£15bn Improvements around UK

[Snow1964]

On the other hand - these “pots” appear to be for Combined Authority (Mayoral) areas. North Somerset (ie almost the entire Portishead line) voted not to be in WECA, so might have to be treated separately.

The WECA press release includes

Around £150 million would further improve rail infrastructure across the region and support ambitions for four trains per hour across our growing suburban rail network, including between economic growth zones like Brabazon and Bristol Temple Quarter.

Should I read that as aim to have 4 trains an hour on Brabazon and Henbury line ?

West welcomes record transport funding - West of England Combined Authority

www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk

 

[zwk500]

The WECA press release includes


Should I read that as aim to have 4 trains an hour on Brabazon and Henbury line ?

Eventually.

 

[Ben427]

So money is being committed to the construction of schemes without any business case process? I find that extremely surprising.

No, just loosening the BCR calculations which is a relief because Webtag and the green book are useless outside of the M25

 

[MatthewHutton]

It will definitely be spent on other schemes and modes of transport.

For context, the Brierley Hill extension is estimated to cost £650m for 11km of route. The route to the airport will be around 15km but have more street interaction so will be more expensive per km. So somewhere between £1bn-1.5bn seems about right. I'd imagine the line will be extended gradually to the airport. A first phase via a new Birmingham stadium to Heartlands hospital would make sense to me but nothing has been confirmed yet.

£650m for an 11km extension in a city outside London that isn’t tunnelled is expensive compared to our foreign friends.