Ref: thewesternmercury.co.uk
http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/archi ... lRoute.asp
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Backing to open old rail routeÃ
North Somerset Times
E-mail: nstimes@archant.co.uk
CITY council chiefs have backed a campaign to see the Portishead to Bristol railway line re-opened.
In July, members of the Portishead Heritage Rail Project (PHRP) presented a 1500-signature petition to the leader of Bristol City Council Helen Holland asking the authority to back the campaign to see the rail link re-opened.
The Portishead to Bristol railway line first opened in 1867 with stations at Clifton Bridge, Pill, Portbury and Portishead.
The track operated as a passenger line with the station near the site of the new Portishead Primary School.
In 1953 this station was demolished and a new one built near the High Street on land now used by Waitrose.
The railway brought essentials like coal and oil to the dockside industries. It carried away timber from the dock, phosphoric acid from the chemical plant and horseshoe nails from a nearby factory.
It provided a vital link to Bristol, but in 1964 passenger services ceased, with freight services stopping in 1981.
In the letter to PHRP, Bristol City Council said it 'fully supported the group's aspiration to re-open the Portishead railway line to regular passenger services.'
The letter also said: "This would clearly restore an important missing link in the public transport network of the greater Bristol area.
"We can therefore confirm the city council remains committed to pursuing the re-opening of the Portishead rail line and will continue to lobby the rail industry and government with renewed vigour until a satisfactory outcome is received."
The same petition was also handed to North Somerset Council by Portishead councillor Jean Lord.
Portishead Heritage Rail Project chairman Bishop Roger Sainsbury said he welcomed the backing of the city council.
Mr Sainsbury said: "We are very encouraged by this response.
"We hope the two councils will now work together on campaigning to re-open the Portishead railway line to passengers."
.. as transport study fails town
A PORTISHEAD councillor says the town has been overlooked in transport plans for the region.
Portishead Town Councillor David Pasley says the proposals in the Greater Bristol Strategic Transport Study, drawn up by the Atkins Company, will not cater for the growing population in the town.
He says present traffic conditions in the town are reducing the quality of life and the propsed showcase bus route would not ease the congestion.
Cllr Pasley said: "The plans fail to acknowledge that Portishead is the 'development hot-spot' in the region.
"Our population will be increasing way above the national average so with no real alternative transport system, congestion for local residents will get worse."
He said the planned showcase bus service had not been fully thought through.
"They rely on extra lanes. Only on the Portbury Hundred is there space to build the extra bus lane needed but the A369 past Junction 19 cannot be widened.
"When I asked if they knew this I was staggered when they admitted that at this high level of strategy, details like this would be addressed at the next stage, when the recommendations will have already been approved."
Cllr Pasley said it made more sense to reopen the rail link. "We have local companies prepared to contribute to the initial cost of opening the line. Trains carry more people and are faster than buses.
"In parts of the region served by rail, the plan aims for trains to carry more passengers and increase train frequency which will reduce road congestion.
"So why are they so anti-rail for Portishead and who is blocking it?"
Cllr Pasley called for residents to object to the plans by writing to FREEPOST EM237, Atkins, Woodcote Grove, Ashley Road, Epsom, Surrey KT18 5BW.