Bristol and Bath Railway

[whole diary]

[Stroud Valleys]

Are there any plans to reopen the Bristol and Bath Railway between Temple Meads, Yate and Thornbury via Mangotsfield?

[Bmblbzzz]

Seeing as most of that route is now a cycle track (and bits have been since the early 1970s) along which various councils occasionally want to run buses, it seems very unlikely. However, people who know will probably be along soon.

[Red Squirrel]

I've heard a whisper that it's mentioned in the IIP for CP409...

_{(that's the 5-year period starting in the year 4034)}

[Oberon]

The perfect location for a tram/train system

[johnneyw]

Yes, I do believe the track actually exists from Yate southward down as far as the motorway (M4). However, given the geological time it's taken to get a diluted Metrowest off the ground, I'm not sure we've got the sort local/regional government round these parts for that kind of thing.

[Bmblbzzz]

The track from Yate south to the M4 (and in fact directly under the M4) serves the oil terminal at Westerleigh, right next to the M4, and apparently also a rail training centre.

[Spaceship]

The only section that would be difficult to reinstate would be between Warmley and the Pucklechurch roundabout where the A4174 has being built on the trackbed in places. All the rest of the formation as far as the edge of Bath is intact as far as Newbridge Station, after that its mostly succumbed to development.

[Red Squirrel]

The only section that would be difficult to reinstate would be between Warmley and the Pucklechurch roundabout where the A4174 has being built on the trackbed in places. All the rest of the formation as far as the edge of Bath is intact as far as Newbridge Station, after that its mostly succumbed to development.

It depends on how you define 'difficult':

The section between Days Rd and Lawrence Hill would present a challenge of a similar in scale to the A720 in Edinburgh where it is crossed by the new Borders Railway - not insurmountable, but certainly expensive. At Clay Bottom, there are several houses built on the trackbed. There would be a bit of a squeeze at Fishponds (especially if you wanted a station there), and then as you say there's the mile or so that's been appropriated for the Avon Ring Road. But then what would you do when you got to Bath? Joining on to the GW^▸ (Great Western) line near Newbridge? It's worth noting that the route already takes a very significant flow of cycling commuters, who have a voice and who probably wouldn't want to be shoved back onto Fishponds Rd.

[Spaceship]

Difficult as in well difficult but not impossible - when there is a will there is a way. There is a small vertical level difference between the Midland and the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) but a link could be done on the approach into bath where they are only about 400m apart, but it is a nice cycle path too for riding along and busy all the time.

Or reinstate a branch only going out of Bristol Temple Meads as far as Staple Hill and link it to the Avonmouth branch again too now that would be interesting...

[ellendune]

I cannot see a good reason to reopen these lines as heavy rail.  However there is possibly case for them as light rail as part of a Bristol/Avon Metro system.

[Red Squirrel]

Or reinstate a branch only going out of Bristol Temple Meads as far as Staple Hill and link it to the Avonmouth branch again too now that would be interesting...

Very interesting! Especially the bit where the thirteen arches were demolished to allow the building of the M32...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ud_2XslsrA

As ellendune suggests, these routes could be more interesting in the context of a tram or tram-train system (something that my grandchildren may get to see, if I have any, after the revolution). Street running sections could get round some of the more gnarly obstacles.

[Bmblbzzz]

We seem to have sidestepped from "Bristol to Yate via Mangotsfield" to "Bristol to Bath via Warmley". I'm sure such a line would have some use (and get some use) but it doesn't look like a sensible way to get to Bath. It might make sense, as others have said, as a suburban line, in which case trams or something of that type. But we'd be more likely to end up with a "WamleyBus".

[Red Squirrel]

We seem to have sidestepped from "Bristol to Yate via Mangotsfield" to "Bristol to Bath via Warmley". I'm sure such a line would have some use (and get some use) but it doesn't look like a sensible way to get to Bath. It might make sense, as others have said, as a suburban line, in which case trams or something of that type. But we'd be more likely to end up with a "WamleyBus".

I don't think it unreasonable to take the OP^▸ (Original Poster / topic starter) to encompass any or all of the former Midlands lines that converged at Mangotsfield, plus the Thornbury branch.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Administrator interjection:

We have no problem with this topic continuing to include discussions of all possible permutations of any such 'restored' route. 

[johnneyw]

The tram/light rail option seems the only realistic choice to utilise the existing/remaining trackbed north east and east of Bristol. I have little doubt that it would be a popular option, given a chance. However, unless there is a big change in transport political will, I think we are a long way from exploiting this promising opportunity. That said,  I would not up the stakes on it's impossibility Gary Lineker style!