PORTISHEAD RAIL SERVICES

Edition 2. Winter 2013 Project Overview Welcome to the winter 2013 edition of The project to re‐open the Portishead line to passenger rail services our Portishead Rail Services newsletter. is now part of the MetroWest programme to improve local rail services across the West of England. This programme will use both Over the autumn, we have worked existing and disused rail lines that feed into and across , closely with to ensure the project fits with all the other projects operating half-hourly services subject to a proven business case that are currently being taken forward being made and infrastructure constraints. Phase 1 of the by the rail industry. The rail network is programme includes re‐opening the Portishead rail line to passenger beginning to receive a resurgence of services and increasing the frequency of services on the Severn funding and we need to ensure that Beach and Bath lines. The project is being led by North Somerset investment filters down to improve Council on behalf of the four West of England councils (Bath and local rail services, as well as the long North East Somerset, Bristol City, South Gloucestershire and North distance services. Somerset). A further MetroWest Phase 2 project is also being progressed by the councils. MetroWest Phase 1 is an important project. It will deliver benefits supporting economic growth, as well Recent Progress as widening accessibility to the rail The project business case is to be developed in three stages with the network and make an overall positive first stage (the preliminary business case) to be submitted to the contribution to our quality of life. West of England (WoE) Local Transport Body in June 2014. This is a While there are many hurdles to new body set up to oversee the allocation of devolved Department overcome, I am optimistic that we will for Transport capital funding from 2015. make positive progress in the year ahead. Best wishes. During the autumn, the councils have been working with Network Nigel Ashton, Rail to explore how the train service for Portishead rail line could be Leader of North Somerset Council linked with other existing lines including the Bath and the Severn Beach lines. There are a number of line-capacity constraints and work is progressing with a number of other projects both in this area, such as electrification of the GW line, and further afield. All these projects have train timetable implications, so Network Rail is currently taking them into account through its Iteration 5 timetable for train services operating from 2019 onwards.

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PORTISHEAD RAIL SERVICES

What’s happening next? coincide with the DfT’s re-letting of the Great In early 2014, the engineering feasibility of the Western franchise for post-July 2016. The project will be taken forward through GRIP length of the franchise is yet to be determined stage 1-2. GRIP is Governance for Railway however it is likely to be at least five years, so Investment Projects, a project management the successful train operator will operate the framework used by Network Rail and the rail train services for MetroWest Phase 1, including industry. services for the Portishead line, re-opening in 2019.

GRIP stage 1-2 includes the extent of engineering work needed for: Timescales • re-building the disused rail line between The project has the following key milestones Portishead and Pill, and the dates shown against each one are what • upgrading the Portbury freight line and we are trying to achieve – but this is dependent Parsons Street Junction to enable on government agreements and funding: operation of both freight trains and passenger trains, Option development and Summer 2014 • Bathampton Junction to provide a business case crossover to enable local trains to wait off Planning application and Autumn 2015 the main line. environmental statement Possible public inquiry Autumn 2016 The condition of most of the old track, sleepers and ballast on the disused track is very poor, Procurement and final Autumn 2017 and more detailed surveys will be carried out funding approval to confirm the scope of engineering works Start of construction Autumn 2017 needed. Train services begin Spring 2019 subject to all the above GRIP stage 1-2 also includes passenger demand forecasting and quantifying the wider benefits. The above timescales are indicative only and assume positive This is used together with the project cost outcomes at all key decision points between 2013 and 2019. The programme has been produced without prejudice to the decisions estimate to determine the project value for of the Local Transport Body, the affordability of the project to the money, which is represented as a ‘benefit to four councils and various planning, legal and regulatory aspects. cost ratio’. This work will feed into the production of the overall preliminary business Contact us and further case, which also takes account of a range of information wider factors. If you have any questions or would like to be added to our email database please email us In June 2014 the West of England (WoE) Local at: [email protected] Information can Transport Body will receive the preliminary also be found at: www.n-somerset.gov.uk/prs business case and determine whether to accept it and if so which train service option it wishes More information about the wider project and to take forward to GRIP stage 3 and through to sub-regional rail programme, including what’s delivery. GRIP stage 3 will develop the project happening with the , Bath line in more detail and will be used to support a etc is available at major planning application to build and www.travelwest.info/MetroWest operate the line. GRIP stage 3 will also

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