Portway Park and Ride Station

[whole diary]

[chuffed]

Wondering if Ashley Down is the hare to Portway Parkway's tortoise.....
 

[johnneyw]

There's mention on the FoSBR^» (Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways - site) Facebook page that the delayed opening could be down to a dispute with who will be running the station.  The poster in question relayed a comment, apparently from a member of GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), that the station was supposed to be the responsibility of Bristol City Council for the first three years and then become NR^» (Network Rail - home page)'s responsibility but that now is being disputed by BCC^» (Bristol City Council - about).
If it's true it really does give little room for optimism in the future for public rail transport in the region (and I've had to exercise great restraint in my wording for this paragraph).
I do so hope this is not true....but I've lived in Bristol for many years.


Edit to correct detail . The handover after three years is apparently to Network Rail rather than GWR.

[Sulis John]

Well, I suppose if they delay the opening for 3 years…

[TonyK]

I drove past today - it looks very nice. For a P&R^▸ (Park and Ride) station anyway.

[grahame]

From discussions at Transport Focus on Wednesday - confirmation that no solid date is yet set.  The nearest a presentation got to telling us was "summer".  A tiny handful of tidy ups to be done; main things awaited are the completion and signing off of paper work - legals and contracts - complicated by the fact that access is not directly off the public realm highway, but through the Park and Ride which is owned /operated by someone else.

[TonyK]

From discussions at Transport Focus on Wednesday - confirmation that no solid date is yet set.  The nearest a presentation got to telling us was "summer".  A tiny handful of tidy ups to be done; main things awaited are the completion and signing off of paper work - legals and contracts - complicated by the fact that access is not directly off the public realm highway, but through the Park and Ride which is owned /operated by someone else.

You would have thought that, given the original open date of 2013, someone might have looked at all that.

[johnneyw]

You would have thought that, given the original open date of 2013, someone might have looked at all that.

But this is Bristol that we are talking about.   

[grahame]

Usually reliable sources suggest an opening day of 1st August

[ChrisB]

So what are the local councillors diaries looking like for Monday 31st? 

[Red Squirrel]

Usually reliable sources suggest an opening day of 1st August

Very reliable, I'd say...

[bobm]

I have been told opening for local dignitaries on the 31st July.   First day of public service the following day.

[ChrisB]

I have been told opening for local dignitaries on the 31st July.   First day of public service the following day.

Yep, hence

So what are the local councillors diaries looking like for Monday 31st? 

[johnneyw]

Usually reliable sources suggest an opening day of 1st August

Very reliable, I'd say...

I'm sure that it's totally unconnected to any Coffee Shop event today!

I'm back in Bristol by then.... perhaps I should start looking online for a Redland to Portway return ticket for Aug 1st soon.

[bobm]

I have been told opening for local dignitaries on the 31st July.   First day of public service the following day.

Yep, hence

So what are the local councillors diaries looking like for Monday 31st? 

I was backing you up!

[johnneyw]

After reports on this forum yesterday, I tried the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) app for a Portway ticket for the 1st Aug with no success.  Different story this morning though, they seem available from the earliest services.  I'll probably have a ride there on the first day but not, I think, at five something in the morning.