Stapleton Road opened on 8 September 1863 when services began on the Bristol and South Wales Union Railway (BSWUR), which ran from Bristol Temple Meads to New Passage Pier, north of Bristol on the banks of the River Severn.
At New Passage, passengers were transferred to a ferry to cross the Severn to continue on into Wales.
The line, engineered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, was built as single-track 7 ft ¹⁄₄ in (2,140 mm) broad gauge, with a platform on the west side of the track.
The BSWUR was amalgamated with the Great Western Railway, which had from the beginning operated all BSWUR services, in 1868; and in 1873 the line was converted to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) standard gauge.
In 1874, the Clifton Extension Railway opened, connecting the Bristol Port Railway and Pier to the Great Western Railway at Narroways Hill Junction, north of Stapleton Road.
To cope with the expected increase in traffic, the line was doubled, and a second platform was added to the east of the two tracks.
Two more tracks were added in 1888, giving a layout of two sets of two tracks, with platforms on the outside and on an island in the middle.
Trains to and from Clifton Down and Avonmouth used the western platforms while trains to and from South Wales used the eastern platforms.
There were buildings on all the platforms, with the booking office on the eastern outer platform, at the head of the access road.
The refreshment room was on the island platform, and a covered footbridge connected the platforms.
There was a yard to the north of the station, on the other side of Stapleton Road, which handled goods traffic including coal and other minerals.

Stapleton Road became one of Bristol's busiest stations.
The opening of the Clifton Extension Railway meant that Stapleton Road became a junction station, and when the Severn Tunnel was opened in 1886, replacing the ferry from New Passage, trains from London to Wales began to run via Bristol instead of Gloucester.
Many would call at Stapleton Road instead of Bristol Temple Meads because this avoided having to run the locomotive around the train.
In 1886, the daily Great Western service along the Clifton Extension Railway was 6 trains each way between Avonmouth and Temple Meads, 24 trains from Clifton Down to Temple Meads and 26 the other direction.
By 1910 there were 17 services daily from Avonmouth to Temple Meads and 15 the other way, a further 20 trains each day operating between Clifton Down and Temple Meads.
For many passengers on the Clifton Extension Railway, Stapleton Road was where they would change for services to South Wales and the South Coast of England, and by 1912 the station name boards showed "Stapleton Road Junction for Clifton and Avonmouth", although the station was never officially renamed.
But by this time the number of services to Wales had decreased owing to the opening of the "Badminton Line" from Wootton Bassett to Patchway, now part of the South Wales Main Line, which allowed trains from London to avoid central Bristol entirely.
From 1924, many trains to Avonmouth were extended to Severn Beach, a growing seaside resort, and some on to Pilning, then back to Temple Meads via Patchway.
Circular trips via Henbury were also common, and by 1930 a total of 350 trains would pass the station each day.
The station was also used by excursion trains, and by trains of evacuees during the Second World War.
By 1947, just before the start of the British Rail era, there were 33 daily services each direction between Avonmouth and Temple Meads, and 18 on Sundays.
The station also saw the arrival of Prime Minister David Lloyd George in the 1920s.

When the railways were nationalised in 1948, Stapleton Road came under the aegis of the Western Region of British Railways.
A gradual decline of services at Stapleton Road began.
While as late as 1963 name boards at the station read "Bristol Stapleton Road", trains between South Wales and the South Coast were eventually re-routed via Bristol Temple Meads – the introduction of diesel multiple units making it easier for the trains to reverse – and no longer
Stapleton Road opened on 8 September 1863 when services began on the Bristol and South Wales Union Railway (BSWUR), which ran from Bristol Temple Meads to New Passage Pier, north of Bristol on the banks of the River Severn. At New Passage, passengers were transferred to a ferry to cross the Severn to continue on into Wales. The line, engineered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, was built as single-track 7 ft ¹⁄₄ in (2,140 mm) broad gauge, with a platform on the west side of the track. The BSWUR was amalgamated with the Great Western Railway, which had from the beginning operated all BSWUR services, in 1868; and in 1873 the line was converted to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) standard gauge. In 1874, the Clifton Extension Railway opened, connecting the Bristol Port Railway and Pier to the Great Western Railway at Narroways Hill Junction, north of Stapleton Road. To cope with the expected increase in traffic, the line was doubled, and a second platform was added to the east of the two tracks. Two more tracks were added in 1888, giving a layout of two sets of two tracks, with platforms on the outside and on an island in the middle. Trains to and from Clifton Down and Avonmouth used the western platforms while trains to and from South Wales used the eastern platforms. There were buildings on all the platforms, with the booking office on the eastern outer platform, at the head of the access road. The refreshment room was on the island platform, and a covered footbridge connected the platforms. There was a yard to the north of the station, on the other side of Stapleton Road, which handled goods traffic including coal and other minerals.
Stapleton Road became one of Bristol's busiest stations. The opening of the Clifton Extension Railway meant that Stapleton Road became a junction station, and when the Severn Tunnel was opened in 1886, replacing the ferry from New Passage, trains from London to Wales began to run via Bristol instead of Gloucester. Many would call at Stapleton Road instead of Bristol Temple Meads because this avoided having to run the locomotive around the train. In 1886, the daily Great Western service along the Clifton Extension Railway was 6 trains each way between Avonmouth and Temple Meads, 24 trains from Clifton Down to Temple Meads and 26 the other direction. By 1910 there were 17 services daily from Avonmouth to Temple Meads and 15 the other way, a further 20 trains each day operating between Clifton Down and Temple Meads. For many passengers on the Clifton Extension Railway, Stapleton Road was where they would change for services to South Wales and the South Coast of England, and by 1912 the station name boards showed "Stapleton Road Junction for Clifton and Avonmouth", although the station was never officially renamed. But by this time the number of services to Wales had decreased owing to the opening of the "Badminton Line" from Wootton Bassett to Patchway, now part of the South Wales Main Line, which allowed trains from London to avoid central Bristol entirely. From 1924, many trains to Avonmouth were extended to Severn Beach, a growing seaside resort, and some on to Pilning, then back to Temple Meads via Patchway. Circular trips via Henbury were also common, and by 1930 a total of 350 trains would pass the station each day. The station was also used by excursion trains, and by trains of evacuees during the Second World War. By 1947, just before the start of the British Rail era, there were 33 daily services each direction between Avonmouth and Temple Meads, and 18 on Sundays. The station also saw the arrival of Prime Minister David Lloyd George in the 1920s.
When the railways were nationalised in 1948, Stapleton Road came under the aegis of the Western Region of British Railways. A gradual decline of services at Stapleton Road began. While as late as 1963 name boards at the station read "Bristol Stapleton Road", trains between South Wales and the South Coast were eventually re-routed via Bristol Temple Meads – the introduction of diesel multiple units making it easier for the trains to reverse – and no longer 
Stapleton Road railway station