designed buildings on both platforms. There were sidings to the north and south, and those to the north were converted to loops to allow slow trains to be overtaken by faster trains.

In 1928, the Charfield railway disaster occurred when a southbound night-time mail train overran signals into a goods train manoeuvring into these sidings, and in the collision the mail train was diverted into the path of a northbound freight train. Gas from the mail train ignited and 15 people died in the blaze. According to some accounts, among them were two children whose identity was never established.^[3]

Passenger services were withdrawn from Charfield on 4 January 1965^[4] with the removal of stopping services on the Bristol to Gloucester line. Goods services were withdrawn on 6 September of the same year. The main station building and the station master's house remain, in residential use.^[5]

Proposed reopening

Services between Bristol and Birmingham pass through Charfield. There have been discussions about the viability of reopening the station. The costs would be shared between Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire councils since, although the station would be in South Gloucestershire, the nearby town of Wotton-under-Edge would be a principal beneficiary.

In February 2019, the West of England Combined Authority announced a £500,000 feasibility study into plans for two new bypasses and work to see whether Charfield is viable for reopening to passengers.^[6] In June 2019, a further £900,000 was allocated for the production of a full business case for the reopening of the station.^[7]

The January 2020 version of the Joint Local Transport Plan 4 (JLTP4, led by the West of England Combined Authority^[8]) proposed to deliver by 2023–2024 a "New station at Charfield funded through the WECA Investment Fund, to support housing growth".^[9]

In June 2020, Councillor Toby Savage, leader of South Gloucestershire Council, mentioned the possibility of re-opening Charfield station during an announcement of plans for enhanced services between Bristol and Gloucester.^[10]

A plan agreed by the West of England Combined Authority on 8 December 2020 set out projects that could potentially be delivered between 2020 and 2030, including the reopening of Charfield station.^[11]

A 12-week public consultation on the re-opening proposals was held between 19 October 2021 and 10 January 2022, with the new station proposed to open during Spring 2027.^[12]

Planning permission for the new station (South Gloucestershire Council, ref P22/05778/R3F) was granted in March 2023.

Services

Preceding station	Historical railways		Following station
Wickwar Line open, station closed		Bristol and Gloucester Railway Midland Railway	Berkeley Road Line open, station closed
	Disused railways
Terminus		Sharpness Branch Line Midland Railway	Berkeley Line and station closed
	Proposed services
Yate		Great Western Railway MetroWest	Cam and Dursley

References

^ Historic England. "FORMER BOOKING HALL AND WAITING ROOM AT CHARFIELD STATION, STATION ROAD (Grade II) (1114969)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
^ Historic England. "FORMER STATIONMASTER'S HOUSE AT CHARFIELD STATION, STATION ROAD (Grade II) (1321194)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
^ "Mystery of train death children". BBC News Online. 13 October 2008. Retrieved 13 October 2008.
^ Avon County Planning Department (1983). Railways in Avon: A Short History of Their Development and Decline. County of Avon.
^ Mike Oakley (2003). Gloucestershire Railway Stations. Wimborne: Dovecote Press. pp. 33–34. ISBN 1-904349-24-2.
^ "Two north Bristol bypass routes and new train station planned". BBC News. 25 February 2019.
^ Mabe, Huw (15 June 2019). "Funding for Yate Park and Ride and new Charfield Station announced". Gloucestershire Gazette.
^ "Joint Local Transport Plan - Combined Authority". Westofengland-ca.gov.uk. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
^ "Joint Local Transport Plan 4 2020-2036" (PDF). S3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com. January 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
^ "Plans for more rail services in Yate and Severn Beach one step closer". Gazetteseries.co.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
^ "Latest News - West of England Combined Authority". Westofengland-ca.gov.uk.
^ "Charfield Train Station". beta.southglos.gov.uk.

This article about a railway station in South West England is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This article about a Gloucestershire building or structure is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] Historic England. "FORMER BOOKING HALL AND WAITING ROOM AT CHARFIELD STATION, STATION ROAD (Grade II) (1114969)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 December 2021.

[2] Historic England. "FORMER STATIONMASTER'S HOUSE AT CHARFIELD STATION, STATION ROAD (Grade II) (1321194)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 December 2021.

[3] "Mystery of train death children". BBC News Online. 13 October 2008. Retrieved 13 October 2008.

[4] Avon County Planning Department (1983). Railways in Avon: A Short History of Their Development and Decline. County of Avon.

[5] Mike Oakley (2003). Gloucestershire Railway Stations. Wimborne: Dovecote Press. pp. 33–34. ISBN 1-904349-24-2.

[6] "Two north Bristol bypass routes and new train station planned". BBC News. 25 February 2019.

[7] Mabe, Huw (15 June 2019). "Funding for Yate Park and Ride and new Charfield Station announced". Gloucestershire Gazette.

[8] "Joint Local Transport Plan - Combined Authority". Westofengland-ca.gov.uk. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2022.

[9] "Joint Local Transport Plan 4 2020-2036" (PDF). S3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com. January 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2022.

[10] "Plans for more rail services in Yate and Severn Beach one step closer". Gazetteseries.co.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2022.

[11] "Latest News - West of England Combined Authority". Westofengland-ca.gov.uk.

[12] "Charfield Train Station". beta.southglos.gov.uk.

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v t e Closed railway stations in eastern Gloucestershire
Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway	Tetbury Road Chalford St Mary's Crossing Halt Brimscombe Brimscombe Bridge Halt Ham Mill Halt Bowbridge Crossing Halt Downfield Crossing Halt Cashes Green Halt Ebley Crossing Halt Churchdown Cheltenham Spa Malvern Road Cheltenham Spa St. James
Cirencester branch line	Park Leaze Halt Chesterton Lane Halt Cirencester Town
Tetbury branch line	Jackament's Bridge Halt Rodmarton Platform Church's Hill Halt Culkerton Trouble House Halt Tetbury
Midland and South Western Junction Railway	South Cerney Cirencester Watermoor Foss Cross Chedworth Halt Withington (Glos) Andoversford and Dowdeswell
East Gloucestershire Railway	Lechlade Fairford
Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway	Stow-on-the-Wold Bourton-on-the-Water Notgrove Andoversford Junction Charlton Kings Cheltenham Leckhampton
Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway	Adlestrop Blockley Chipping Campden Mickleton Halt
Honeybourne Line	Cheltenham High Street Halt Bishops Cleeve Gretton Halt Laverton Halt Willersey Halt Weston-sub-Edge
Bristol and South Wales Union Railway	Ashley Hill Horfield Filton Filton Junction Pilning Low Level Cross Hands Halt New Passage Halt New Passage New Passage Pier
Bristol and Gloucester Railway	Bristol St Philip's Fishponds Staple Hill Mangotsfield Wickwar Charfield Berkeley Road Coaley Frocester Stonehouse Bristol Road Haresfield Gloucester Eastgate
Mangotsfield and Bath branch line	Warmley
Thornbury branch line	Iron Acton Tytherington Thornbury
Sharpness branch line	Berkeley Sharpness
Dursley and Midland Junction Railway	Cam Dursley
Stonehouse and Nailsworth Railway	Ryeford Dudbridge Stroud Woodchester Nailsworth
Birmingham and Gloucester Railway	Cleeve Cheltenham High Street Badgworth Churchdown
Tewkesbury and Malvern Railway	Tewkesbury

v t e Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Railways	Great Western Bristol and Exeter Bristol and Gloucester Bristol and South Wales Union Cheltenham and Great Western Union Cornwall Dartmouth and Torbay East Somerset Great Western and Brentford Llynvi Valley Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton South Devon South Devon and Tavistock South Wales South Wales Mineral Taff Vale Vale of Neath West Cornwall West Somerset Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth
Railway stations	Bath Spa Bradford-on-Avon Bridgend Bridgwater Bristol Temple Meads Charfield Charlbury Chippenham Cirencester Town Crediton Culham Exeter St Davids Exeter St Thomas Liskeard Mortimer Paddington The Railway Station Hilton Hotel, Paddington St Germans Salisbury Stroud Weston Junction Yatton
Bridges and viaducts	Angarrack viaduct Avon Bridge Bath:St James's Bridge; Skew Bridge; St James' Viaduct Bishop's Bridge Chepstow Bridge Chippenham viaduct Clifton Suspension Bridge Cornwall Railway viaducts Carnon St Pinnock Cumberland Basin swing bridges "Devil's Bridge", Uphill Gatehampton Railway Bridge Hungerford Bridge Landore Viaduct Loughor Viaduct Maidenhead Bridge Rain, Steam and Speed – The Great Western Railway Moulsford Railway Bridge Royal Albert Bridge Somerset Bridge Three Bridges, London Usk Bridge Wharncliffe Viaduct Windsor Bridge
Tunnels and earthworks	Box Tunnel Cockett Tunnel Great Western Main Line Llansamlet arches Sapperton Tunnel Sonning Cutting South Devon Banks South Devon Railway sea wall Thames Tunnel Wellington Bank, Somerset
Ships, harbours and waterways	Great Western Steamship Company SS Great Western SS Great Britain Balanced rudder SS Great Eastern Isambard Kingdom Brunel Standing Before the Launching Chains of the Great Eastern (1857 photograph) SS Archimedes borrowed by Brunel, used for propeller tests Brentford Dock Bristol Harbour Cumberland Basin Underfall Yard Millbay Docks Westport Canal
Other engineering and building	Atmospheric railway Balloon flange girder Baulk road Broad gauge Brook House, Steventon Crew's Hole tar works Crystal Palace water towers Great Exhibition (Brunel on committee) Malmaison Hotel, Reading Renkioi Hospital Fellow of the Royal Society Institution of Civil Engineers (VP from 1850) Abraham-Louis Breguet (trained Brunel) Robert Pearson Brereton (Chief assistant)
Personal	Marc Isambard Brunel (father) Sophia Kingdom (mother) Lindsey House (childhood home) University of Caen Normandy Lycée Henri-IV Henry Marc Brunel (second son) Scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream (picture commissioned by Brunel) Brunel Manor (commissioned by Brunel for his retirement) Sarah Guppy, whose portrait was painted by Brunel Kensal Green Cemetery
Legacy and commemoration	Statues of Brunel Victoria Embankment Paddington Station Bristol Temple Meads Station Brunel Museum Being Brunel Broad gauge running line Blue plaque, 98 Cheyne Walk List of Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmarks (SS Great Britain #97) Brunel University of London NR Brunel (Network Rail typeface) Brunel Award 100 Greatest Britons (Brunel #2) Two Brunel £2 coins in 2006 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony featured Brunel Brunel (opera project)
• Other works of Brunel