used as a passing place. Beyond Avonmouth, the line passes through a small residential area before reaching Avonmouth Docks. A freight yard is to the east of the line here, used for coal trains. is within the yard, and to the north the Henbury Loop Line diverges to the east. The Severn Beach Line continues north along the banks of the River Severn to the terminus at . Beyond Severn Beach, the line used to continue north through the town and along the banks of the Severn, meeting the Bristol and South Wales Union Railway's line near . It then joined with the South Wales Main Line at . The line has been listed among Thomas Cook's most favoured attractions for its scenic route along the River Avon and River Severn. Services Services along the line are operated by Great Western Railway, mainly using diesel Turbo units. Until mid-2017, the line had been operated by Sprinter units, occasionally supplemented by Super Sprinter and Express Sprinter units. Until 2012, Pacer units were a regular sight, but these were moved south to work in Devon following a cascade of Class 150/1 units from London Midland and London Overground. Monday to Friday, two trains per hour run from to , with one extended to and , giving a service at Clifton Down of one train approximately every 30 minutes in each direction. Services start alternately from Bristol and . There is a similar level of service on Saturdays. Sunday sees a roughly hourly service to and from Bristol, with all daytime services extended to Severn Beach. Clifton Down is the line's main passing point, so trains to Avonmouth usually arrive at the same time as trains to Bristol Temple Meads. Most trains call at all stations. The typical journey time from Temple Meads to Avonmouth is 28 minutes, and 37 minutes to Severn Beach. All stations on the line are in Travel Zone A (Bristol City) apart from Severn Beach which is in Zone C. History The Bristol Port Railway and Pier Bristol sits on the River Avon, with its docks several miles inland. By the 19th century, ships had grown to such a size that navigating the Avon was not possible any more, and so ships would have to dock at the head of the river at Avonmouth instead. The Bristol Port Railway and Pier company (BPRP) was founded in 1862 with