North Somerset Council has submitted a bid for funding
to re-open the Portishead rail link to passenger train services
today (1 July).
The bid has been sent to the Department for Business, Innovation
and Skills and is seeking £43.3m from central government for the
project. A further £4.8m would be funded from council resources and
funds previously collected in connection with developments in
Portishead.
If the bid is successful, the project will provide a host of
benefits to the area in terms of improved travel choices and
tackling traffic congestion. But it will also bring increased
business productivity, job creation and support economic
growth.
Cllr Elfan Ap Rees, Deputy Leader and executive member with
responsibility for transport at North Somerset Council said: "There
is considerable local and West of England support for
re-establishing a Portishead rail link into Bristol and this
project would dramatically reduce travel times, with a train
journey time of just 17 minutes between Portishead and Bristol
Temple Meads. Ideally during the morning and evening commuter peak
hours the service would operate every 30 minutes, with this
reducing to hourly for off peak hours and evenings. The service
would initially operate six days a week and an option for operating
on Sundays could be explored in the future."
The project involves major works to both the existing freight
line serving Royal Portbury Dock and the disused section of line
between Pill and Portishead.
In addition to funding the project is dependant upon gain planning
powers to build and operate it. This will involve detailed
environmental assessment and the submission of an Environmental
Statement. It is also likely that the project will require an
application for a Transport and Work Act Order to central
government.
The timescales for these statutory process can vary widely and
depend upon the extent of objections raised and constraining
factors. If the funding and planning processes run smoothly then
the project could open to passenger trains in 2015, however this
timescale is optimistic therefore an opening date of 2017 is more
likely.
North Somerset Council is likely to hear about the outcome of
the bid later this year.
