Why the Portishead Delay?

[Brissle Girl]

The large “car parks” / compounds in, near and around Portbury docks are either new vehicles stored ready for export, or new vehicles stored after arriving from overseas before being distributed elsewhere in the country. There are literally thousands and thousands. The large ships that transport them are massive.

Anyway, as these large “car parks” / compounds are private land, it may be a difficult battle to get them for a park and ride.

Sure, I noted their use. It's not uncommon for land that needs to be used for transport infrastructure developments to be in private ownership, so I don't see that as insurmountable. And it's not deep into the docks but adjacent to Junction 19, so I'm sure in the context of what looks to be between 50,000 and 100,000 compound spaces adjacent to the docks, it wouldn't be impossible to give up around 1,000 spaces if the need for a P&R was there and suitable compensation (maybe the cost of land and provision of an equivalent facility elsewhere) was negotiated.

 

[geoffk]

I mean the group is called the "Portishead Busway Campaign". I somehow doubt that anyone should be paying attention to them on rail or climate change related matters! They certainly aren't an "environmental group" anyway! Infact I think it says everything that all I can find on Google about them is that article, this thread and some comments from them responding to the planning applications (including him trying convince guy in charge of First Bus West of England to support his campaign, which was shut down and the First Bus stance is they support the railway reopening) which all talk about this one guy and nobody else, which makes me suspect this campaign is actually just one person).

The Railway Conversion League lives on? A former work colleague, who was a railway manager for some years, was told by a GWR senior manager a while back that there were concerns about running a passenger service through Pill tunnel, as it is slightly below gauge for passenger trains. He pointed out that trains run through Ledbury tunnel which is well below gauge, and that, since all stock now has sliding doors and non-opening windows, narrow tunnels shouldn't be a problem! I imagine this also applies at Whitehaven and perhaps one or two other places.

 

[davetheguard]

The Railway Conversion League lives on? A former work colleague, who was a railway manager for some years, was told by a GWR senior manager a while back that there were concerns about running a passenger service through Pill tunnel, as it is slightly below gauge for passenger trains. He pointed out that trains run through Ledbury tunnel which is well below gauge, and that, since all stock now has sliding doors and non-opening windows, narrow tunnels shouldn't be a problem! I imagine this also applies at Whitehaven and perhaps one or two other places.

It's called Grandfather Rights, and is a very useful thing!

As you probably remember Geoff, it also enabled full length HSTs to stop occasionally at very short platforms like Combe & Finstock on the Cotswold Line when trains were disrupted.

 

[JKF]

The busway loon is now getting attention on the ITV news website with their proposal that apparently saves £100 million. I wish the press wouldn’t indulge such one-man crayon projects, they’ve no more credibility than I have. I might have to offer up my idea of using old vehicle hovercrafts to take buses from Portishead marina down the river to a dock at Hotwells where they can join the busway into town.

 

[Irascible]

The busway loon is now getting attention on the ITV news website with their proposal that apparently saves £100 million. I wish the press wouldn’t indulge such one-man crayon projects, they’ve no more credibility than I have. I might have to offer up my idea of using old vehicle hovercrafts to take buses from Portishead marina down the river to a dock at Hotwells where they can join the busway into town.

Hoverbuses? it's the future! at certain times of the day they can run right through the docks to TM too.

I think it's probably better to get lunatic ideas discussed and dismissed early rather than leaving them to nibble away at the process.

 

[SargeNpton]

Portway Park & Ride station construction now started...

Work starts on new railway station for Bristol

Construction of a brand-new railway station to link Portway Park & Ride with the Severn Beach railway line has got underway.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

 

[The exile]

Portway Park & Ride station construction now started...

Work starts on new railway station for Bristol

Construction of a brand-new railway station to link Portway Park & Ride with the Severn Beach railway line has got underway.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

Wrong side of the river, unfortunately!

 

[SargeNpton]

Wrong side of the river, unfortunately!

Ah yes, getting mixed up between Portishead and Portway.

 

[Yindee8191]

Portway Park & Ride station construction now started...

Work starts on new railway station for Bristol

Construction of a brand-new railway station to link Portway Park & Ride with the Severn Beach railway line has got underway.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

I wonder if this could be a way of connecting Portishead into the rail network a few years early in the interim. The X5 bus from Portishead already runs non-stop past Portway P&R on its way to Bristol - surely it could make one stop there and perhaps be timed to coincide with rail services, so that passengers could access the railway easily. Then again, that would likely slow down both bus and rail, and probably wouldn’t be used very well.

 

[Brissle Girl]

I wonder if this could be a way of connecting Portishead into the rail network a few years early in the interim. The X5 bus from Portishead already runs non-stop past Portway P&R on its way to Bristol - surely it could make one stop there and perhaps be timed to coincide with rail services, so that passengers could access the railway easily. Then again, that would likely slow down both bus and rail, and probably wouldn’t be used very well.

Apart from the fact that traffic from Portishead would still have to use the Portbury Hundred to access the M5 for one junction to cross the Avonmouth Bridge, traffic on which is one of the key problems. And with a train only every half hour, if delays mean you just miss one, you'll be half an hour late (or will use the adjacent P&R bus, but if you've got a weekly ticket you're then paying twice).

 

[Yindee8191]

Apart from the fact that traffic from Portishead would still have to use the Portbury Hundred to access the M5 for one junction to cross the Avonmouth Bridge, traffic on which is one of the key problems. And with a train only every half hour, if delays mean you just miss one, you'll be half an hour late (or will use the adjacent P&R bus, but if you've got a weekly ticket you're then paying twice).

Yeah, probably wouldn’t work very well in reality. Best to just get the actual Portishead Line built ASAP.

 

[tumbles]

I wonder if this could be a way of connecting Portishead into the rail network a few years early in the interim. The X5 bus from Portishead already runs non-stop past Portway P&R on its way to Bristol - surely it could make one stop there and perhaps be timed to coincide with rail services, so that passengers could access the railway easily. Then again, that would likely slow down both bus and rail, and probably wouldn’t be used very well.

This is part of the busway looney's idea. You run a guided bus route along the disused stretch up to the J19 roundabout where he magically thinks Highways England will build a sliproad for the bus which then goes over the bridge and stops at the P&R depot. The X5 already pretty much does that now as you point out.

In further DCO news the SoS has asked for further clarification over the removal of Whitebeam Trees on the Avon Gorge: https://infrastructure.planninginsp...ltation letter - Defra questions_Redacted.pdf

NR were doing a *lot* of vegetation clearance before Christmas so they may have already culled these. Either way it seems this decision is going to go right to the end of the six month extension meaning a further hike in costs as per Liam Foxes statement in the HoC back in December.

 

[InOban]

The Avon whitebeam is unique to the gorge, found nowhere else.

 

[Web4160]

Interestingly planning officers have just overruled North Somerset Council's decision not to approve the proposed extension to Bristol Airport. The Council's refusal was on environmental grounds.

 

[Yindee8191]

Interestingly planning officers have just overruled North Somerset Council's decision not to approve the proposed extension to Bristol Airport. The Council's refusal was on environmental grounds.

Stupid decision to make in a climate emergency. At the very least it should be conditional on some form of fixed transit link (tram/train/metro etc) to ease traffic.

 

[tumbles]

Interestingly planning officers have just overruled North Somerset Council's decision not to approve the proposed extension to Bristol Airport. The Council's refusal was on environmental grounds.

Hillarious really when you consider the opposition to the airport versus the Portishead Branch. Other than the busway idiot I don't think there is a single group against its reinstallation. Of course one is privately funded and one is reliant on £30m of government funding..

 

[Web4160]

North Somerset Council's response to the SOS's letter is now on the planning inspectorate's website.

 

[fgwrich]

North Somerset Council's response to the SOS's letter is now on the planning inspectorate's website.

Of course, it hasn't taken long for Mr Cash to come up with a response either.

It is quite an interesting letter to read though, including a photo and an idea of the locations of the Whitebeam's which are causing the holdup.

https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/wp-content/ipc/uploads/projects/TR040011/TR040011-001688-NSC.pdf

 

[Brissle Girl]

The fact that they have been growing more and intend to replant those lost at a ratio of 2 to 1 appears relevant. As does the fact that 7 are growing above the tunnel portal.

 

[tumbles]

Of course, it hasn't taken long for Mr Cash to come up with a response either.

It is quite an interesting letter to read though, including a photo and an idea of the locations of the Whitebeam's which are causing the holdup.

https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/wp-content/ipc/uploads/projects/TR040011/TR040011-001688-NSC.pdf

The further reply from North Somerset directly aimed at Cash was quite the smackdown. Particularly liked this bit:

During the DCO examination Mr Cash made representations about a proposal for a busway scheme which entailed placing rubber mats over the railway tracks and sleepers along the existing operational freight railway, and operating buses on the railway while continuing to operate freight trains to and from Portbury Dock.

If that isn't a line that should immediately discredit a word the man says I don't know what would!

One month (ish) till the deadline again.. come on Shapps make the right call.

 

[patrick.hearn3]

The Avon whitebeam is unique to the gorge, found nowhere else.

I read some years back that DNA sequencing shows they are fast evolving and frequently hybridise to make new species. They were struggling to keep up with the sequencing and classifications

 

[WesternBiker]

The further reply from North Somerset directly aimed at Cash was quite the smackdown. Particularly liked this bit:

During the DCO examination Mr Cash made representations about a proposal for a busway scheme which entailed placing rubber mats over the railway tracks and sleepers along the existing operational freight railway, and operating buses on the railway while continuing to operate freight trains to and from Portbury Dock.

If that isn't a line that should immediately discredit a word the man says I don't know what would!

One month (ish) till the deadline again.. come on Shapps make the right call.

Yes, indeed, smartly worded.

 

[Jimbo]

Isn’t it approaching the deadline for the Secretary of State to determine the outcome of the DCO? Are there indications on when around 18 April it will be announced please?

 

[Yindee8191]

Isn’t it approaching the deadline for the Secretary of State to determine the outcome of the DCO? Are there indications on when around 18 April it will be announced please?

Considering in October there was no news until a couple of days after the deadline, it could be similar this time.

 

[JKF]

The cynic in me would say that it might be timed for local elections, but then North Somerset is fairly solidly blue so doubt it would be required.

 

[The exile]

The cynic in me would say that it might be timed for local elections, but then North Somerset is fairly solidly blue so doubt it would be required.

Doesn’t purdah apply - so no announcement till after the elections?

 

[Stephen1001]

North Somerset doesn't have any elections this May - it's a unitary authority that does whole-council elections every four years, with the last one in 2019 (which incidentally saw the Conservatives lose control of the council) - so they shouldn't play too much of a role in anything.

 

[The exile]

North Somerset doesn't have any elections this May - it's a unitary authority that does whole-council elections every four years, with the last one in 2019 (which incidentally saw the Conservatives lose control of the council) - so they shouldn't play too much of a role in anything.

Bristol does, though.

 

[Dr Day]

The DCO is still only one step - the other is DfT commitment to funding the residual off-one costs of construction (which will have no doubt gone up in the intervening period as raw materials have gone up) and any ongoing deficit between revenues and operating costs. AFAIK previous agreements for funding (both local and national) were capped, so there may still be a gap.

 

[Dr Day]

Portishead Branch Line – MetroWest Phase 1: decision deadline extended

Deadline for the decision to construct the Portishead Branch Line – MetroWest Phase 1 extended until 19 February 2023.

www.gov.uk

North Somerset still need to 'demonstrate funding has been secured'