The wheels are finally in motion on the plan to reopen the railway between Bristol and Portishead.
First proposed by Brunel, the railway opened in 1867 but passenger services were scrapped under the Beeching cuts in 1964. Now a long awaited plan to reopen the railway has finally been given the green light by the government.
Restoring the railway only requires just over three miles of new track. The line as far as Pill has already been restored — although work would need to be carried out on this stretch of the line to make the track suitable for passenger trains and not just freight.
Work is set to begin in the summer and trains could be running along the route by 2027. But while the route may still be there, the stations are not. Now work is also set to begin on building new stations on the route:
Portishead
In Portishead, the line will terminate at a new station built a little way outside of the town centre.
Portishead’s old railway station is where the town’s Waitrose now stands. In fact, it was when planner Alan Matthews was working on the scheme to build the supermarket that he noticed the old tracks and wondered why they were not in use. Today, he is chairman of the Portishead Railway Group which has been campaigning to reopen the railway since 2000.
Although the route of the tracks runs undeveloped all the way to the edge of the Waitrose car park, Quays Avenue cuts off the last 400 meters of the route. Rather than dig up the road, the new station will be built just east of it.
Pill
Pill plays host to the most visible reminder of the former railway line — the viaduct across its village green.
Now — with trains set to run across the viaduct once again — the village is also set to get a new station. Pill’s station will be rebuilt in the same place that the village’s old station was, below where Station Road bridges the railway.
At Pill, the railway would also be double tracked. Like Bristol’s Severn Beach Line, the Portishead Line is mostly single track. This severely limits the amount of trains which can run along the route. Double tracking at some locations will allow trains to pass each other, increasing the number which can run along the railway at any one time.
Ashton Gate?
A new station to serve Ashton Gate is not currently included in the plans — although one could be built in the future.
There was a station at Ashton Gate on the original Portishead Railway and a new station could help alleviate the notorious traffic on Bristol City match days. Meanwhile, Ashley Down station opened in September 2024, providing Rovers fans with a station near to the Memorial Stadium.
A station at Ashton Gate was not included in Metrowest Phase 1, the major transport project for the West of England which includes the reopening of the Portishead Line, but one could still be built in future.
When Bristol City Council built its Ashton Vale housing development, an area next to the railway line was “future proofed” to leave space for a yard that could be needed if a railway station was to be built there in future.
Parson Street, Bedminster, and Bristol Temple Meads
After passing by Ashton Gate, the Portishead Line joins the Bristol-Exeter Line, also served by trains to Weston-super-Mare. Services are planned to stop at the existing stations at Parson Street and Bedminster before arriving at Bristol Temple Meads.
Trains will run hourly from Bristol to Pill and Portishead, although Parson Street and Bedminster are also served by services running between Bristol Temple Meads and Weston-super-Mare.
The long awaited railway reopening was given the green light by the government on February 10. West of England Metro Mayor Dan 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.”
It had been in limbo since July, when the new government cancelled the fund which had been set to fund its contribution to the, then, £152m project. Now the scheme is back on track but the delay has left it with a £30m funding gap due to inflation and rising costs across the construction industry — set to be plugged by £27m from the West of England Combined Authority and another £3m from North Somerset Council.
North Somerset Council leader Mike Bell said: “The reopening of the Portishead to Bristol rail line is set to be a transformative project for our area, connecting 50,000 people back into the rail network so that they can use a regular and sustainable transport service to reach a wealth of opportunities across the South West.”
He added: “He added: “This makes the Portishead to Bristol rail line a scheme of significant long-term benefit and something we’re proud to be pushing forward in partnership with the West of England Combined Authority, the Department for Transport and Network Rail.”
North Somerset MP Sadik Al-Hassan added: “I am relieved that after 25 years of relentless campaigning, we have finally managed to achieve what many thought impossible. Since being elected to Westminster last July, this project has been my top priority with my first act in Parliament being the presentation of a public petition signed by thousands of North Somerset residents saving the project from cancellation.
“I am immensely proud of the hard work of all campaign leaders, councillors, ministers and mayors involved and I look forward to seeing the first spades put in the ground this summer.”
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