Main image: CGI of Bristol Brabazon station (Image courtesy of YTL)
The Henbury Line is a £76 million investment forming a key part of the West of England Combined Authority’s MetroWest project to improve rail services in and around Bristol. A new station has opened at Ashley Down, and additional stations are under construction at Bristol Barbazon and consented for Henbury.
Timeline
March 2026
With work on the new station in Filton well underway, the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority officially announce that it will be named Bristol Brabazon. Brabazon is described as ‘the fastest growing part of the country’s fastest growing region economy’.
December 2025
Work is in progress at North Filton (Brabazon) station. New track drainage is installed, track is relaid, and platform wall installation starts.
October 2025
Henbury Station gets planning permission.
The government announces that Brabazon is at the heart of a proposed new town, the ‘West Innovation Arc’, extending across to Bristol Parkway and the Bristol & Bath Science Park.
August 2025
Henbury Station is spotted on the latest revision of the Ordnance Survey map.
March 2025
Enabling works and site surveys commence at Brabazon, which seems to be the preferred name for the new station at North Filton. YTL announce that a new office building at the station, ‘The Interchange’, will contain a staffed ticket office.
January 2025
Outgoing Mayoral Combined Authority Mayor Dan Norris confirms that North Filton (or is it Brabazon?) Station will open in 2026. This follows the UK visit of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who states that YTL will be investing £2bn to build 6,500 homes at the 150 hectare (380 acre) site, which they claim will be the most sustainable new town in the UK.
Initially there will be an hourly train service to Bristol Temple Meads, via Filton Abbey Wood.
September 2024
Ashley Down Station opens. Initially this is served by hourly trains to Bristol Temple Meads and Filton Abbey Wood, with additional services stopping there for events at the Country Ground and Memorial Stadium.
Network Rail amend their planning application for Henbury Station in order to speed up delivery. This change, to a hybrid application, will allow the design of the A4018 access ramp to be covered by outline consent.
May 2024
Network Rail complete main works on Ashley Down Station, and start systems testing phase. Their aim is to open the station ‘later this year’.
March 2024
Environment Agency maintains its objection to Henbury Station plans. It says that the wrong model has been used when assessing the flood risk for the station’s access road.
January 2024
Construction work begins on the new entrance at Ashley Down Station. The work will involve connecting Station Road with the new station entrance, making sure it offers Equality Act compliant access, together with improvements to Concorde Way.
December 2023
Footbridge towers and span installed on 25th and 26th December while normal rail services were suspended.
October 2023
Trafnidiaeth Cymru/Transport for Wales (TfW) open consultation on their proposal to develop five new stations between Cardiff and Severn Tunnel Junction. These stations would be served by up to four trains per hour between Bristol and Cardiff; on this side of the Severn some or all of these would call at Ashley Down along with Patchway, Filton Abbey Wood, Stapleton Road and Lawrence Hill.
South Gloucester Council’s Landscape Officer objects to plans to move car parking at the proposed Henbury Station to a new location north of Gainsborough Avenue
September 2023
Environment Agency object to Henbury Station plans on the grounds of flood risk.
August 2023
Planning application submitted for Henbury Station.
June 2023
Work on platforms at Ashley Down is completed.
February 2023
Detailed plans for Ashley Down Station approved by Bristol City Council. WECA agree funding. Site mobilisation is scheduled for 27th February 2023.
January 2023
Plans for North Filton Station approved by South Gloucestershire Council.
July 2022
Bristol City Council grant Prior approval for Ashley Down Station plans.
September 2021
Network Rail submits planning application for a fully-accessible two platform station at North Filton.
June 2021
Network Rail submits ‘Prior Approval’ planning application for Ashley Down Station.
September 2020
Bristol City Council reveal plans for access arrangements for the new Ashley Down Station.
June 2019
Kye Dudd, Cabinet Member for Transport, updates Bristol City Council cabinet about the design progress for Ashley Down station, which will be located at the old Ashley Hill Station site. Councillor Dudd says there will be a public engagement around the design and access of the site. He says the pedestrian and cycle access leading to Station Road, Muller Road and the Concorde Way cycle route will get particular attention.
The West of England Combiner Authority (WECA) states that full planning applications will be submitted over the next few months for North Filton and Henbury. Network Rail has permitted development rights to build Ashley Down station on the site of the previous station.
March 2019
Discussions are underway to expand MetroWest 48 km beyond Yate to Gloucester in the north and 23 km from Bath to Westbury. Director of Infrastructure David Carter says WECA is working with Network Rail to determine the necessary infrastructure. He states:
We have to make sure we keep, in both MetroWest 1 and 2, the cost of the turnback at Bath and the cost of the turnback at Yate until such time as the DfT confirms Gloucester and Westbury are in the GWR franchise.
September 2018
Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees confirms his decision to cancel the Bristol Arena at Temple Island, behind Bristol Temple Meads. This clears the way for a privately developed arena funded by Malaysian investment firm YTL in the Brabazon Hangar at Filton Airfield. This is close to the potential site for new North Filton station.
YTL and South Gloucestershire Council had previously agreed to move North Filton station to a new location 300m west of the old one. The new station will be more central to the airfield housing development, and closer to the Brabazon Hangar.
January 2018
WECA announce that the new £10 million station will be built on the East Site, and the former Henbury station site is rejected due to a higher cost. Levels of public support for both sites were similar.
January 2016
Consultation on the location for a new railway station to serve Henbury asks for views on two options for the location:
- the “West Site”, west of the A4018 and east of Station Road (the former station site)
- and the “East Site”, immediately east of the A4018.
2015
West of England Partnership (WEP) Joint Transport Board resolve to prepare an outline business case for a Henbury spur service. This includes new stations at Ashley Down, North Filton and Henbury, as part of MetroWest Phase 2.
Loop or spur?
West of England Partnership dismiss the case for a Henbury Loop service, extending west to Avonmouth via Clifton Down to Temple Meads, because they claim it would only attract 8,000 more passengers per year than the proposed spur.
2013
A demonstration charter train shows the feasibility of operating a service around the Henbury Loop.
The West of England Partnership’s business case ignores the number of new residents. There will be 8,000 new homes in the Cribbs Patchway New Neighbourhood (old Filton Airfield), and many residents will need to travel to employment hubs to the north-west of the city such as Severnside.
It also ignores the potential passenger flow from the proposed Portway Park and Ride station.
2011
South Gloucestershire Council discuss restoration of services on the Henbury Loop, providing the opportunity for a suburban metro service, serving Bristol Temple Meads, Clifton Down, Henbury and Bristol Parkway (and intermediate stops) on a circular route.
1965
Stations close to freight, but the Henbury line is retained for freight use as a direct route to Avonmouth Docks.
1964
British Rail close Ashley Hill, Horfield, Henbury and Chittening stations to passengers.