Last chance to have your say on Western Harbour development

Posted on March 5, 2025 by corwinb

The public consultation for the proposed Western Harbour redevelopment of Cumberland Basin and its surrounding area closes on 9th March, so there are only a few days remaining to have your say on the current proposals.

Western Harbour Website

Link to consultation

How does this affect the Bristol Harbour Railway?
The current proposals do make a point of reinstating the railway along the New Cut (closed since the development of Metrobus on the site of Butterfly Junction). However, the proposed end of the line stops short of the BHR’s intended new terminus (for which ballast has been laid but trains are yet to run to) alongside the bonded warehouse.
The BHR’s storage shed ‘the barn’ and the buildings around it are to be demolished under the new proposals in favour of apartment blocks.
A link to the proposal video is below:

New year, new developments

Posted on January 18, 2016 by corwinb

This shot from Vauxhall Bridge shows that the majority of the fencing between Cumberland Road and the railway line has been removed. This is to be replaced and strengthened to prevent a metrobus going through the fence in the event of a collision.

Down at Sugar Quay/Whapping Wharf, the first phase of the new housing is nearly completed. This features a walkway that connect Gaol Ferry Bridge to Museum Square.

Indian Summer, Civil Engineering

Posted on September 29, 2015 by corwinb

After a particularly cold and wet summer, the weather has taken a turn for the better, giving us some glorious days and incredible sunsets.

Here’s a (bad camera phone quality) snap I took of the golden sunset glimpsed beneath the Cumberland Road bridge.

Up North, Portbury has been kept busy at Beamish. In this photo reproduced from the Beamish Museum facebook page, she is seen in the company of WW1-era Gordon Highlanders re-enactors at the Agricultural Show event.

Back in Bristol, there have been multiple engineering projects in the railway’s environs. The Metrobus development has cleared a large area of land at Butterfly Junction and Ashton Meadows, and new drainage has been installed.

One of the most conspicuous developments has been the ongoing repair work to Prince Street Bridge. This is adjacent to the platform at M Shed and has involved the construction of a large temporary bridge. The girders on the swing bridge are corroded and need replacing, so it will be closed to all traffic for 6 months.

Also pictured is Kaskelot, a Bristol-based ship, taking the usual mooring point of Balmoral while the latter was at sea.

Butterfly Junction Redevelopment – 1

Posted on March 13, 2015 by corwinb

In this first look at the changing face of the Butterfly Junction area, you can see the extensive clearance of foliage that has taken place. Surveyors have been working in the area over the past few weeks.

Further down the line, the area around the Cumberland Road Bridge siding has also been cleared. The spare wagon wheelsets have been moved out of the way. The plans for the bridge indicate that the path here will be raised up to platform height in order to meet the new bridge.

Metrobus – Vegetation Clearance

Posted on February 23, 2015 by corwinb

The planned Metrobus route, formerly the line to Ashton Meadows sidings, has been tidied up.
This includes the line over Ashton Avenue Bridge (Rails are still extant on this section)
The clearance has exposed the old permanent way huts, some sleepers, and electrical boxes.

Last Operating Weekend of 2014

Posted on October 31, 2014 by corwinb

This Saturday and Sunday are the last two days of operation on the BHR for the 2014 season, and possibly the last services to travel to Butterfly Junction in its present form before the remodelling in anticipation of the Metrobus route construction.

Come down and take a ride!

Level Crossing Work 2

Posted on October 17, 2014 by corwinb

Both lines have now been lifted, and the trackbed excavated.

: Wednesday

: Thursday

: Sugar Quay development looms behind

Whapping Wharf Development

Posted on June 2, 2014 by corwinb

As the housing at Sugar Quay is going up…

… Other buildings are coming down. The former coal office (Latterly the office for the car park managers) has been demolished, along with the partially-collapsed roof of the building on the right.

See this photo from February 2013 for a comparison

Over on the shed road, the old goods platform has been renovated and the entire wall treated to new paint. The remnants of the platform roof have been removed.

Compare this last photo with the view back in 2009

Likewise, this view back toward the shed has changed so much, and is due to change again, as the access road is to be built and will need to cross the two yard tracks.

This shot of the Ruston, taken from the same location, is about a year old.

All change at Butterfly Junction

Posted on February 16, 2014 by corwinb

The track gangs (Usually a team of no more than 6 people) have been extremely busy in modifying the layout at Butterfly Junction.

This was the view today – the line through the station has been lifted, as has the loop, and the sleepers from the Ashton Meadows Spur have been recovered.

Perhaps aptly, the station information board is rather lopsided.

In the shadow of the tobacco bond warehouses, the crane lifts the last few remaining rails from the station area.

Larry the loader assists

The foreground is where the spur to Ashton Meadows used to run – this is planned to form part of the Metrobus route

Just around the corner, the new shed and yard is taking shape. Compare these photos to those taken in January, another set of points has been laid on the approach to the Barn, which is already half assembled.