Former railway station in England New Passage Pier The pier site in 2022 General information Location| New Passage, Gloucestershire England Coordinates| 51°34′29″N 2°39′38″W / 51.5747°N 2.6606°W / 51.5747; -2.6606Coordinates: 51°34′29″N 2°39′38″W / 51.5747°N 2.6606°W / 51.5747; -2.6606 Other information Status| Disused History Original company| Bristol and South Wales Union Railway Pre-grouping| Great Western Railway Key dates 1863| Opened 1886| Closed * v * t * e Bristol & South Wales Union Railway Legend | | | | | | Gloucester–Newport line to Cardiff | | | | Portskewett Junction | | | | | Gloucester–Newport line to London via Gloucester | | | | Portskewett Pier | | | | | Ferry across River Severn | | | | New Passage Pier | | | | New Passage | | | | | | | | Severn Beach | | | | | Severn Beach line to Bristol via Avonmouth | | | | New Passage Halt | | | | Cross Hands Halt | | | | | South Wales Main Line to Cardiff via Severn Tunnel | | | | | Pilning High Level │ Low Level | | | | Pilning Junction | | | | Almondsbury Tunnels | | | | Patchway | | | | | | | | | South Wales Main Line to Avonmouth │ to London | | | | | | | | Filton | | | | Horfield | | | | Ashley Hill | | | | | Severn Beach line to Severn Beach via Clifton Down | | | | Narroways Hill Junction | | | | Stapleton Road | | | | | Bristol and Gloucester Railway to Gloucester (MR) | | | | Lawrence Hill | | | | | Great Western Main Line to London | | | | | | | | Bristol Temple Meads | | | | | Bristol–Taunton line to Exeter Central | | | | | | New Passage Pier was the original terminus of the Bristol and South Wales Union Railway, located on the south bank of the River Severn at New Passage, South Gloucestershire, England. At New Passage, passengers would disembark from trains and use a boat across the Severn. New Passage had been the site of a ferry from England to Wales including the use by mail and passenger coaches between Bristol and to Portskewett in south Wales. In 1825 the New Passage Association formed, using the 30-ton steamboat "St Pierre".[1] However, the sponsorship by the Dukes of Beaufort of the Aust route, with faster boats and a pier, meant that by 1830 mail coaches were diverted there, and the New Passage declined.[2] Construction of the new railway started in 1858 and the single-track 7 ft (2,134 mm) broad gauge line opened from South Wales Junction, half a mile east of Bristol Temple Meads, as far as the landward end of New Passage Pier on 8 September 1863, a distance of 11 miles (18 km). The distance by rail between Bristol and Cardiff was reduced from 94 miles (151 km) to 38 miles (61 km).[3] The Bristol and South Wales Union Railway built new piers for the ferry, that at New Passage being 546 yards (499 m) long.[4][5] A steam ferry, the Saint Pierre had been built by Pride and Williams for the New Passage crossing in 1825 and it worked there until 1831. The B&SWUR bought a new steamer, the Gem in 1863 but it proved unsuitable and was soon replaced by the Relief. John Bland, a carrier and shareholder in the railway, was contracted to operate the ferry. The next vessel purchased was the Dragon Fly, this had been used by the contractors to build the piers but was too small to work as the ferry. Instead, two paddle tugs, the Ajax and the Atlas were hired in to cover for the Relief.[6] A new paddle steamer arrived in June 1864, named Christopher Thomas after the chairman of the B&SWUR, it had been built for the company by Henderson, Coulborn and Company at Renfrew in Scotland.[7] A slightly larger vessel named the Chepstow arrived from the same shipyard on 11 February 1875.[4] These two continued in service until the Severn Tunnel was opened in 1886. They were sold to WS Ogden at Cardiff in 1880, the Chepstow being renamed the Rover.[8] The funnels were generally painted black with a red band.[4] The station became redundant in 1886 following construction of the Severn Tunnel, and was closed.[9][10] The pier was demolished by 1888.[1] A plaque now marks the site, and although the building of new piling for flood defences and new concrete castings mean there is little to no trace of the railway on the land side, at low water, some remains of wooden piling can be seen below the plaque site. ## References[edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to New Passage Pier railway station. 1. ^ a b Plaster, Andrew (2009). "Northwick". B&AFHS Journal. 138. 2. ^ "Aust Ferry – an historic crossing". A Forgotten Landscape. Retrieved 28 August 2016. 3. ^ Cragg, Roger (1997). "Bristol and South Wales Union Railway". Wales and West Central England. Civil Engineering Heritage. London: Institution of Civil Engineers. pp. 136–7. ISBN 0-7277-2576-9. 4. ^ a b c Norris, John (1985). The Bristol & South Wales Union Railway. Oakham: Railway and Canal Historical Society. ISBN 0-901461-38-5. 5. ^ Lewis, Harry (1979). "The new passage railway ferry". Gwent Local History. 47: 32–38. 6. ^ "The Bristol & South Wales Union Railway and the New Passage Ferry" (PDF). Richard Smith. Retrieved 28 August 2016. 7. ^ "P.S. Christopher Thomas". National Museum of Wales. Retrieved 28 August 2016. 8. ^ Duckworth, Christian Leslie Dyce; Langmuir, Graham Easton (1948). Railway and other steamers. Prescot: T Stephenson and Sons. 9. ^ Historic England. "Bristol and South Wales Union Railway (198655)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 28 August 2016. 10. ^ Davis, Gerald (2000). "Severn tunnel". Ingenia. 6. * v * t * e Transport in Gloucestershire Road| | Motorways| * M4 * M5 * M32 * M48 * M49 * M50 | A-roads| * A38 * A40 * A46 * A48 * A403 * A417 * A419 * A429 * A431 * A432 * A433 * A466 * A4032 * A4103 * A4135 * A4136 * A4174 Service stations| * Gloucester services * Michaelwood services * Severn View services Other| * B4008 * E30 * Icknield Street * List of settlements on the A38 * Westgate Street Airports and Heliports| * Cotswold Airport * Gloucestershire Airport * Cheltenham Racecourse Heliport Rail| | Main lines| * Cotswold Line * CrossCountry NE–SW route * Gloucester-Newport line * Golden Valley line * Henbury Loop line | Closed lines| * Avon and Gloucestershire Railway * Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway * Bicslade Tramroad (Tram) * Bristol and Gloucester Railway * Bristol and Gloucestershire Railway * Bullo Pill Railway * Cheltenham and District Light Railway * Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway * Cirencester branch line * Coleford Railway * Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway * Dursley and Midland Junction Railway * Evesham loop line * Forest of Dean Central Railway * Forest of Dean Railway * Gloucester and Cheltenham Tramroad (Tram) * Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway * Ledbury and Gloucester Railway * Midland and South Western Junction Railway * Mitcheldean Road & Forest of Dean Junction Railway * Monmouth Railway * Oxford, Witney and Fairford Railway * Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway * Severn and Wye Railway * Severn Bridge Railway * Sharpness Branch Line * South Wales Railway * Stonehouse and Nailsworth Railway * Stratford and Moreton Tramway (Tram) * Tetbury branch line * Tewkesbury and Malvern Railway * Wye Valley Railway Stations| * Ashchurch for Tewkesbury * Cam and Dursley * Cheltenham Spa * Gloucester * Kemble * Lydney * Moreton-in-Marsh * Pilning * Stonehouse * Stroud Closed stations| * Adlestrop * Andoversford and Dowdeswell * Andoversford Junction * Awre for Blakeney * Badminton * Barbers Bridge * Berkeley * Berkeley Road * Bilson Halt * Bishops Cleeve * Blaisdon Halt * Bourton-on-the-Water * Bowbridge Crossing Halt * Brimscombe Bridge Halt * Brimscombe * Bullo Cross Halt * Cam * Cashes Green Halt * Chalford * Charfield * Charlton Kings * Charlton Halt * Chipping Sodbury * Chedworth Halt * Cheltenham High Street Halt * Cheltenham High Street * Cheltenham Leckhampton * Cheltenham Spa Malvern Road * Cheltenham Spa St. James * Chepstow East * Chesterton Lane Halt * Chipping Campden * Churchdown * Cinderford New * Cirencester Town * Cirencester Watermoor * Cleeve * Downfield Crossing Halt * Drybrook Road * Dudbridge * Dursley * Dymock * Ebley Crossing Halt * Fairford * Foss Cross * Four Oaks Halt * Frocester * Gloucester Eastgate * Grange Court * Greenway Halt * Gretton Halt * Hallen Halt * Ham Mill Halt * Haresfield * Hayles Abbey Halt * Henbury * Iron Acton * Jackament's Bridge Halt * Laverton Halt * Lechlade * Longhope * Lydbrook Junction * Malswick Halt * Mangotsfield * Mickleton Halt * Nailsworth * Netherhope Halt] * New Passage Halt * New Passage Pier * Newent * Newnham * North Filton Platform * Notgrove * Park Leaze Halt * Redbrook on Wye * Rodmarton Platform * Ruspidge Halt * Ryeford * St Mary's Crossing Halt * Severn Bridge * Sharpness * South Cerney * Speech House Road * Staple Edge Halt * Staple Hill * Stonehouse (Bristol Road) * Stow-on-the-Wold * Stroud (Midland) * Tetbury * Tetbury Road * Tewkesbury * Thornbury * Tidenham * Trouble House Halt * Tutshill for Beachley Halt * Tytherington * Upper Soudley Halt * Warmley * Weston-sub-Edge * Wickwar * Whitecroft * Willersey Halt * Winterbourne * Withington * Woodchester Heritage stations| * Bitton * Cheltenham Racecourse * Gotherington * Hayles Abbey Halt * Heywood * Lydney Junction * Lydney * Norchard * Oakiron * Oldland Common * Parkend * Perrygrove * Rookwood * St Mary's Halt * Toddington * Whitecroft * Winchcombe Heritage railways| * Avon Valley Railway * Dean Forest Railway * Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway * Lea Bailey Light Railway * Perrygrove Railway * Toddington Narrow Gauge Railway Proposed| * Gloucestershire Parkway Buses| | Stations| * Gloucester Transport Hub | Companies| * First West of England * Stagecoach West Waterways| | Rivers| * River Avon, Bristol * River Avon, Warwickshire * River Boyd * Bybrook River * River Cam * River Chelt * River Churn * River Coln * River Dikler * River Evenlode * River Eye * River Frome, Bristol * River Frome, Stroud * Hazel Brook * River Isbourne * Lam Brook * River Leach * River Leadon * Little Avon River * Nailsworth Stream * Painswick Stream * River Severn * Siston Brook * Stoke Brook * River Swilgate * Tetbury Avon * River Thames * River Trym * River Windrush * River Wye | Canals| * Cinderford Canal * Coombe Hill Canal * Gloucester and Sharpness Canal * Hereford and Gloucester Canal * Lydney Canal * Pidcock's Canal * Stroudwater Navigation * Thames and Severn Canal Docks and Ports| * Gloucester Docks * Sharpness Footpaths| | National Trails| * Cotswold Way * Thames Path | Long-distance footpaths| * Celtic Way * Geopark Way * Gloucestershire Way * Heart of England Way * Limestone Link * Macmillan Way * Monarch's Way * Oxfordshire Way * Sabrina Way * Severn Way Other| * Frome Valley Walkway * Wysis Way Cycle paths| * Route 42 * Route 44 *[v]: View this template *[t]: Discuss this template *[e]: Edit this template