Category: WECA

Tram-trains: Connecting Central Bristol
Bristol Rail Campaign welcomes the news that the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority has received £200 million of funding to develop mass transit for the region. We hope they will recognise that tram-trains could transform Bristol and Bath’s rail network. We strongly believe that a central loop in Bristol could change the existing suburban…

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…

Bristol buses
Tim Weekes reflects on a month of bus travel around Bristol, Bath and the West of England using his Birthday Bus pass.

Tram-trains: A mass transit solution for Bristol and Bath
The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority is considering its options for Bristol’s Mass Transit system. Could tram-trains be the solution?
WECA A4 Bath to Bristol transport proposals
West of England Combined Authority (WECA) propose to make big changes to the A4 between Bath and Bristol. They have launched an online consultation which runs until 1st October. We urge you to read this and respond! The aim of these changes is to give better options for buses, bikes, walking and wheeling. We are…
WESTlink Demand Responsive Transport services
WESTlink is a new service which has replaced around forty scheduled rural bus services in the West of England. It is a demand responsive transport (DRT) service, which is booked by telephone, online, or using a smartphone app. The background to WESTlink is discussed in detail in this article on Roger French’s ‘Bus and Train…

How could Severn Beach Line capacity be improved?
FoSBR support a higher frequency passenger service on the Severn Beach Line. How could capacity be improved?
Bristol Temple Quarter consultation
In early January 2023 a development framework was released for consultation by the Bristol Temple Quarter partnership. FoSBR joined a walking tour to understand how the new neighbourhoods will link to Temple Meads.

Bus/rail interchanges – the campaign continues
Earlier in 2022 FoSBR held an event in Filton and Lawrence Hill as part of a campaign to draw attention to poor quality bus/rail interchanges. As a result of this we met with an officer from the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) in June. This was a useful meeting where we had the opportunity…
