A long-awaited plan to reopen the Portishead rail line has finally been given the green light, West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris has announced.
The project, which includes the construction of new stations in Portishead and Pill, will reconnect the town and village to Bristol Temple Meads, restoring a vital transport link that was lost in 1964 during the ‘Beeching cuts’.
Mr Norris said: “This is a massive moment for the West of England: one that generations have eagerly waited to see. This is great news for residents, businesses, and our environment – and a truly red-letter day for our fantastic region.
“The Bristol and Portishead Line was a victim of historic rail cuts, but today, with a Labour government and a Labour mayor, we’re delivering the latest stage of my ‘reverse Beeching’ plan. I’m delighted to confirm that this project is now finally steaming ahead.”
The £30m investment, which includes funding from North Somerset Council, is set to be ratified in March. North Somerset Council leader Mike Bell said: “The Portishead to Bristol rail line stands to be transformative for North Somerset and the wider area, connecting 50,000 people back into the rail network through regular and sustainable transport whilst offering access to the opportunities of growth across the South West.
“Working in partnership with West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, Department for Transport and Network Rail, we have put in the hard work and were the country’s first passenger rail scheme to secure a Development Consent Order to re-open a branch line.
“Together, we have risen to challenges of rising costs, understanding the value that these train services will offer to our communities. I’d like to thank everyone involved for their effort to date and look forward continuing our work to get the first trains up and running.”
The reopening of the line has been a topic of discussion since the 1970s, and significant progress was made recently as part of the Metrowest project. However, the government’s decision to cut the fund intended to cover its contribution to the project in July left the scheme in uncertainty while it was under review, reports Somerset Live. But the government has now given the green light to the project.
To restore the railway, just over three miles of new track is required. The line up to Pill has already been restored, although additional work would be needed on this stretch of the line to make it suitable for passenger trains, not just freight.
In a recent meeting, Mr Norris and the leaders of Bristol and South Gloucestershire councils met rail minister Peter Hendy to plead the case for the railway plans. Mr Norris called the meeting “very positive”.
North Somerset Council then voted to push forward with a wide-ranging plan to start building the Portishead railway line this summer at its full council meeting on January 14, pending the government’s approval of the final business case, with a goal for the first trains to run by 2027.
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