North Somerset remains committed to reopening the Portishead rail line

This follows announcements from the Treasury that numerous infrastructure projects across the country will be halted or canceled as a means of addressing financial challenges in the national budget.

The Portishead to Bristol rail line is one of the Department for Transport’s rail regeneration projects and is part of the MetroWest programme.

By connecting 50,000 residents back to the rail network with stops at Portishead and Pill, the line will be transformative for North Somerset and the wider area, providing regular, sustainable transport and greater access to regional growth.

Councilor Mike Bell, leader of North Somerset Council and executive member for major projects, said: “The Portishead to Bristol rail line is a hugely important scheme for us and one that will make a significant difference to the lives of local people, both now and in the future future.

“We remain absolutely committed to reopening the line and Network Rail were due to submit our full business case to the Department for Transport shortly. Full approval of the business case is the final step required before we can break ground on construction.

“It took years of hard work to get this far. We were the first passenger scheme in the country to obtain a development consent order to reopen a secondary line. We have met the financial challenges created by inflation and rising costs in the construction industry by securing an additional £15.5m of funding from the Department for Transport, while committing a further £10m own.

“While we understand the difficult decisions facing the National Government, we believe there continues to be a strong case for investment in the Portishead-Bristol rail line. This is a shovel-ready scheme that we can deliver – and for which ground work has already started. We just need the support of the government to do this.

“Along with the West of England Combined Authority and Network Rail, we will continue to support this project and will work with the new MP for North Somerset, Sadik Al-Hassan, to do all we can to secure the support of part of the Department for Transport.”