History Nailsea and Backwell railway station

nailsea & backwell in 1971, showing signal box on eastbound platform.



in 1982, british rail class 101 dmu departs nailsea & backwell service cardiff.



the foundations of demolished station buildings still visible.

the first section of bristol , exeter railway s (b&er) main line opened on 14 june 1841 between bristol , bridgwater. opened nailsea , while first station on line west of bristol, next being clevedon road (which renamed yatton in 1847). line, engineered isambard kingdom brunel, built 7 ft (2,134 mm) broad-gauge had been reconstructed mixed-gauge line accommodate local 4 ft 8 ⁄2 in (1,435 mm)-gauge traffic 1 june 1875. services operated great western railway (gwr) on behalf of b&er until 1 may 1849. b&er took on own workings until company amalgamated gwr on 1 january 1876. broad-gauge trains ceased operation on 20 may 1892.

due being built on embankment, lightweight building materials used station: platforms rested on timber supports of length. station buildings, including goods shed , combined ticket office , waiting room, built on eastbound platform in 1860s. there signal box on eastbound platform 1880s controlled crossover between 2 tracks; sidings @ west end of station controlled second signal box, , had connection nailsea colliery. footbridge, built e. finch , co. of chepstow, erected in 1907; until access between 2 platforms track-level crossing. wooden footbridge replaced metal 1 in 1950s. station renamed nailsea , backwell on 1 may 1905.

when railways nationalised in 1948, gwr became western region of british railways. goods traffic station ceased on 1 june 1964. main station buildings demolished in 1970s, foundations can still seen behind shelters on eastbound platform. shelter on westbound platform still present in 1986. in 1980s car park expanded, , new metal , glass shelters provided. station reverted name nailsea on 6 may 1974, , still known name @ end of 1994.

british rail split business-led sectors in 1980s, @ time operations @ nailsea , backwell passed regional railways. local services franchised wales & west when railway privatised in 1997, in turn succeeded wessex trains, arm of national express, in 2001. wessex franchise amalgamated great western franchise greater western franchise 2006, , responsibility passed first great western, subsidiary company of firstgroup. franchise rebranded great western railway in 2015.

extra seating provided in 2006 following action severnside community rail partnership, , in 2008 overgrown foliage cleared car park improve sightlines , security. station repainted @ same time, , decorated silhouettes of students backwell school. embankment suffered subsidence in 2013.

the old station car park. empty on sunday, regularly full @ 7:30am on weekdays.

in 2012, station had free car park 120 spaces, full 7:30am on weekdays, leading commuters park on local roads, prompting complaints backwell residents. plans extend car park 200 spaces drawn in 2009, north somerset council describing scheme necessary , lack of spaces limited number of people feasibly use station commuting due nailsea being far station easy walk, causing people drive station. peak passengers filled car park meant there no spaces offpeak users, limiting leisure travel. north somerset council approved construction of extension on 17 april 2012, , further approved car park becoming pay , display - car parks in nailsea had been free. work began in january 2014, , completed in june same year - 162 additional car parking spaces created, drainage improved , cctv installed. scheme, cost £700,000, came in £50,000 under budget , paid using money local transport plan , community infrastructure levy. parking prices raised in 2017 equalise cost yatton railway station, , dissuade people driving yatton nailsea cheaper parking.

there no wheelchair access southbound platform; ramp northbound platform steeper 1 in 12, making unsuitable wheelchair users, , there large height difference train doors platform. in 2011 government announced £37.5 million scheme improve stations under access mid-tier programme , of £1,023,000 go towards building new ramps @ nailsea , backwell. works due start in 2013, delayed until 2014 due need repair subsidence on embankment , wait works on car park completed. however, due delays funding withdrawn. further funding secured in 2015, plans ramps shelved entirely in 2016 due fears of further subsidence. great western railway have stated looking @ installing lifts instead.

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