Bristol Port Railway and Pier

Railway line in Bristol, England

The Bristol Port Railway and Pier (occasionally referred to as the Bristol Port and Pier Railway) was a railway in Bristol, England.

The Bristol Port Railway and Pier company (BPRP) ran from a main terminus at (originally called Clifton), northwards to west of Bristol city centre between the Clifton Suspension Bridge and Bridge Valley Road, to a terminus at Avonmouth. Upon leaving Hotwells, the line ran north alongside the River Avon through two tunnels, to a halt and passing point, then to Sneyd Park Junction, where the Clifton Extension Railway joined it. Continuing north following the river is the station at , then a bridge over the River Trym. The line curved west around Horse Shoe Bend, then went slightly inland to , then turned back north west. At Avonmouth Dock Junction the Extension Railway diverged north, and another line diverged west for freight, while the BPRP line continued into the station at Beyond there, the line diverged again, with one line going west to and another north to rejoin the Extension Railway. The main BPRP line continued on into its Avonmouth terminus.

Bristol sits on the River Avon, with its docks several miles inland. By the 19th century, ships had grown to such a size that navigating the Avon was not possible any more, and they had to dock at the head of the river at Avonmouth instead. The Bristol Port Railway and Pier company (BPRP) was founded in 1862 with the intent to build a single track railway the 5.75 mile (9 km) from Avonmouth to the city centre, alongside the Avon. The railway's act of parliament was passed on 17 July 1862, with Benjamin Burleigh appointed as engineer. It was the first standard gauge line in Bristol. The company's headquarters was at , where the first sod was turned by the Mayoress of Bristol, Mrs S V Hare, on 19 February 1863. The railway opened on 6 March 1865, although this was not announced in advance so that the line would not be overwhelmed by more people than the single locomotive could haul, and timetables were posted at Hotwells only minutes before the first departure. The double track CER was not initially open to passengers, as although the Sneyd Park – section was certified for passenger use in 1878, the MR and GWR did not believe the BPRP line was in a suitable state to carry their passengers. The MR obtained parliamentary powers to install block signalling on the line at the BPRP's expense, and through trains eventually started on 1 September 1885. Increased traffic led to the line being doubled from Avonmouth to Shirehampton in 1903, and to Sneyd Park in 1907. The branch was closed in 1922 to make way for construction of the A4 Portway. In the 2000s subsidence and movement in the Number Two tunnel affected the road above, Bridge Valley Road, which required major stabilization work and the waterproof tanking of the tunnel, to enable the road to be reopened.