tumbles
Member
It’s going to chaos for 6-12 months but it’ll be worth it
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Portishead Approved - Construction Updates Thread - No speculation
- Thread starter John R
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RailUK Forums
zwk500
Veteran Member
March Enhancements Delivery Plan from Network Rail now published: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-co...nhancements-Delivery-Plan-Mar-2026-Update.pdf
Key elements are:
Key elements are:
Baxenden Bank
Established Member
- Joined
- 23 Oct 2013
- Messages
- 4,743
Is that a 12 month slippage? Previous statements were late 2027 / early 2028.
A couple of resources for updates on the line’s progress:
Facebook: Portishead Railway Group
Facebook: Portishead Railway Group
Network Rail: The Portishead Line
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zwk500
Veteran Member
Were the previous statements ever anything more than hopeful estimates? Arguably it's already slipped several times anyway.
In 2019 it was hoped trains would be running by 2021(!) - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-47853916
So it's always a bit of a 'how do you feel' question about stated opening dates. As this is the first appearance of the scheme in an actual document measuring delivery, I'm minded to take the Dec-28 date as the 'original' opening date for this scheme.
It's possible that services will start earlier than Dec-28 but there will be some final snagging that means final project closeout does not take place until then.
Indeed, maybe Dec 2028 has been chosen as a worst case scenario type. Hopefully with lessons learned from Project Speed on the Okehampton line, it will be earlier than that, especially if machines such as Balfour’s NTC is used to lay the Pill > Portishead section.
Annetts key
Established Member
The work required could probably be done within a year, that's the civil engineering, the track formation and laying of the track plus the installation of the signalling equipment. However, it would require agreements with the current freight operator(s) and very carefully scheduling.
This also assumes any problems don't upset or delay the schedule.
In practice, these projects often take longer because it apparently costs less by doing it more slowly.
This also assumes any problems don't upset or delay the schedule.
In practice, these projects often take longer because it apparently costs less by doing it more slowly.
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Snow1964
Established Member
True, but 37 year old diesels, which by then will be few years since last refurb, is not exactly the image of glitzy everything new.
OK, it's a step up from current no service, although the suggestion that peak hour trains will be just 3cars once an hour is not going to impress someone moving to Portishead from London
So - do we wait for an as yet indeterminate time for new trains to be ordered, then another as yet indeterminate period while people scratch their heads while trying to get them to actually work or do we get on with doing what is practical (and within the constrained budget) now?
Web4160
Member
Notices have now gone up in Portishead on the roads near the site of the station, saying work will start in the second week in April and will take 18 months which should take us till October 2027.
Some of the more speculative discussions about possible services are now in this thread:
www.railforums.co.uk
Wider service possibilities following the Portishead reopening?
Mods note - split from this thread https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/portishead-approved-construction-updates-thread-no-speculation.281579/ BBC news: New train stations could connect city's outskirts If I understand this article correctly, I think it means a potential direct Portishead to...
www.railforums.co.uk
tumbles
Member
Also an official Facebook page run by NR it seems: https://www.facebook.com/portisheadline
tumbles
Member
Today marks the 'official' network rail start date or works. Topside buildings at Pill will start demo, work to create work compounds on A369 prior to the major rework of the roads by the new Portishead station.
Web4160
Member
Local paper reporting that work on removing the old track and preparing the trackbed from Portishead to Pill will begin on 5 May.
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zwk500
Veteran Member
Link to North Somerset Times article: https://www.northsomersettimes.co.u...stage-portishead-line-works-cause-disruption/ (my bold)
tumbles
Member
Lot of the old track has already been lifted when they cut back lot of trees. Guess they’ll finish off what the council started before Xmas
Web4160
Member
Just cycled from Portishead to Pill the majority of the track has been removed on the Portishead side of the M5 although most is still in place on the Pill side. Work going on one of the bridges into Portbury Dock
tumbles
Member
Yeah the hump bridge is closed till June to strengthen it. Presumably the docks are going to use it heavily now they have car parks on the other side.
I hope it doesn't have a similar encounter with the Portbury gates to what happened to the 153 when they did the jolly to launch the concept that became Metro West. Rather depressingly - that was 14 years ago!
Image of the scrape along the side of a Class 153 caused by an altercation with the gates at Portbury Dock - September 2012
overthere 2
On Moderation
Network Rail are going to be working from 7.30 till 5.30 for four months to remove the old track and as they are Network Rail staff (so I assume well paid as you don't pay rubbish wage's to safety critical people) then that is a fair chunk of wages also I would assume using plant equipment so using diesel which is particularly expensive at the moment which helps push up the overall cost of the scheme and so despite the success of reopening's it will be used as a argument "against" when the next proposal is put forward.
In a TV programme I saw where they were talking about Beeching they showed some footage of a bloke with a machine that looked a bit like a road drill but with a attachment on the end to unscrew the bolts attaching a chair (rail had already gone) to a sleeper then another bloke followed him and using a long crow bar gemmied the chair off the sleeper, I have also seen footage and picture's where you just have some blokes simply using long crowbars gemming the track apart.
I am assuming that the old track will be offered to a heritage railway for free?.
So, why wasn't a heritage railway invited to send some volunteers down to do the job for free? (example here): www.punchline-gloucester.com/articles/aanews/dean-forest-railway-society-volunteers-give-extra-help-to-wye-valley-greenway-new-footpath-cycle-pat
Railway volunteers give extra help to Wye Valley Greenway
By Sarah Wood | 7th December 2020
Volunteer members of the Dean Forest Railway Society have completed their clearance of track and overgrown vegetation from part of the railway which used to link Chepstow and Monmouth along the Wye Valley, ready for a new tourist attraction for the Forest.
The work will help to create the new Wye Valley Greenway which is set to open next year, providing cyclists and walkers with a path without traffic along the bank of the Wye.
Alastair Clarke, DFRS chair of trustees, said: "It took us about 25 site visits for our volunteers to clear the south end of the route, between the junction with the main line northwards as far as the 1090m-long Tidenham tunnel.
Apart from vegetation, we unclipped the continuously welded rail from the sleepers and cut it into 18m-odd lengths for lorry transport to Lydney along with the lifted concrete sleepers.
or heritage railway's are crying out for volunteers and people pay a fortune to go to a gym to lift weight's so subject to some basic safety training, signing a disclaimer form and supervision from some heritage railway volunteers why weren't members of the public invited to come and help lift the track which might have given them the bug to volunteer on a heritage railway?
tumbles
Member
Topside buildings at Pill are being demo'd from next week.
The Network Rail 153 did an early-evening round trip a couple of weeks ago (13/4/26), I wonder if that was part of the planning for Friday’s VIP jaunt? The regular monthly test train ran down a couple of days later at the usual time so it wasn’t covering that.
Snow1964
Established Member
Tender portal has couple of awards announced today, roads and bridges associated with Portishead line, Sheepway Bridge and Old Station Road Bridge
tumbles
Member
From the Portishead Line FB Page - Pill Station old topside buildings demo underway
Ashley Hill
Established Member
More history gone to waste.From the Portishead Line FB Page - Pill Station old topside buildings demo underway
tumbles
Member
Nah lets be honest here these buildings haven't been in use for 60+ years, they were bland red brick buildings of little note or heritage and not really close to the platforms. Most of us who've lived in Pill will remember the building as a hardware shop more than station buildings.
If Portbury station had been knocked down as part of this project I'd agree its a bit of history lost but really that's the most significant building left on the line.
zwk500
Veteran Member
Not to waste.