Priority bus route Bristol to Bath

[whole diary]

[broadgage]

It’s £1.5billion of new money across the areas. Sunak also said that this is the first time the actual amounts per area have been announced, so new ‘actual’ amounts

Probably to include £80 million to rebuild the line to Portishead.

And let's hope that's money for shovels in the ground, rails on sleepers, platforms and signalling ... and not just investigations, consultations, enquires and legal fees.

What about newts and bats ?

[Red Squirrel]

The WECA^» (West of England Combined Authority - about) City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement gives, I think, a slightly more nuanced view of how the money will be spent. It splits into 6 Work Packages:

1: Improving our strategic public transport corridors
2: Walking and cycling
3: Developing our rail infrastructure
4: Innovation
5: Mass transit
6: Maintenance and small schemes.

WP3 appears to include the WECA 10-year Rail Plan:

The Combined Authority has a 10 Year Rail Delivery Plan, setting out the changes required to attract car users and incentivise rail use. Building on MetroWest 1 and 2, and the Bristol Temple Meads Eastern Entrance, this plan will transform the regional rail network, making stations accessible and providing capacity for ‘turn up and go’ services. This will increase access to jobs and neighbourhoods, ensuring equal opportunities while reducing reliance on cars and the region’s carbon impact from transport. Our five-year programme can be broken down as:

New stations:
Building on our delivery experience of constructing five new stations under the MetroWest programme, a new station will be delivered at Charfield providing access to the rail network for up to 14,500 residents within 5km, reducing car dependency in Charfield and neighbouring areas.

Accessibility:
Working to make our stations safe, attractive and accessible, and easy to access via walking and cycling. Focusing first on those stations providing services to our most deprived
communities: Lawrence Hill, Bristol; Parsons Street, Bristol; Bedminster, Bristol; Stapleton Road, Bristol; Oldfield Park, Bath.

Future services:
To further improve connectivity and capacity we are progressing plans to extend MetroWest to the south, increasing frequency of services between Bristol Temple Meads and locations such as Weston-super-Mare and Taunton. This will better link people and jobs, enhancing the economic prospects of our residents and supporting reduction of car travel. This increase in services will likely require infrastructure interventions and we are undertaking a feasibility assessment to understand the extent of physical works.

In addition to upgrading existing stations, we are evaluating major enhancements at Bristol Temple Meads, improving capacity to meet demand whilst celebrating the station’s unique heritage and its role as a gateway to the city. Network Rail, Bristol City Council, Homes England and the Combined Authority will collaboratively develop plans for northern and southern entrances to Bristol Temple Meads. Project delivery will be integrated with planned Temple Quarter Regeneration Programme works. We anticipate this to be funded through an existing bid to Homes England and MHCLG to increase housing capacity in the city centre.

Through our rail programme the Combined Authority has created high-performing partnerships with industry partners. Our work will be delivered through our existing partnership with Network Rail and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), and by directly-appointed experienced consultants and contractors where appropriate. The delivery of the Eastern Entrance is testament to that partnership.

Full details here: https://www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/West-of-England-Combined-Authority-CRSTS.pdf

[Lee]

New stations:
Building on our delivery experience of constructing five new stations under the MetroWest programme, a new station will be delivered at Charfield providing access to the rail network for up to 14,500 residents within 5km, reducing car dependency in Charfield and neighbouring areas.

"Delivery experience"  - How many out of those five have actually been "delivered" then 

You gotta laugh...

[Red Squirrel]

You make an interesting point, Lee.

The 5 stations in question appear to be Portishead, Pill, Ashley Down, North Filton and Henbury. All of these except Henbury have reached the 'planning application' stage, as has Charfield, so it's puzzling that Charfield is not considered to be one of the five. And they don't mention Portway P&R^▸ (Park and Ride)... all rather odd.

Gratifying that they colour the proposed stations in FoSBR^» (Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways - site) yellow on the map!

[TonyK]

You make an interesting point, Lee.

The 5 stations in question appear to be Portishead, Pill, Ashley Down, North Filton and Henbury. All of these except Henbury have reached the 'planning application' stage, as has Charfield, so it's puzzling that Charfield is not considered to be one of the five. And they don't mention Portway P&R^▸ (Park and Ride)... all rather odd.

Gratifying that they colour the proposed stations in FoSBR^» (Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways - site) yellow on the map!

I assume delivery includes anything that is Partway delivered. It's a bit of a Comical Ali stretch of the point, though.

The political pamphlet does little to suggest that much will change. Illustrating the section "The transport system we want" with a photo of someone pushing a bicycle up a steep hill didn't give the impression of the transport system I would like, to be honest. The numbers later in the "report" don't suggest that the fabled Mass Transit system is a serious idea. The budget for that comes to less than a twelfth of that for strategic corridors and walking. The lower estimate of £31 million will only just pay for diversity training for the bus lane engagement team's well-being coaches, leaving little for digging tunnels below the city.

[Red Squirrel]

The woman in the picture on P.17 is pushing her bike up Corn Street (see https://goo.gl/maps/arrnfAPeNuoQtkq76 for an image with less foreshortening). Even the least-fit cyclist should be able to manage that ascent easily. If I was to buy into the narrative that the subjects were real members of the public, I could easily construct a version of events in which the woman with the bicycle had met a friend who was walking through the newly car-free Old City, and had got off her bicycle to chat.

Which is exactly the kind of transport system, in exactly the kind of city, that many of us (but perhaps not all!) want.

I agree though that it's not entirely clear which of the Work Packages involve actually building things as opposed to developing business plans or considering options. It would be easy, but perhaps not wise, to make assumptions.

[TonyK]

I agree though that it's not entirely clear which of the Work Packages involve actually building things as opposed to developing business plans or considering options. It would be easy, but perhaps not wise, to make assumptions.

You are absolutely right, but it won't stop me. 

[Red Squirrel]

I agree though that it's not entirely clear which of the Work Packages involve actually building things as opposed to developing business plans or considering options. It would be easy, but perhaps not wise, to make assumptions.

You are absolutely right, but it won't stop me. 

Well to be honest it hasn't stopped me either.

The press, including Rail magazine, think WECA^» (West of England Combined Authority - about)'s going to blow the whole lot on a bus lane. Presumably they imagine this will be paved with diamond cobbles, and served by platinum-plated buses with velvet guidewheels powered by finest quality unicorm flatus.

My guess from a rail perspective is that building the new stations is included. Obviously it can't include much more than design work for any rapid transit system. It could well be that a new road, imaginatively linking Sainsbury's with Tesco as an alternative to Bath Road, accounts for a hundred million or so.

As with other unfolding stories, we can't be sure. We'll just have to be patient and wait for the details to emerge.

[TonyK]

The press, including Rail magazine, think WECA^» (West of England Combined Authority - about)'s going to blow the whole lot on a bus lane.

They must have gone over the history of hopeful transport plans in the area.