Portishead Line reopening for passengers - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

A303 Stonehenge tunnel and the RYR^▸ (Restoring Your Railway) projects yet to be built, I'm hearing

[ChrisB]

Confirmed.

[eightonedee]

No a good sign for future capital spending on infrastructure.

I'm not convinced by the "it's worse than we thought when we took over" line either.

[stuving]

No a good sign for future capital spending on infrastructure.

I'm not convinced by the "it's worse than we thought when we took over" line either.

Couldn't agree more. All the commentaries on the last budget pointed out that the predicted figures could not all be true at once. This is from the Institute for Government, but note the quote from the OBR:

And yet the figures that Hunt announced – and to which Labour promised to adhere – are based on entirely fictitious future spending plans. In evidence to a Lords committee last month, the OBR’s Richard Hughes argued that the government’s plans were actually not even fiction – because it had not taken the trouble to write them down. As my colleagues at the Institute for Government and many others have highlighted, the idea that revenue spending increases can be limited to 1% a year for four years and capital spending can be cut by 10% is entirely inconsistent with promises to maintain the quality and coverage of public services which are already creaking.

Labour is taking a comparable risk by promising to match the government’s plans despite being aware of the shortfall in funding across numerous public services and policy areas. Ironically, given the record of the Conservative government over the past 14 years, Reeves is anxious to avoid Labour being cast as the party of tax increases. But should Labour win the election, any claim that the state of the public finances – inflation-exacerbated shortfalls in day-to-day spending and chronic underinvestment in infrastructure – is a matter of surprise to incoming ministers will be completely implausible.

[Red Squirrel]

North Somerset remains committed to reopening the Portishead rail line

5:04pm - 29 July 2024

North Somerset Council remains committed to reopening the Portishead to Bristol rail line, despite news that the government have cancelled the Restoring Your Railway programme. Rail schemes within the programme will now be subject to review by the Secretary of State for Transport.

This follows announcements from the Treasury that numerous infrastructure projects across the country will be paused or cancelled as a means of tackling financial challenges in the national budget.

The Portishead to Bristol rail line is one of the Department for Transport’s Restoring Your Railway projects and is part of the MetroWest programme.

By connecting 50,000 residents back into the rail network with stops at Portishead and Pill, the line stands to be transformative for North Somerset and the wider area, providing regular, sustainable transport and greater access to regional growth.

Councillor Mike Bell, Leader of North Somerset Council and Executive Member for Major Projects, said: “The Portishead to Bristol rail line is a hugely important scheme for us and one that will make a significant difference to the lives of local people, both now and in the future.

“We remain absolutely committed to reopening the line and Network Rail were shortly due to submit our Full Business Case to the Department for Transport. Full Business Case approval is the final step needed before we can get spades in the ground for construction. 

“It’s taken years of hard work to come this far. We were  the country’s first passenger scheme to secure a Development Consent Order to re-open a branch line. We’ve risen to financial challenges created by inflation and rising costs across the construction industry, securing an extra £15.5m in funding from the Department for Transport, whilst pledging of a further £10m of our own.

“Though we understand the difficult decisions facing national government, we believe there continues to be a strong case for the investment into the Portishead to Bristol rail line. This is a shovel-ready scheme that we can deliver – and for which on-the-ground preparatory work has already begun. We just need government support to make it happen.

“Alongside the West of England Combined Authority and Network Rail, we will continue to make the case for this project and  work with the new MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) for North Somerset constituency, Sadik Al-Hassan, to do everything we can to secure support from the Department for Transport.”

[anthony215]

I think Portishead will happen but I think others will end up being chopped.  Same with hs2 to Euston I think that's too far forward not to cut

[Chris from Nailsea]

Hmm. 

In our meeting this morning, I think grahame and I concurred that Portishead is probably not going to happen. 

[Red Squirrel]

Was that just a gut feeling?

[Chris from Nailsea]

Yes - probably 

There are other re-opening station / branch lines which might survive - but only a few.

CfN 

[RichardB]

I think Portishead will happen but I think others will end up being chopped.  Same with hs2 to Euston I think that's too far forward not to cut

I agree re Portishead.  We need clarificatiion to be 100% but I don't think Portishead is a "Restoring Your Railway" scheme - it long predates that programme.  I agree re Euston too and I think the line to Crewe will also be built.   We'll see soon enough.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks for your encouraging comment, RichardB.  As you say, Portishead predates - well, almost everything since Beeching. 

[chuffed]

In response to a question from the new Lib Dem MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) about Wellington Station,Rachel Reeves said that any project at GRIP^▸ (Guide to Railway Investment Projects) stage 4 or above would go ahead. Portishead was there 4 years ago!.I emailed the new Labour Mp for North Somerset about Portishead and he replied within the hour. I think this one single issue will make or break his reputation as an MP.

[Red Squirrel]

Re the above, here's Hansard from yesterday:

Mr Gideon Amos
(Taunton and Wellington) (LD)

I congratulate you on your post, Madam Deputy Speaker, and the right hon. Lady on her position as Chancellor. Does the Chancellor share the anger of the people of Taunton and Wellington in finding that not only is the whole new hospital promised by the Conservatives not funded, but that apparently, as we now discover, even the maternity unit might not be funded. On the restoring your railways programme, will the cancellation of projects also apply to those, such as Wellington station, which have already begun funding and have had GRIP^▸ (Guide to Railway Investment Projects)—governance for railway investment projects—stage 4 approval?

Rachel Reeves

I can fully understand why the hon. Gentleman’s constituents are so angry with the previous Government for leaving this mess and making unfunded commitments. I assure him that projects that have already started, such as the station he mentions, will go ahead.

[Red Squirrel]

I added my two penn'orth on Radio Bristol this morning (this link may change when the show finishes) - scroll to 11:24:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_bristol

[TonyK]

I added my two penn'orth on Radio Bristol this morning (this link may change when the show finishes) - scroll to 11:24:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_bristol

You might find this a better link. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0j935s3