The West of England Partnership's vision to improve transport across the region

Portishead Rail Corridor

Reopening the rail link to Portishead is a priority for the West of England. 

The project would increase the UK’s passenger rail network by 10 miles and connect an additional 30,000 people to the network.  

The Portishead to Bristol corridor (A369) suffers severe congestion and journey time reliability problems.

  • The A369 is the only transport corridor directly linking Portishead with Bristol which is just 10 miles to the east. 
  • The capacity constraints on the A369 are exacerbated further by the fact that the A369 crosses junction 19 of the M5. 
  • This is one of the busiest parts of the M5 with the Avonmouth Bridge immediately to the north towards junction 18. 
  • The A369 continually suffers from the knock on effects of incidents on the M5 with traffic high volumes of traffic over spilling onto a constrained local road corridor with very few alternative route options.

This lack of transport network resilience and limited travel choices would best be addressed by utilising the heavy rail corridor between Portishead and Bristol and re-instating passenger train services.    

The re-opening of the Portishead railway line for passenger train services would:

  • Reduce traffic congestion on the arterial roads,
  • Reduce journeys times for commuters and business to and from Bristol, supporting economic growth,
  • Provide a much needed improvement to transport network resilience,
  • Improve air quality,
  • Improve the provision of sustainable transport options,
  • Assist in the delivery of wider social wellbeing and quality of life objectives,
  • Provide opportunities to re-instate further dis-used rail stations, subject to business case feasibility,
  • Provide opportunities to operate through rail services from Portishead to destinations beyond Bristol Temple Meads.  

Passenger train services from Portishead to Bristol were cut in the 1960’s, however the line up to Portbury was re-opened in 2002 for freight trains.   

The project involves utilising the existing 6 miles of rail freight and re-building 4 miles of dis-used track between Portbury and Portishead. 

The existing freight line is mainly a single track line, therefore to accommodate both freight and passenger trains in both directions of travel, requires major capacity upgrade works to the line.   

The ‘base project option’ is to operate passenger trains every half an hour at peak times and hourly off peak, from Portishead calling at Pill and terminating at Bristol Temple Meads.    The GRIP3 report published in October 2010, shows that a very attractive journey time of 17 minutes from Portishead to Bristol Temple Meads, is achievable.    The report also indicates that there is capacity to call at other stations along the branch line subject to detailed business case feasibility.    Furthermore, there is also potential to operate services to destinations beyond Temple Meads subject to more detailed analysis with train operating companies.   The engineering requirements identified in the report include:
  • Upgrading works to the existing Portbury freight line to a line speed of mainly 55 mph,
  • Reinstatement of Pill railway station,
  • Replacement of the dis-used track between Portbury Dock Junction and Portishead,
  • A new road bridge at Quays Avenue (road over the railway),
  • A new rail station at Portishead, Harbour Road.

The estimated construction cost of the project is £38.9 million in 2010/11 prices. 

In addition to this are costs of preparing detailed funding submissions, costs of preparing supporting information to secure powers to build and operate the project and costs associated with underwriting the operation of the train service for the first few years of operation. 

Taking account of the major project milestones in terms of funding approval, the processes for seeking planning approvals and Network Rail processes, the earliest construction could start is late 2015, with passenger train services re-introduced in early 2017.    The next stage of the project is to establish a funding package for the project, with the Department for Transport. 

Although progressing the project in the current climate of government budget restrictions is a challenge, the lead time up to commencement of construction for projects of this scale is around 5 years, by which time it is anticipated that the UK’s budget position is expected to have recovered.   

The project forms part of the prioritised programme of major transport schemes for the sub-region as set out in the draft Joint Local Transport Plan 3, complied by Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol City, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Councils.   

GRIP (Guide to Rail Investment Projects) is Network Rail’s process for managing major investment projects, through a project life cycle.   

  • GRIP 1 & 2 - Pre-feasibility
  • GRIP 3 - Option Selection
  • GRIP 4 - Reference Design
  • GRIP 5 - Detailed Design
  • GRIP 6 - Construction and commissioning
  • GRIP 7, 8 & 9 - Scheme handback, project close and post GRIP