Unique opportunity to travel the Portbury Branch Line - Saturday 29 Sept 2012

[whole diary]

[anthony215]

An excellent ride to Portbury and back on the 09:05 from Bristol TM^‡(resolve).

Many thanks to everyone who helped organise it and the staff who actually worked the trains today.

I did speak to someone on the train  when we got to Portbury (I was the young man  with glasses sat at the end of the class 153 with a red camera pouch on my lap.)

[grahame]

Puzzled as to why there appeared to be no representation/ representative from the Portishead Railway Action Group. I would have thought this would have been a golden opportunity to publicise the work of the group ...

I was on the 11:08, and there was a group of around 4 people talking about handing out publicity material, and saying that it felt rather inappropriate to do so as they weren't going on the Portishead line.  I'm guessing this may have been a group of the PRAG people who, like me, had been "sold" on a trip on the line towards Portishead, but had ended up on the Henbury loop.   If only the trains had been clearly advertised throughout as to which was going where, they could have selected appropriate times.  Truth be known, when I booked I read it as all trains to Portbury (or just short thereof), and I had "sold" the idea of a ride under the Clifton Bridge to two very good friends who accompanied me ... not under the bridge on the Avon Gorge, but across Filton Airfield!    Fortunately, they're very understanding and a good and interesting time was had by all, so I didn't have to apologise to them for misrepresentation of the trip too much!

[rogerw]

Unlike Grahame I managed to talk my way on to the 1209.  It was nice to put some faces to names and thanks to everyone involved.  I think though that the day was a lesson in how not to handle publicity.  There were a number of rather disgruntled people on the 1108 who had specifically come for a ride to Portbury.  Somewhat tongue in cheek, I did suggest to some that they ask for their money back.   
As an aside did anyone inspect the damage done by the gate post?

[grahame]

Unlike Grahame I managed to talk my way on to the 1209 ...

I decided not to try ... I suspect we could have travelled on that train, and had I been on my own I would have been tempted to try "blagging" it with one of the cheerful onboard etam who we had just done the Henbury loop with. However, one of our party was nearly 90, and by the time that many of the punters had been chucked out of their seats in the 153 for the VIPs, the 150 was full and standing; it may have levelled out once it got going and been seats for all, but it was not a risk I was even tempted to take. And besides, we'd had our freebie (granted, not the one we had expected) and it should be fair dibs for all ...

[dickyc]

An excellent ride to Portbury and back on the 09:05 from Bristol TM^‡(resolve).

Many thanks to everyone who helped organise it and the staff who actually worked the trains today.

I did speak to someone on the train  when we got to Portbury (I was the young man  with glasses sat at the end of the class 153 with a red camera pouch on my lap.)

Amongst others I spoke to you! Wasn't a problem getting a ticket 'on the day' for the 09:05, certainly the first car (the 153) had plenty of free seats. I imagine things got busier later as the 16:08 was strengthened to 5 cars! Thanks to Severnside community rail partnership and FGW^▸ (First Great Western) for organising and running these trips - over 25 years since I last had a trip up the branch. Took a bike ride up the gorge after to get some pics and examine the remains of the final 3 miles to Portishead. There is still some track in situ varying from some very good condition flat bottom rail on concrete sleepers, to bullhead on rotten wooden sleepers under the motorway. Lets hope the re-opening goes ahead.

[bobm]

I was on the 09:05. It was planned that we waited at Ashton Junction on the way out for a freight train to come off the single line. However we spent over half an hour at Portbury with the driving changing ends twice. No announcement was made but I was told later it was down to a problem with the brakes. Meant we were 20 mins late back to BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) which limited the amount of time I had to look at the stalls - not that they were that extensive.

Still a good day out which again I only learned about because of the Coffeeshop.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

Out of interest did anyone else see the damage caused by the fence post? The units were stabled in the bay platform when I left at 840 and all 5 cars had scratches on them ... Deep ones!, infact the 153 had lost a cover of some kind and regional railways livery was visible and one of the 150's was lucky not to loose its coolant cap.

I had a really good day and was great meeting you all, even if apple maps tried to get me lost! :-)

[Chris from Nailsea]

... even if apple maps tried to get me lost! :-)

Where would you have been without me, eh? 

[bobm]

Out of interest did anyone else see the damage caused by the fence post? The units were stabled in the bay platform when I left at 840 and all 5 cars had scratches on them ... Deep ones!, infact the 153 had lost a cover of some kind and regional railways livery was visible and one of the 150's was lucky not to loose its coolant cap.

I had a really good day and was great meeting you all, even if apple maps tried to get me lost! :-)

As I said I was on the first one and I did notice us being very close to a gate post on the left hand side as we passed the stop board but I didn't hear any noise.  Maybe that was the reason we spent an extra 20 mins there before we came back.  The post was literally two or three inches from the body side just below the windows.  It also had evidence of making contact with something in the past as sections of red paint were missing.

[anthony215]

Yes I also didnt hear any noise although yes I did think the clearance between the train and the posts was pretty close.

Someone has posted a photo showing the scrap on  one of the class 150's on flickr (I will post the link later unless someone beats me to it)

Never mind here it is:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sabre999uk/8037118459/in/photostream

One thing I hope they do if/when they re-open the Portishead branch is cut back a lot of the vegitation as this was commented by a few people on the 09:05 from Bristol yesterday that the view from the train was terrible in places especially close to the Clifton suspension bridge

Here are a few photos taken yesterday:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13416874@N03/8038836288/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13416874@N03/8038820055/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13416874@N03/8038834348/in/photostream/

[Brucey]

A very enjoyable day out.  It was good to see everyone on-board smiling, including the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) staff.  Also nice to meet a number of the forum members and fellow moderators.

I was surprised that the train continued past the post/gate on every subsequent journey, considering that the reversal occurred just a few yards further.  I did manage to get two photographs of the post attacking the train.


I do wonder how much this event has cost First Great Western, especially considering the services were delayed (the 1209 by some 50 minutes) and an unscheduled stop added in at BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains).

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Passengers ride freight line from Bristol-to-Portbury


Since early 2002 the route to Portbury has been used by freight services

Campaigners hoping for the re-opening of a passenger rail route between Portishead and Bristol have been travelling on the line.

As part of the First Great Western community rail festival, passenger trains are being run on a section of the route - currently used for freight.

More than 500 people are expected to make the journey from Temple Meads.

But railway operator First Great Western says it does not mean the route will be fully re-opened.

"This is more a question for the new franchise and the bidding process for that is ongoing," a spokesman said. "We've been working with Bristol City Council and other rail groups in the area to work out what that service might look like. [Today] we're giving them the experience of what route the proposed Bristol Metro will actually take towards Portbury Docks."

Alan Matthews, from the Portishead Railway Group which is campaigning for the line to be open to passengers, said any reopening could be at least three years away. "It shows it can be done and things are moving forward now," he said. "But at least First Great Western is showing the line can be opened."

The Portbury line was reopened in December 2001, when the then Transport Minister John Speller joined 150 people on a steam train journey through the Avon Gorge from Bristol's Parson Street station to Royal Portbury Dock.

Since early 2002 the route has been used by freight services. It has long been the subject of a campaign for re-opening to passenger traffic to ease congestion on the A369 - one of the main commuter routes Bristol from the west.

[TonyK]

One thing I hope they do if/when they re-open the Portishead branch is cut back a lot of the vegitation as this was commented by a few people on the 09:05 from Bristol yesterday that the view from the train was terrible in places especially close to the Clifton suspension bridge

Here are a few photos taken yesterday:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13416874@N03/8038836288/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13416874@N03/8038820055/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13416874@N03/8038834348/in/photostream/

I like this picture:

Ants Photo 003 by anthony63b, on Flickr

Come on, get those gates open!

[centralman]

Wow! Looks like the earlier ones were more exciting!!

The 16:09 didnt have any collections or staff that I could see and they changed Platforms! It arrived for us and we got on and had the announcement about what were doing and it was a special Charter and then along the route updates about the Token and going from Network Rail to the Docks railway!

Very enjoyable day and even better with the weather we had too!

[JayMac]

An enjoyable day out and nice to put some more faces to names. I was able to blag a run on the 1209 (thanks Jane  ), a trip with relex109, ollie, rogerw and Brucey. One part of the trip I found mildly amusing was seeing the surprised looks on the faces of people waiting at Severn Beach Line stations for the scheduled service that was a few minutes behind us!

This was followed by a few ciders in 'Spoons and rail related chat. I rather lost track of time and consequently missed the train I'd planned to catch that would've gotten me to Taunton for the bus to where I'm currently staying. I thought there were later buses, but alas not and I had to fork out ^35 for a taxi. It was either that or walk 11 miles!



A few photos taken on the 1209.