Memorandum from Portishead Railway Group (SWT 95)

 

 

 

I am writing in support of the re-opening of the Portishead to Bristol railway line. This line was refurbished several years ago and is now in daily use for freight traffic. Unfortunately at the time the last three miles into Portishead was not refurbished. Although the track is still in place the whole line into Bristol is not available to passenger traffic. Portishead needs an alternative transport system in and out of the town.

 

The A369 is the only "A" road out of Portishead with congestion at peak times occurring regularly at the M5 Junction 19 roundabout. There have been 3 fatalities on the A369 in recent years; each has resulted in the road being closed for many hours.

It was implied that the railway would be reinstated as part of the many new houses being built on the various new developments in Portishead, and people bought houses with this understanding. This is shown by Crest Nicholson's section 106 payment of £1m towards studies to progress the project, and the station appeared on Crest's advertising.There are the obvious environmental benefits of train travel, taking many cars off the road each day, reducing congestion and pollution.

 

A recent study has estimated that the capital cost of bringing this line into use for passenger traffic could be as low as £10m although Network Rail has put their estimate at £20m+.Local people have campaigned for many years for the completion of this line but there seems to be so much "red tape" that the project has struggled to move forward.

 

We are currently at GRIP 3 in the process, we have the line, we believe we have the need and we have the money for studies. Please do all you can to promote and progress our scheme as positively as possible.

 

 

28 October 2009