I think even for some voters even if the diggers started on Monday I don't think it would swing the vote in the Government's favour. The Tories have been so bad regards the raiulways recently but that is small fry compared to the mess the current Government has made as a result of the covid 19 pandemic and related to that the state of the NHS and Social Care in general.I’m one voter who after a 40 year track record of voting Conservative will not be giving Dr Fox my vote due to the various corrupt practices of the current government which he has supported. So if my intentions are indicative of the swing from usually loyal voters in his constituency then he should be feeling a little uneasy.
Have a vague feeling some ground investigation works were being done (or proposed) not so long ago - would it be that? I think there has also been some vegetation clearance by the council.As a resident of Portishead Dr Fox won't be getting my vote! The Conservatives lost control of North Somerset Council in 2019 to a coalition and failed to regain control in the elections this year. There still seems to be some work taking place on the existing trackbed into Portishead.
The preparation of the FBC for a funding decision will presumably require a verification of the costs, which may involve some investigative works to check there are no further problems from last time.There’s definitely been ground investigation and ecological works going on for a while. Nothing particularly solid yet though.
Well if it's 2028 I'll be 81, so fingers crossed......Kicking the can further down the road. Last year they said 2026.
There is clearly some work needed to be done, but it is a live railway which was reconstructed twenty years ago to take the heaviest of freight trains on a regular basis (which no longer run since Didcot Power Station closed). And there is no redoubling involved to the best of my knowledge.There seems to be an assumption that because it's already a live railway it's in perfect condition. Perhaps it isn't. Perhaps bridges need to be replaced. Perhaps the formation needs major works. All of that takes time.
to be clear the track is not in the same position as the existing track, it is being laid in a different alignment to the current track, and any track used will have to be relaid. In some areas it is being laid next to the current track. They also have to build 2 new stations, replace an underbridge and carry out significant changes to an overbridge.So 3 years to reinstate 3 miles of track on existing cleared trackbed (from work starting before the end of 2024), and doing whatever is needed to the existing railway which already is engineered to take heavy coal trains.
Balfours regularly delivered 1500yd relays including 3rd rail in 52hrs and that was under possession working. The sations can be built in high street environment as well. Should take 18mths top for the new build. However, this involves other changes on op network which is probably is what is constraining the end date.to be clear the track is not in the same position as the existing track, it is being laid in a different alignment to the current track, and any track used will have to be relaid. In some areas it is being laid next to the current track. They also have to build 2 new stations, replace an underbridge and carry out significant changes to an overbridge.
I am some five years younger than yourself, so will hopefully alright with that, i.e not yet eighty. I was looking forward to HS2 being opened in my 70's, as per the original schedule - not too sure of that now.Well if it's 2028 I'll be 81, so fingers crossed......
to be clear the track is not in the same position as the existing track, it is being laid in a different alignment to the current track, and any track used will have to be relaid. In some areas it is being laid next to the current track. They also have to build 2 new stations, replace an underbridge and carry out significant changes to an overbridge.
It's also new signalling at the junction for Portbury docks.3 - actually 4? - years to build 3 miles of track down an existing corridor, modify a bridge & build two small stations doesn't really sound great either, though. Is it all hung up in some signalling modification needed at the Bristol end?
By Bristol end, it depends on what you mean.Is it all hung up in some signalling modification needed at the Bristol end?
The process is being managed by descendants of the ‘B’ ark from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy I think. They’re currently trying to schedule a series of meetings to decide what colour to make the cover of the latest environmental survey report.Is there a deliberate policy for reopening existing lines to be made as difficult a process as possible?
To be clear though it’s not a relay of the track, in a lot of places the alignment significantly differs from the original alignment and therefore earthworks will have to be undertaken. There are also a very significant amount of earthworks having to be undertaken from approximately the point where the railway joins the river Avon to almost the join with the mainline. This is because the rock faces near the line are currently dangerous and have been deemed unsafe for a passenger line.Balfours regularly delivered 1500yd relays including 3rd rail in 52hrs and that was under possession working. The sations can be built in high street environment as well. Should take 18mths top for the new build. However, this involves other changes on op network which is probably is what is constraining the end date.
In preparation for the submission of the project’s Full Business Case in early 2024, Network Rail is due to submit its ‘construction phase’ programme prior to Christmas. Once received and reviewed, the Mayoral Combined Authority will be able to confirm the proposed date of opening the Portishead Line – plus the new stations at Pill and Portishead.
What docks traffic? It’s about two trains a month at the moment, sometimes with gaps of several months. The containers delivered by rail go to Avonmouth by road from Portbury anyway so some temporary arrangement could be made there (I believe this traffic used to go to there anyway)The main challenge here is that they are not allowed to close the Portbury docks line during development, so all this work is going to have to be undertaken during possessions which don’t interrupt docks traffic, that will significantly slow progress. It’s also worth mentioning 2028 is not an firm estimate, and to quote the article posted above:
To be clear though it’s not a relay of the track, in a lot of places the alignment significantly differs from the original alignment and therefore earthworks will have to be undertaken. There are also a very significant amount of earthworks having to be undertaken from approximately the point where the railway joins the river Avon to almost the join with the mainline. This is because the rock faces near the line are currently dangerous and have been deemed unsafe for a passenger line.
After the exit of the pill tunnel the line is to be doubled, with two bidirectional lines, one heading towards Portbury Docks, one to Portishead. The existing alignment of the track does not allow for this, so first the existing docks line alignment needs to be altered, then the second line built next to it. The overbirdge which needs to be replaced is also situated between Pill and the splitting of the lines.
The main challenge here is that they are not allowed to close the Portbury docks line during development, so all this work is going to have to be undertaken during possessions which don’t interrupt docks traffic, that will significantly slow progress. It’s also worth mentioning 2028 is not an firm estimate, and to quote the article posted above:
The project started too early to be part of Project Speed unfortunately, it was already in development. Also, that was mostly stuff that was entirely in Network Rail’s control, and because they don’t own the trackbed it wasn’t possible.What happened to Project Speed?
Fair enough, to be honest this was from reading the documents, especially ther service level which was quoted as multiple trains a day, which does call into question the competency of whoever wrote them. Probably best to wait for February for the actual construction plan though before judging.The existing alignment is not significantly different. Slewing the existing track a bit does not take years.
And putting in an additional line to double the line between the north Pill Tunnel portal and Pill station is not difficult, as the existing freight line is to one side anyway.
There is some work needed to double the line between Pill station and the junction, and a bridge needs replacing in this section.