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[whole diary]

[ellendune]

What would Brunel do ?

A broad gauge, atmospheric, suspended bridge with billiard straight rails,or a beached Great Eastern embedded in each bank, with a hole cut amidships, and swivelling half bridges rather like half arm level crossing barriers

A project which would have been completed extensively over-budget

[Lee]

Planning consent for Portway Parkway Railway Station now granted - details and documents here.

I have a detailed catchup on Portway Parkway pencilled in for 15th April. Please feel free to have a good look, and if there any aspects you want more details on, or if you have any other Portway Parkway-related questions, then let me know before then and i will ask.

Lee, thanks for posting that.  Although its not in my 'local' area I've always had an interest in this type of scheme since producing several ideas in my RT days.  One thing not clear is, on the drawings, it appears that you have to walk through the car park, along the road, from the bus set down/pick up point.  Have I read that correctly (or seen it properly)?

My apologies, both for the delay in the Portway Psrkway catchup which we didnt manage to do until yesterday, and for the fact that there isnt currently a huge amount to report. Bristol City Council have provided an answer to SandTEngineer's question though, along with a short update for the benefit of forum members:

Yes the proposals maintain the current pedestrian route into the Park & Ride site, down the steps and ramp into the car park. Some improvements to this route will be made to enable an appropriate pedestrian route down to the station entrance.

The section of car park to the south is currently not in use. This area was laid out when the site was expanded so that further expansion can be achieved relatively easily. The expansion is not part of this station project but as parking demand increases we will consider the appropriate time to look at further expansion, subject to funding availability. This could also be an opportunity to look at an additional pedestrian entrance should it be felt appropriate.

We are currently working towards commencing detailed design for the project now that planning consent has been secured.

[TonyK]

Of course, there is a tunnel below the river already, containing theconveyor installed to carry coal from Portbury dock to the coal terminal at St Andrews Road. Coal having gone out of fashion lately, I don't think it is being used. I'm sure that with a bit of ingenuity it could be widened and properly aligned. It was built quickly enough with little of the usual palaver when the residents of Avonmouth realised that the original idea was for an elevated conveyor running alongside their houses, and that work was about to start. A meeting arranged by the council to reassure them that it wouldn't make much noise saw an unprecedented attendance, and many pitchforks.

[johnneyw]

Weather permitting, so that's a big "if" already, I'm thinking of taking a quick jaunt coastwards on the Severn Riviera Express to see if there is any indication of work starting on the Portway Station site. Does anyone know if this would be a waste of time as well as the ticket fare?
I'm still not certain about the stipulation that's been mentioned about the funding being conditional on completion this year. If it is and there's not an orange jacket to be seen yet, are there going to be some interesting times ahead?

[Western Pathfinder]

Weather permitting, so that's a big "if" already, I'm thinking of taking a quick jaunt coastwards on the Severn Riviera Express to see if there is any indication of work starting on the Portway Station site. Does anyone know if this would be a waste of time as well as the ticket fare?
I'm still not certain about the stipulation that's been mentioned about the funding being conditional on completion this year. If it is and there's not an orange jacket to be seen yet, are there going to be some interesting times ahead?

It's not hissing cogs & dats here at the moment,however as of now there is no sign of any work on the proposed site of the station.
Hope that saved you a trip Johnney.

[TonyK]

Weather permitting, so that's a big "if" already, I'm thinking of taking a quick jaunt coastwards on the Severn Riviera Express to see if there is any indication of work starting on the Portway Station site. Does anyone know if this would be a waste of time as well as the ticket fare?
I'm still not certain about the stipulation that's been mentioned about the funding being conditional on completion this year. If it is and there's not an orange jacket to be seen yet, are there going to be some interesting times ahead?

It's only three quid return from Temple Meads, so not a big loss. A short trip around Avonmouth can be rewarding. An even shorter trip even more rewarding. When all else fails, may I recommend the George in Shirehampton High Street, opposite the Jobccentre? Less dangerous than the Lifeboat, some say. The chippy is pretty good, too.

[WelshBluebird]

Weather permitting, so that's a big "if" already, I'm thinking of taking a quick jaunt coastwards on the Severn Riviera Express to see if there is any indication of work starting on the Portway Station site. Does anyone know if this would be a waste of time as well as the ticket fare?
I'm still not certain about the stipulation that's been mentioned about the funding being conditional on completion this year. If it is and there's not an orange jacket to be seen yet, are there going to be some interesting times ahead?

It's only three quid return from Temple Meads, so not a big loss. A short trip around Avonmouth can be rewarding. An even shorter trip even more rewarding. When all else fails, may I recommend the George in Shirehampton High Street, opposite the Jobccentre? Less dangerous than the Lifeboat, some say. The chippy is pretty good, too.

Or The Lamplighters which is much nicer than either and is nearer the station!

[TonyK]

Or The Lamplighters which is much nicer than either and is nearer the station!

My goodness! I had forgotten the Lamplighters! Nice place, popular with young mums at lunchtime for some reason.

[johnneyw]

Weather permitting, so that's a big "if" already, I'm thinking of taking a quick jaunt coastwards on the Severn Riviera Express to see if there is any indication of work starting on the Portway Station site. Does anyone know if this would be a waste of time as well as the ticket fare?
I'm still not certain about the stipulation that's been mentioned about the funding being conditional on completion this year. If it is and there's not an orange jacket to be seen yet, are there going to be some interesting times ahead?

It's only three quid return from Temple Meads, so not a big loss. A short trip around Avonmouth can be rewarding. An even shorter trip even more rewarding. When all else fails, may I recommend the George in Shirehampton High Street, opposite the Jobccentre? Less dangerous than the Lifeboat, some say. The chippy is pretty good, too.

Or £2 return if I start from Clifton Grand Central Station instead of my usual Redland (and 1/3 off with my railcard).
Anyway, Western Pathfinder's reply yesterday rather told me all I needed to know. As for the Lifeboat pub, it's historic reputation still seems valid! 😮

[TonyK]

Or £2 return if I start from Clifton Grand Central Station instead of my usual Redland (and 1/3 off with my railcard).
Anyway, Western Pathfinder's reply yesterday rather told me all I needed to know. As for the Lifeboat pub, it's historic reputation still seems valid! 😮

I worked in that Jobcentre for a while, and once or twice had to deal with the fallout from the Lifeboat. No names. No pack drill. What goes in Shire JC stays in Shire JC.

[johnneyw]

Or The Lamplighters which is much nicer than either and is nearer the station!

My goodness! I had forgotten the Lamplighters! Nice place, popular with young mums at lunchtime for some reason.

Yes indeed, not been there since nineteen eightysomething. Pleased to hear it was recentlyish rescued from closure. Been past it a few times and it looks very good.

[TonyK]

Yes indeed, not been there since nineteen eightysomething. Pleased to hear it was recentlyish rescued from closure. Been past it a few times and it looks very good.

I retired from serving Queen and country 3 years ago, and it had certainly been rescued a couple of years prior to that. I had a most acceptable fish and chips there around six months after the rescue, rinsed down, if I recall correctly, by a couple of pints of Bath Ales "Gem", produced by my pals Roger, Richard, and Craig. Now all millionaires, I dare say.

[JayMac]

What goes in Shire JC stays in Shire JC.

I used to go in Shire JC. I managed to escape.

Oh, and I'd have to disagree about The George in Shire, unless it's improved immeasurably in recent months. Last time I was in there you could breaststroke in the Gents. That's if you'd managed to unstick your feet from the carpet in front of the bar.

[Red Squirrel]

Last time I was in there you could breaststroke in the Gents. 

Ooh er... 

[Red Squirrel]

As mentioned elsewhere on this forum, on Friday WECA^» (West of England Combined Authority - about) was set to authorise funding for the next phase of development of a number of public transport improvements. If you found the Bristol Post article a bit hard to read, then this one from Bristol 247 contains largely similar information, without the clickbait and other irritating entrained clutter that is the hallmark of the Post these days. Actually the content is so similar, you could almost believe that both organs had simply quoted a press release...

Surprisingly, as far as I can see nothing has been made public about this meeting or its outcome on the WECA website, and Tim Bowles didn't mention it directly at the Community Rail Conference yesterday...