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Metro


Bristol Metro upgrade still a local issue


Network Rail has confirmed the long-awaited upgrade to the Greater Bristol Metro rail system is to go ahead, but local authorities need to get involved as well say Mike Wheeler and Daniel Casey


B


ristol has managed to acquire for itself the reputation of being the second most congested city in the UK next to London and its transport issues have long been debated passionately by various interests, alongside commuters themselves, right across the city. With regard to rail, this upgrade has been a long time coming, but now, it seems, at last, it is right on track for delivery.


Current plans for rail improvements in Bristol are indeed impressive. Under the Greater Bristol Metro upgrade, trains


will run every half hour across the main Bristol commuting area with services between Bristol Temple Meads and Bath Spa running every 15 minutes, including the InterCity trains to/from London Paddington.


The project will run for ten years in two phases. Phase 1 will deliver a Bristol Temple Meads to Bath Spa shuttle service as well as the re-opening of the Portishead Branch and has a scheduled completion date of 2016. Phase 2 includes improvements to the Henbury Loop including a new passenger service


between Bristol Temple Meads and Henbury using the line west of Filton Junction which is currently freight only. In addition, local trains travelling between Weston-super-Mare and Bristol Parkway would also run on to Yate and possibly Gloucester. The completion date for Phase 2 is 2018/19. A spokesman from Network Rail confirmed to the Bristol Evening Post in July this year. ‘We are doing preparatory work and as far as we are concerned, it will be going ahead.’ This is great news of course.


Four-tracking crucial


The upgrade includes the four-tracking of Filton Bank which is crucial because other developments, such as the Inter- City Express (IEP) electrification of the Great Western main line, just won’t work without it. However, Bristol Metro campaigners are still pushing for additional four-tracking to be carried out between Bristol Temple Meads and Parsons Street. Network Rail hasn’t, as yet, included this as part of the upgrade. This is because NR, as a private company, is only funded to deliver essential works and the Parson Street four-tracking is seen as superfluous to that. In essence, if this section of the system is to be four-tracked, someone either needs to pay NR to deliver that or someone else will have to do it. This is where we need local authorities to get involved. Bristol City Council can do it - indeed the part of the line that needs four-tracking is entirely within the Bristol City Council area. This will be better for the West of England Partnership (the group of four local authorities consisting of Bristol City Council, North Somerset District Council, Bath and North East Somerset and South Gloucester Council) because it will ensure the whole of the Bristol network is future-proofed and that it can actually run.


The problem with having just three


tracks is that if one thing goes wrong then the whole Metro will be stopped because of the way delays work and are costed. The concern with four-tracking at Parson


December 2013 Page 83


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