Work to restore Portishead passenger services set to start this summer – hopes of 2027 opening

Work to restore passenger services on the Portishead branch is set to begin this summer.

West of England Combined Mayoral Authority (WMCA) has announced that the final £30 million needed can now be used to fund work, with the hope of services starting by the end of 2027.

More than half of the 8.5-mile-long branch has been used by freight trains heading to and from Royal Portbury Dock since 2001, but the last passenger services ran in 1964.

West of England Mayor, Dan Norris, said: “This is a massive moment for the West of England: one that generations have eagerly waited to see.

“This is great news for residents, businesses, and our environment - and a truly red-letter day for our fantastic region.”

The authority says a rush hour journey would take 23 minutes, compared to 50 minutes by bus or 65 by driving. It’s anticipated that reopening the line will remove eight million car miles by 2044, as car commuting is reduced by 5.5%. WMCA also says the line will unlock an estimated £43 million in economic growth each year.

Norris met Lord Hendy in early February before the Rail Minister confirmed the deal to enable work to start, subject to the government's Spending Review.

New stations at Portishead and Pill are also due to open when services start. The Mayor is also exploring the possibility of a new station at Ashton Gate, where up to 1,200 homes could be built in future.

It has taken a long time for the project to reopen the line to passenger traffic to reach this stage.

Plans were approved in 2012. Five years later, the prospective opening date was 2020, with costs rising during that time from £70m to £116m. This included a complex environmental assessment and need for works along the Avon Gorge.

A Development Consent Order was with the Department for Transport for three years until it was eventually signed off in November 2022, just as inflation soared.

As of March 2022, the anticipated final cost was £163.26 million, but as of early last year there was a funding gap which was reliant on the Restoring Your Railway (RYR) programme to fill. After weeks of purdah in the run-up to last summer’s election, which further delayed the project, Labour scrapped RYR soon after coming to power.

However, WMCA has now been told it can use the final £30m to fill the shortfall.

Councillor Mike Bell, Leader of North Somerset Council and Executive Member for Major Projects said: “The Portishead to Bristol rail line stands to be transformative for North Somerset and the wider area, connecting 50,000 people back into the rail network through regular and sustainable transport whilst offering access to the opportunities of growth across the southwest.

“Working in partnership with West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, Department for Transport and Network Rail, we have put in the hard work and were the country’s first passenger rail scheme to secure a Development Consent Order to re-open a branch line.”