Portishead Line reopening for passengers - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

Slight error on my part. I thought I'd posted that latest BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) News item before your new thread. Turns out I got as far as composing the item and neglected to hit 'post'. Seeing your thread, I thought I'd link to my post, but was slightly perplexed when I couldn't find it! A trawl through my browser history and I realised what I'd done. Or rather failed to do. 

[ChrisB]

That's an apology then? :-)

[Super Guard]

So what exactly is the trial going to do given there are no stations 

[anthony215]

maybe they will test the track(once its been cleared of vegitation).

 i think network rail also have to do something with the signalling on the line as well as work to raise line speeds before regular services commence

[eightf48544]

isn't freight running over the line yet?

[anthony215]

yes there is freight traveling to/from portbury docks

[ReWind]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-13719922

Note the following extract

In the same month, a passenger train will be trialed on the Portishead rail line with the intention of bringing the line back into use within 5 years.

That month being this September if I read it correctly!  How will that work?

[JayMac]

There's approximately 3^ miles of abandoned line from Portbury Dock Junction to Portishead which needs serious work to bring it back into use.

Also at the Portishead end major work is needed as a main road now cuts across the old alignment.

The line from Parson Street Junction to Portbury Dock Junction (and then into the dock complex) is the stretch used by freight workings. I know for a fact this part of the route to Portishead is suitable for passenger workings - well at least HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) - having travelled on one on a railtour last September!

A lot more information on the history of this line and the campaign to see it re-opened can be found here:

http://www.portisheadrailwaygroup.org/

[anthony215]

Already posted this:

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=9066.0

[bambam]

How long does it take to drive from Portishead to Bristol?

The line will defiantly need speeding up if the speeds are about 20 or 30mph

[JayMac]

Even at 20mph average a train would beat the the car in the rush hour. Approx 11 miles to Temple Meads and with one intermediate stop at Pill, say 40 minutes tops. The road traffic from Portishead to Bristol is terrible - amongst the most congested commute in the west. Often 60 minutes (sometimes more) to get from Portishead to central Bristol.

[matt473]

To increase viability of the service, would it not make sense to extend to Bristol Parkway via Severn Beach line with a station built at Henbury and at Cribbs Causeway with slight relocation of the railway if possible. No doubt there would be a market from Henbury and a station at Cribbs Causeway would benefit the whole region. Of course this would require a lot of planning but with the proposed closure of Filton airport this is an ideal opportunity to do this considering there would be a fewer obstacles laying track and building a station in a disused airport

[anthony215]

Good idea, but i have seen a proposed timetable which includes Portishead.

I think the idea was to run the Severn beach services to Weymouth and the Great Malvern services would run through to Portishead, with a Henbury cicular service which ran through to Weston Super Mare

[Mookiemoo]

Even at 20mph average a train would beat the the car in the rush hour. Approx 11 miles to Temple Meads and with one intermediate stop at Pill, say 40 minutes tops. The road traffic from Portishead to Bristol is terrible - amongst the most congested commute in the west. Often 60 minutes (sometimes more) to get from Portishead to central Bristol.

ahem - its not THAT far! Its about 9 miles - I'll clock it next time I drive it

[JayMac]

I was referring to the railway line. 9^ miles (exact: 9m37ch) from Parson Street Junction to the site of the last Portishead Station (next to Waitrose) plus 2m02ch from Parson Street Junction to Bristol Temple Meads, hence my approx. 11 miles.