Bristol connections: Metro, Bus Rapid Transit, PTE, ITA and local councils - discussion

[whole diary]

[JaminBob]

No one interested in 'Metro'? Or you just think there's no point?

[anthony215]

Thanks for posting that link, i have signed up.
The Bristol Metro is a good idea and too be honest is long overdue. I dont really think there is a need for an hourly service to Severn beach  off peak.

A hourly Portishead - Bristol - Avonmouth - Severn Beach service is a good idea  however some services should terminate at Bristol TM^‡(resolve) or Avonmouth with perhaps an hourly service to Bristol Parkway via Avonmouth & Henbury

[Bristolboy]

long overdue. I also like the report/response to the great western new franchise agreement - makes a lot of sense.

[Lee]

From the Bristol Evening Post:

A genuine chance to improve our trains

We could not ask for a Secretary of State to be any more explicit. Transport secretary Justine Greening has urged our MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament) to talk to her about the future of railways in this part of the world.

That should be the cue for them to email or ring each other and then find a time when Ms Greening can see them.

They need to beat a path to her door with a list of requests.

They have already indicated a willingness to put aside party political differences and present a united front. And this is a chance in a generation to change things for the better.

We all know we need more carriages to ease the daily overcrowding.

We all know Bristol has a wealth of local lines that can be developed into the Bristol metro system.

We all know that the link to Portishead desperately needs to be re-opened.

And we all know that extra tracks are needed to end the bottleneck on Filton bank.

But none of these things will happen unless our politicians make their voices heard consistently.

Ms Greening is ready to listen, we must take advantage of this rare chance and ensure our railways are improved for good.

[TonyK]

Not before time. Bring it on!

[Chris from Nailsea]

There has been some interest in this particular subject on this forum, over the years - so I've now taken the opportunity to merge a few topics here, purely in the interests of continuity and completeness _{blah blah} 

[TonyK]

The campaign website, http://greaterbristolrail.com/, is hosted and administered by Bristol City Council, but is a joint campaign by the four councils with an interest - South Gloucestershire, BANES and North Somerset, as well as BCC^» (Bristol City Council - about). The aim is to take advantage of the forthcoming new franchise and electrification projects to re-open the Portishead line and other closed stations, with a minimum 2tph service at all stations. If it happens, it will be a huge improvement around the area, with Filton Bank restored to four track.
Within the website, there is a link to an e-petition. Consultation on the new franchise has now closed, but the campaign asks members to write to ministers and MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament) to lobby for HLOS^▸ (High Level Output Specification) money to pay for the four tracking. That will also mean rebuilding of the newer bridge over Stapleton Road.
There are many voices calling for a slice of the action and money, all with very worthwhile aspirations. I am not decrying those, but will be putting my two penn'orth behind this campaign.
Allied to this, trains are to return to the old Brunel engine shed, currently used as a car park:



There is currently a signal box in the way:



but that will be demolished as soon as the re-signalling project is out of the way, probably in 2015. Happy days!
 
(Edited following the merge)

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks for posting that, Four Track Now! 

I've taken the opportunity to move an existing topic from 'Bristol commuters' to here and merge it with your topic: it is, after all, a campaign for a new and improved service!

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the South Cotswolds Gazette:

Thornbury and Yate MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) Steve Webb lobbies government for rail upgrade

An MP has lobbied the coalition Government to fund a major upgrade to train services in South Gloucestershire.

Thornbury and Yate representative and Minister for Pensions Steve Webb has struck a cross-party alliance with 19 MPs from around the South West, including Filton and Bradley Stoke MP Jack Lopresti and Kingswood MP Chris Skidmore, to jointly call on the Department for Transport to increase services for commuters in Yate and Severn Beach, among others, as part of the Greater Bristol Metro Rail campaign.

The inter-city link overhaul plans, put forward last month by four local authorities, including South Gloucestershire and Bristol City Councils, set out to provide a new hourly service from Severn Beach to Bath Spa and from Portishead to Severn Beach and Temple Meads from 2013. And Yate is also earmarked for half-hourly connections by extending Weston-super-Mare to Bristol Parkway services with a new turn-back facility.

Mr Webb said: "I welcome the decision to go ahead with electrifying the mainline service between Bristol and London but we also need to upgrade local services. We need more capacity, especially at peak times, and a greater frequency of service. I will continue to press the Department for Transport to look hard at upgrading the whole rail system around the Bristol and South Gloucestershire area."

In their submission to government the MPs asked for enhanced services, additional track capacity and carriages to mirror the Metro services in other major cities. This could involve either new facilities to turn trains back at Yate station or more services terminating at Gloucester and using the existing turnback system in place there.

South Gloucestershire Councillor for Yate and member of the Friends of Yate Station Sue Walker told the Gazette: "We desperately need more carriages, more regular services and a turn-back system. We were promised three carriages but we still only have two and people are crammed like sardines at peak times. People want to use the train but it gets so crowded that they can't."

Cllr Robert Griffin, who represents Severn Beach and Pilning on the district council, added: "We have seen the number of passengers using the station increase significantly over recent years as more and more people make the switch to rail. Frequency is something that commuters often raise, alongside reliability and affordability, which we would also hope to see improve if the campaign is successful."

[Btline]

Is there a need to re-open the ex-Brunel platforms? Whenever I go to Bristol, the station hardly seems to be bursting at the seams.
Obviosuly, it was be good to open more platforms, but it mustn't just be for sentimental reasons.

[TonyK]

It won't be for sentimental reasons, don't worry about that! No-one is spending money on rail infrastructure unless it is needed at present.
I am no expert in this field, but I have been in Temple Meads at times when it has been heaving, and have been held on trains outside waiting for platform space. It's not as simple as the number of platforms, with many of the trains either carrying on through (eg London to Weston) or turning back and coming out (eg Cardiff to Portsmouth. The London trains that terminate often discharge their passengers, then turn back at Bedminster. Two extra bay platforms will mean they don't have to. For passengers, it will mean a much shorter walk to the trains from the front door.
All told, I think it is a great idea that will improve services. Renewed use of the shed is a tremendous bonus.

[Louis94]

The London trains that terminate often discharge their passengers, then turn back at Bedminster.

I have never ever heard/seen of this, and considering one of the two platforms the terminating service from London use is a bay platform (13) I don't see how this is possible.

[JayMac]

Fairly sure it's extremely rare to turnback HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) at Bedminster. During times of late running/disruption it may happen so as to free up platform space, but I'm unaware that this has happened at all recently.

There may also be rare occasions that a terminating HST is in 'reverse formation' and control may decide to send it to Bedminster, then back round the loop through St Phillips Marsh depot, so as to have 1st Class back at the 'London' end.

Again, very rare.

[inspector_blakey]

Is there a need to re-open the ex-Brunel platforms? Whenever I go to Bristol, the station hardly seems to be bursting at the seams.
Obviosuly, it was be good to open more platforms, but it mustn't just be for sentimental reasons.

As has already been pointed out, the railway is not in the business of opening additional platforms for "sentimental reasons" - there has to be a hard business case behind any such infrastructure works.

In this case I believe that the reopening of the Brunel trainshed is connected to the Bristol electrification scheme, with the intention that electric services to and from London will use it. That would, of course, free up platforms 13 and 15 for other trains.

[ellendune]

My understanding was that it was for the additional two trains an hour each way Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington via Parkway.
Presumably the Paddington Bristol via Bath trains would still use platforms 13/15.