Portishead Line reopening for passengers - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[dog box]

To get anything to happen peole NEED to take on Board what Andrew Haines said this week about a the formation of a strategic transport authority otherwise we are going nowhere

[Lee]

To get anything to happen peole NEED to take on Board what Andrew Haines said this week about a the formation of a strategic transport authority otherwise we are going nowhere

I think it is important to note that the Greater Bristol Strategic Transport Authority initiative did not originate from Andrew Haines, but has in fact been around for some time (example FOSBR^▸ (Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways) 2006 link below.)
http://www.fosbr.org.uk/Birmingham.htm

It is good that he supports it, though.

Having taken into account submissions from FOSBR and many others, the Regional Spatial Strategy inspector's report favours a Greater Bristol Transport Authority (link below.)
http://www.fosbr.org.uk/EIP.htm

Interestingly, the report goes on to support some involvement of West Wiltshire.

[Lee]

Article link.
http://thisissomerset.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=147472&command=displayContent&sourceNode=243687&home=yes&more_nodeId1=242222&contentPK=19580980

[Lee]

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) article link.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/7195561.stm

Quotes :

North Somerset councillor Elfan Ap Rees said the fight was not over.

"We will continue to put pressure on them and we are revisiting earlier feasibility studies to prove the point," he said.

"We need to improve the links from Portishead into Bristol and into the north fringe. We cannot carry on with the situation as it is.

"And we don't expect to have to put money into something which at the end of the day is the fault of the government because they have failed to provide an adequate highway and transport system in North Somerset."

Bristol Evening Post article link.
http://thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145365&command=displayContent&sourceNode=145191&contentPK=19588127&folderPk=83726&pNodeId=144922

[Lee]

A three-mile section of defunct train track between Portishead and Portbury could be bought by North Somerset Council - to safeguard its future use as a possible rail link for the town (link below.)
http://thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145365&command=displayContent&sourceNode=145191&contentPK=19725891&folderPk=83726&pNodeId=144922

The section of railway, which runs between the former station at Portbury and Portishead, is owned by the British Railways Board (Residuary) Ltd, set up to manage British Rail's remaining assets when it was sold off in the 1990s.

After a consultation and review in 2006, a recommendation was made that the land be sold and North Somerset Council was given first option.

North Somerset Council executive member for strategic planning, highways and economic development, Elfan Ap Rees, said:

"We are looking at buying this land to protect the future of the railway.

"From our point of view this would be a real step towards developing a high-speed link between Portishead and Bristol.

"The British Railways Board has agreed to sell the land and has given us first option on it."

Mr Ap Rees said that if the council was not to buy the land, developers could snap it up instead - putting the re-opening of the railway at risk.

[Lee]

Folk Hall, High Street, Portishead on Tues 19 February 2008 7:30 pm.

[Lee]

A water taxi scheme to take people from Portishead to Bristol by river should be considered as an alternative to re-opening the growing town's rail link, according to a leading councillor (link below.)
http://thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144913&command=displayContent&sourceNode=231190&home=yes&more_nodeId1=144922&contentPK=19914598

North Somerset Council chairman David Shopland pressed members of Portishead and North Weston Town Council to look at the feasibility of introducing water taxis for commuters along the River Avon.

Councillor Shopland said any scheme to re-open a three-mile section of railway track from Portishead to Portbury was likely to cost more than nearly ^30 million (figure sure to be disputed - Lee) and suggested water travel would be a cheaper and more environmentally-friendly option.

The idea involves building a large damn at the mouth of the River Avon near the Avonmouth Bridge to keep a consistent level of water at all times. A park and ride could then be built either at Avonmouth or Pill where people from Portishead could leave their cars and pick up the water taxi.

His suggestions came at the same time as Portishead Railway Group, which has been campaigning for the re-opening of the rail link in the town for several years, made a presentation on progress of its campaign to councillors.

[John R]

Dam the Avon Gorge? That sounds contraversial and expensive. Makes restoring 3 miles of railway look like childsplay.

[Lee]

Quote from Alan Matthews, chairman of the Portishead Railway Group (link below) :
http://thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145365&command=displayContent&sourceNode=145191&contentPK=19925669&folderPk=83726&pNodeId=144922

"To go by water taxi would take hours to get to Bristol whereas reinstating the railway line would be a much quicker commuting solution.

"To get from Portishead to Bristol Temple Meads would be 28-30 minutes by train taking commuters into the largest office building area in Bristol.

"If you take workers by water taxi how do they get into the town centre or to their offices elsewhere in Bristol, such as by Temple Meads?

"Also, there is the issue with cars still using the main Portishead road, the A369 to get to the water taxi service, so the roads would still be congested.

"First Great Western has told the council it will cost ^20m to rebuild the line and the Greater Bristol Strategic Transport study says ^29m.

"This sounds absurd to me when in South Wales they have built six stations and 18 miles of track for ^30m.

[John R]

and all those 18 miles had been disused for years, and it included 3 miles of double track. 

[Graz]

It really makes me wonder (and worry) how crackpots like Mr Shopland got into the council in the first place. Has he done research into the cost of this, vs the cost of opening the railway, or whether such a scheme would actually be feasible? I think not...

...was likely to cost more than nearly ^30 million...

"More than nearly"? Wouldn't be susprised if this was his exact quote! 

[Lee]

Apparently, Bristol's water transport system could be like Venice in 10 years with the right investment, according to ferry boat operator Rob Salvidge (link below.)
http://thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145365&command=displayContent&sourceNode=145191&contentPK=19948245&folderPk=83726&pNodeId=144922

This week Mr Salvidge invited city bosses and figures for a trip around the docks to share his vision of the future of public transport. On board were council leader Helen Holland, architect George Ferguson, Broadmead boss John Hirst, Andrew Griffiths of First and Matthew Tanner of the ss Great Britain, among others.

[Btline]

The absolute idiot!

I'm sorry, but that has to be the worst idea ever!

Soon, they'll suggest "waterbuses" for the Thames Valley!!!!!

"Yes," says FGW^▸ (First Great Western) "with water buses, we can sell off the slow lines between London and Reading and a dual carriageway can be built there. In fact, we can go one further and stop all HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) at Didcot and waterbus people to London. Tee Hee Hee, then we can sell of the fast lines as well, build a motorway and knock down Paddignton station, build multi billion pound flats and sell them!!!!"

 

[Lee]

Have I "killed" this topic? 

As far as I am concerned, no, although your last post was rather entertaining.

I simply havent heard any more on this since, that's all. Maybe other forum members know more?

[Chris from Nailsea]

No, I think the idea of damming the River Avon, just to run a water taxi from Avonmouth to central Bristol, has been 'sunk without trace'.