Saltford railway station

Saltford
Looking east over the station site in 2011
Location
Place	Saltford
Area	District of Bath and North East Somerset
Coordinates	51°23′59″N 2°27′04″W / 51.3997°N 2.451°WCoordinates: 51°23′59″N 2°27′04″W / 51.3997°N 2.451°W
Operations
Original company	Great Western Railway
Pre-grouping	Great Western Railway
Post-grouping	Great Western Railway
Platforms	2
History
1840	Opened
c.1873	Rebuilt
1959	Closed to goods
1970	Closed entirely
Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom
Closed railway stations in Britain A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z
UK Railways portal

Saltford railway station was a small station on the Great Western Main Line between Bath and Bristol in use between 1840 and 1970. It served the village of Saltford, Somerset. A local group is campaigning to have the station reopened.

History

The station was opened on 16 December 1840, four months after the Great Western Railway line opened between Bath and Bristol. The original timber building was destroyed by fire in August 1873; its replacement was constructed from stone.^[1] A rival station had opened in 1869 at Kelston on the nearby Mangotsfield and Bath Branch Line of the Midland Railway. The bridge carrying that line across the river Avon also carried a footpath from Saltford.

Goods traffic was withdrawn from Saltford on 10 September 1959, however passenger services continued until 5 January 1970 when the station was closed.^[1]

Proposals to reinstate Saltford station have not so far succeeded. Access to the old site from the A4 is awkward, but there are few other suitable sites in the village. The Saltford Environment Group is campaigning for the reopening of Saltford station. They hope to have the station reopened when the Great Western Main Line is electrified, including between Bath and Bristol Temple Meads.^[2][3]

Description

The station was sited at the eastern end of the village at the foot of Saltford Hill, which is the present day A4 road between Bath and Bristol. The main building was on the down platform and there was also a small siding for goods. After the station closed the buildings and platforms were demolished.^[1] Much of the main line through Saltford runs in a deep cutting or in tunnel.

References

1. Oakley, Mike (2006). Somerset Railway Stations. Bristol: Redcliffe Press. p. 104. ISBN 1-904537-54-5.
2. "Saltford Station Campaign News". Retrieved 8 January 2012.
3. Saltford Station Campaign (September 2012). "The Strengthening Case for Saltford Station - September 2012 Situation Report". Retrieved 23 November 2012.