Category: MetroWest Phase 1
Portishead Railway – January 2026 Update
Preparatory work for the new Portishead railway is now underway, with main construction work due to start in Spring 2026. Bristol Rail Campaign went to see how things are progressing.
Portishead Railway needs your support
The Portishead Railway offers shovel-ready mass transit for a town that desperately needs it. But with the stopping of ‘Restoring Your Railway’ funds, the project is once again in the balance. The Portishead Railway needs your support now more than ever. Portishead is an essential part of MetroWest, the plan to open up existing railway…
WECA’s Rail Plans
There have been several reports in the press in recent weeks about WECA’s plans to improve rail services around Bristol and Bath. Rail magazine reported on plans to electrify trains between Bristol Parkway and Bristol Temple Meads, while Bristol Live ran stories about potential new stations and more frequent services. These reports follow WECA’s approval…
Portway Park & Ride Station opens
Portway Park & Ride Station opened to the public on Tuesday 1st August 2023. A few FoSBR members caught the first train to stop there.
MetroWest: slow progress
In FoSBR’s Autumn 2022 newsletter , FoSBR member John Walker wrote a “Tale of two metros” comparing the Devon Metro with the Bristol area’s MetroWest project. He made the point that the Devon Metro has raced ahead, whilst MetroWest plods forward making slow progress. MetroWest continues to plod, and since September there have been updates…
Funding agreed for Portishead Railway
On Friday 29th July the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) voted to allocate an additional £10m funding for MetroWest Phase 1 (Portishead Line). This money, from the Investment and Transforming Cities Fund, will bridge the latest funding gap and allow the project to proceed. Escalating costs Projected capital costs for the re-opening of the…
Portishead Railway: Just do it!
Councillors, residents and campaigners came to a FoSBR event to push home the message: Portishead Railway – Just do it!
Portishead railway: Yet another delay!
The Secretary of State for Transport has announced a delay of up to six months in the decision on the Portishead railway Development Consent Order. This is ‘to allow further consideration of environmental matters’. The Department for Transport has subsequently asked North Somerset District Council to provide specific details concerning the carbon budget for the…
Severn Beach Line – December 2021 timetable
The December 2021 timetable for the Severn Beach Line is a significant improvement on the current timetable, with a more frequent weekday service to Avonmouth and Severn Beach. The new timetable starts on Sunday 12th December. We are now within 12 weeks of this date, so service information should be correct on journey planners such…
Visit to Henbury station site
FoSBR met Cllr Mark Weston at the site of the new Henbury train station in August, to discuss the new station and other opportunities for the Henbury line.