Severn Bridge Railway Company

The Severn Bridge Railway Co. built the railway bridge across the River Severn in the 1870's. It was constructed to carry coal from the Forest of Dean to the docks at Sharpness. Work started in in 1875 and completed in 1879. It was constructed using wought iron and was 4,162 feet in length and towered 70 feet above the river at high tide. The stone abutments were built from local limestone connecting twenty-two iron spans.

The bridge carried a single-track railway and reduced the journey distance between Cardiff abd Bristol by about 30 miles, without having to go further north via Gloucester. The Severn Bridge Railway Company suffered funding issues and merged with the Severn and Wye Railway Company in 1879. By 1890 the merge companies were in dire straits and, in 1893, were taken over jointly by the Great Western Railway and Midland Railway.

On 25th October 1960 two barges collided with one of the bridge columns in thick fog and a strong tide. This caused two of the bridge spans to fall into the river, striking the barges. The cargo of petroleum and fuel oil caught fire and five lives were lost in the accident. Households across the Forest of Dean also lost their mains gas supply as it was piped across the same bridge.British Rail considered repairing the bridge, but the extreme cost of repairs meant that it should be demolished instead. Work was begun in August 1967 and took two years under very difficlt condtions.