Reopening
to be done in order to return the line to regular passenger traffic. To begin with, although the trackbed between Portbury Dock Junction, where the freight line leaves the original route to serve the dock, and Portishead is still largely intact, albeit overgrown, this means that at least 3.5 miles of track will have to be re-laid.
Interestingly the original track is still
in situ on this stretch of the line, but is poor quality and will have to be replaced with the existing rails being donated for heritage railway use. Furthermore, on the outskirts of
A history of openings and closings
I
nitially Portishead had two passenger stations, one at the pier which was closed when steamer services ceased in 1886 and the second by the wharf, popularly known as the ‘Brunel’ station. This second station was closed in 1954 to make way for a new power station. It was replaced by Portishead (New) (on the site of the present Waitrose supermarket), which was closed in 1964 after a short ten year existence and upon the closure of the entire branch to passenger traffic. Some freight traffic was carried on the line up until the mid-1980’s when that too ceased.
The present freight-only line was reopened in 2002 to serve the Royal Portbury Dock. A new junction was created, three miles from Portishead station, which veered off the original route to enter the dock. From the junction to Bristol’s Parsons Street station on the main line, the freight line followed the original route along the Avon Gorge. In 2009 an ATOC report stated that the Portishead branch was a special case for future consideration of reopening due to the large projected increase in population and congestion in the area.
Portishead the line has been completely severed by Quays Avenue which will have to be bridged given Network Rail’s dislike of level crossings.
There is also some renovation work to be done at the stations including Pill, where double track will be laid with a DDA compliant footbridge erected between the two platforms.
A restored Ashton Gate station would also be of great benefit to the nearby Bristol City football stadium given the capacity for relieving congestion on Winterstoke Road and surrounding streets.
The existing level crossing at Ashton Gate would also have to be widened in light of the proposal to double the track from Parsons Street to Clifton Bridge station, which is not among the list of stations to be restored as it does not serve a local community as such; although the platforms are still in situ - the station site is now occupied by Avon & Somerset Police.
A new station at Portishead can be built on land previously occupied by the approach to the former Portishead (New) station adjoining Waitrose, however this is dependent on a successful crossing of Quays Avenue.
Significant potential for reopening The trackbed from Portbury Dock Junction to Parsons Street Junction was scarified before the present track was relaid using steel sleepers and top ballast only. A maximum of 20 freight trains per day pass along it at a speed of around 30 mph.
According to Network Rail the track needs constant maintenance and several
renewals are also required at various places. Tunnels along the line also need improved lineside access and the present rudimentary signalling arrangements need to be replaced by a modern centralised signalling system controlled from Bristol Signal Box.
The signalling could be installed as part of a new proposed signalling project in Bristol to take place in 2017 or works to be carried out at Parsons Street in 2015. Ultimately then, there is substantial potential for a reopened Portishead line thanks largely to present funding opportunities and the existence of the present freight line. It’s been a long time coming, but the circumstances for reconnection of Portishead to the national network are indeed favourable.
Find out more at
www.portisheadrailwaygroup.org
April 2013 Page 149
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204