FGW - New Train Services For Portishead During Next 5 Years

[whole diary]

[Lee]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have confirmed via Twitter that announcement of new train services for Portishead during next 5 years contained in following link is indeed correct - http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/About-Us/greater-west

[IndustryInsider]

I wonder what the new service to Melksham will be?

[Lee]

The answer with both Portishead and Melksham is that they are still working with DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) and Network Rail to finalise plans. More details to be announced in the near future, apparently.

[TonyK]

I have just had an e-mail from FGW^▸ (First Great Western) directing me to their Greater West web page about what is to come.

The greatest investment since Brunel


To build a greater rail network is to build a Greater West.

Today, 176 years after Isambard Kingdom Brunel first built our network, rail is as important as it^s ever been to our communities, our regions, and the country as a whole.

Network Rail is investing ^7.5 billion in our region to build a Greater West.
The building and improvements already made include:
4,500 more seats at peak times to and from London
10% increase in capacity at peak times in and out of Bristol and Bath
Peak capacity between Reading and Basingstoke increased by 13%
5 new Wi-Fi enabled trains in the Cotswolds
New track and signalling in the Cotswolds
New track between Swindon and Kemble
Regional food. We now use only locally sourced food
The re-launch of The Pullman silver service restaurant
Introduction of mTicketing ^ enabling people to use their smartphones as tickets
Additional car parking at more than a dozen stations and introduction of Brompton cycle hire in Oxford, Exeter, Bristol and Cardiff
An upgraded Customer Information System at all stations ^ including customer help points, CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele-Vision) and information screens

And over the next 5 years, improvements will include:
Track electrification between London, Bristol, Cardiff, Swansea, Oxford and Newbury.
New high-speed electric trains between London, Oxford, Bristol, Bath and South Wales.
New train services at Melksham, Paignton, and Portishead.
^10 million investment in stations ^ new waiting rooms, retail outlets and customer facilities.
Refurbishment of all Sleeper and First Class services.
Modernisation of Reading Station, with additional platforms for faster trains and more punctual services.
Introduction of Wi-Fi on all high-speed trains.
Linking with Crossrail for improved connections with London and the east.
3,000 additional standard class seats across the network.
A Rail Network that is every bit as magnificent as our people

Not only do we fuel the region by transporting people in and out, we fuel the region as one of its foremost employers. We employ 5,000 staff, which means we support the livelihoods of 5,000 families in the region.

Without people, we wouldn^t exist. Without our customers there would be no railway. Without staff to run the service there would be no benefit to the region. That^s why customers and staff are at the heart of what we do.

I am excited to see Portishead within 5 years. I am saddened by the omission of four track, now, from the list of improvements, and hope that all the signals put out to suggest it will happen  prove accurate. What's wrong with a bit of certainty?

[Lee]

Moved and merged, as initial comment on this is regarding Portishead. A wider discussion regarding the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Greater West link can be found here.

[TonyK]

Moved and merged, as initial comment on this is regarding Portishead. A wider discussion regarding the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Greater West link can be found here.

Murky buckets, Lee. I have edited my earlier post.

I am surprised that FGW took the lead in announcing this priceless news, given that Network Rail will be doing the actual work, and the unelected, unaccountable oligarchy that is the West of England LEP^» (Local Enterprise Partnership - about)'s Joint Transport Executive Committee normally rush to claim the credit. This is despite most improvement in public being in spite of, rather than because of, them.

[Lee]

More detail from Mark Bradshaw on Twitter, who says they are working with Network Rail towards a Portishead reopening date of 2019, and are working up the detail for ministers to formally sign off.

[TonyK]

Indeed so - he was answering a question put by someone.

Tony K @Nympton ^ 21h

@MetroWestRail @mark_bradshaw Mark - can you give us some more detail pls? @FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have confirmed that Portishead within 5 yrs is not a typo.

Mark Bradshaw @mark_bradshaw ^ 20h

@Nympton @MetroWestRail > @networkrail working up detail for @transportgovuk ministers to formally sign off. Portishead line planned 2019

Funny how you never see @Nympton and Four Track, Now! in the same room, not even if the room is licensed. Ollie has confirmed he will let me know when tickets go on sale.

The MetroWest report to the March 2014 JTEC meeting includes:

Development Services Agreement for GRIP^▸ (Guide to Railway Investment Projects - Network Rail's process for project management of schemes through development and implementation) Stage 1-2 to be signed between
Network Rail and North Somerset Council late February 2014.

this being GRIP 1-2 for MetroWest including Portishead. Presumably, this was signed, and has led to the current outbreak of optimism.

[Lee]

If we are near the ministerial sign off stage, and FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are confident enough to publicly mark it "during next 5 years", then I suspect that we are beyond mere "optimism".

I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a rapid rise through the GRIP^▸ (Guide to Railway Investment Projects - Network Rail's process for project management of schemes through development and implementation), and an all-singing, all-dancing announcement event prior to the General Election.

[JayMac]

And the location for Portishead station?

That is still a rather large stumbling block. Particularly if Network Rail refuse to countenance a level crossing.

[Lee]

Personally, I would like it to be Harbour Road, and I would also like them to be bold, build the bridge, and hold it up as an example of best practice in such situations. This in turn would enhance the viability of the further reopenings that one would hope would follow in the future.

In reality though, I think they will go with Quays Avenue. While this would disappoint me, I don't agree with those who feel this would mortally damage the scheme - I think potential passengers will flock to the railway regardless, given that they are likely to still prefer walking or driving to Quays Avenue rather than the hell of driving all the way in to Bristol.

The proposed footpath/cycleway into the town centre from a station at Quays Avenue could also be made into a positive if done correctly, giving visitors a modern gateway through modern Portishead into the town centre.

[TonyK]

I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a rapid rise through the GRIP^▸ (Guide to Railway Investment Projects - Network Rail's process for project management of schemes through development and implementation), and an all-singing, all-dancing announcement event prior to the General Election.

I totally agree. It would not take much effort to get it to GRIP 3 from where it is now (this is the whole MetroWest deal, remeber, not just Portishead).

Personally, I would like it to be Harbour Road, and I would also like them to be bold, build the bridge, and hold it up as an example of best practice in such situations. This in turn would enhance the viability of the further reopenings that one would hope would follow in the future.

In reality though, I think they will go with Quays Avenue.

I hope they don't. Network Rail's analysis seems to preclude a level crossing, but I hope they can be persuaded otherwise. If not, there are alternatives to be considered. Closing Quays Avenue to traffic, but with a foot / cycle bridge is one option that would involve car drivers in a 500 metre detour at most. Another is the adoption of something like St Lukes Road in Bedminster / Totterdown. Lower the road, and take the railway across by bridge. Harbour Road will allow for expansion in decades to come, by tram-train, whereas anything else will mean that the station will be somewhere to drive to, rather than walk to, for many people.

[chuffed]

I hope a level crossing materialises and a station site near Waitrose despite NR^» (Network Rail - home page)'s well publicised aversion to new crossings. They simply HAVE to be made to see sense on this.
A road tunnel simply does not seem feasible as you are only about 15 ft above se level at the point where the rails cross Quays Avenue. I don't think the motorists should be complaining about the possible closure of the road...the rails were there, long before the Marina was built. It is a lot easier for them to drive 500 yard for their free cups of coffee at Waitrose, than for us non drivers to hoof it out of town for an inconvenient station the other side of Quays Avenue.

[Lee]

The key question though, is whether you would still use a station at Quays Avenue, were one to be sited there.

You'd be surprised how many people are willing to use a station that isn't as convenient for the town centre as they would like, especially if what is on offer represents a huge improvement in public transport provision, and a genuinely preferable alternative to the car in terms of ultimate destination...

[anthony215]

People manage with Ebbw Vale Parkway station although there was some uproar when the line was terminated there when re-opened originally.

Good news however is that work si due to start on the extension to Ebbw Vale Town