Portishead approved

[JKF]

The plonkliner actually ran today, just to make my previous post wrong!

 

[yorksrob]

No more important train in the world than the one supplying booze !

 

[Class 170101]

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.

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.

 

[Web4160]

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.

 

[JKF]

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.

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.

 

[Yindee8191]

There’s definitely been ground investigation and ecological works going on for a while. Nothing particularly solid yet though.

 

[zwk500]

There’s definitely been ground investigation and ecological works going on for a while. Nothing particularly solid yet though.

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.

 

[Brush 4]

Final business case submitted in February 2024. Bristol and NR seem confidant that it will happen next year for a 2028 opening. The looming election could well play in favour, as the Gov will be dangling various carrots around the country....

Try to ignore the amateur wording in the headline..... and the term 'freighter' later on.

Plans for new MetroWest train to Portishead from Bristol taking shape

A further two stations will be built after Portway park-and-ride station opened this year

www.bristolpost.co.uk

 

[Brissle Girl]

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.

 

[Sly Old Fox]

It’s never going to open is it.

 

[lachlan]

Kicking the can further down the road. Last year they said 2026.

 

[geoffk]

Kicking the can further down the road. Last year they said 2026.

Well if it's 2028 I'll be 81, so fingers crossed......

 

[Hellzapoppin]

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.

 

[Brissle Girl]

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.

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.

 

[Benjwri]

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.

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.

 

[fgwrich]

Hopefully it’ll be quicker than “28 if Balfour’s NTC is used.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

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.

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.

 

[Wychwood93]

Well if it's 2028 I'll be 81, so fingers crossed......

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.

 

[Irascible]

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.

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?

 

[zwk500]

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?

It's also new signalling at the junction for Portbury docks.

 

[Western Sunset]

Is there a deliberate policy for reopening existing lines to be made as difficult a process as possible?

 

[Annetts key]

Is it all hung up in some signalling modification needed at the Bristol end?

By Bristol end, it depends on what you mean.

Bristol Temple Meads to Ashton Junction level crossing is already modern colour light signalling controlled by TVSC at Didcot. The signals are LED type. The train detection is axle counters etc.

However, the single line between Ashton Junction level crossing and the docks is currently operated by a token system. Which is a right pain in the behind as it is, more so when there was regular freight traffic. This is unsuitable for regular passenger traffic.

However, it shouldn't take three (or more) years to install a better system.

 

[JKF]

Is there a deliberate policy for reopening existing lines to be made as difficult a process as possible?

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.

To think I used to look over the parapet of the bridge at Pill Station in the early 80s wondering when the passenger trains would come back. 45 years would not have been my guess. Every now and then they’d do a bit of vegetation clearance or send a test train down the mothballed branch and I’d get all excited about the potential.

 

[Benjwri]

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 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:

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.

 

[Brush 4]

What happened to Project Speed?

 

[JKF]

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:

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 daft thing with the arrangement at Pill is that it requires the old down platform to be used for passengers, which will require construction of a lift at whatever that costs. The old up platform had level access at the north end so wouldn’t have required this. I guess the lift tower must be cheaper than sticking a couple of sets of points and related signalling in at the dock branch.

 

[Annetts key]

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 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.

 

[Yindee8191]

What happened to Project Speed?

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.

 

[Annetts key]

Former Pill station in 2013

 

[Benjwri]

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.

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.