Isambard Kingdom Brunel surveyed a route across the Severn and the ferry at New Passage was purchased, but the line failed to raise enough money so was not built.

[1] Construction 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 Temple Meads, as far as the landward end of New Passage Pier on 8 September 1863, a distance of 11 miles (18 km).

[2] Stations were opened at Lawrence Hill, Stapleton Road, Filton, Patchway, Pilning and New Passage.

The line between Narroways Hill Junction and Patchway was also doubled to carry the heavier traffic.

The GWR reopened a section of the old line for goods traffic on 5 February 1900, this ran from Pilning to New Passage and then connected with a new route to Avonmouth railway station.

[1] Two steam ferries had crossed the River Severn near Aust for many years before the coming of the railway.

On the night of 21 May 1881 Portskewett Pier was badly damaged by a fire; it was reopened on 16 June 1881, during which time a limited train service between Bristol and Cardiff was operated over the Bristol and Gloucester line of the Midland Railway.

[1] 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 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.