Portishead and Bristol railway restoration work to start this spring

Major construction to restore the Portishead–Bristol railway will begin in spring, with public drop-in sessions scheduled in Portishead on March 26 and in Pill on March 31.

Major work to restore the railway between Portishead and Bristol is due to begin this spring. North Somerset Council has said the public is invited to two drop-in sessions in late March to learn about the plans. The Portishead Line, closed in 1964, will be rebuilt with funding from the Department for Transport, the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority and North Somerset Council. Network Rail will deliver the project and Great Western Railway is named as the operator of services. Key details: - Public drop-in sessions are scheduled 3.30–7.30pm on March 26 at Somerset Hall, Portishead, and on March 31 at the Community Centre in Pill. - Main construction is scheduled to begin in April, with work compounds to be set up near Harbour Road in Portishead, Monmouth Road in Pill, and off the A369 Portbury Hundred near Sheepway. - New stations will be built at Portishead and Pill, with an hourly direct train to Bristol Temple Meads expected to take about 25 minutes. - The project is funded by the Department for Transport, the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority and North Somerset Council; Network Rail will deliver the works and GWR will operate trains. - Published figures say the line will reconnect more than 50,000 people to rail, could unlock about £43 million of annual economic growth, and may remove up to eight million car journeys by 2044. - Preparatory work has included tree removal and utility diversions, and ecology work has been carried out to protect local species; new whitebeam trees have been planted in the Avon Gorge. Summary: The restoration is intended to reconnect communities and offer a greener, quicker route to Bristol along a scenic corridor under the Clifton Suspension Bridge and through the Avon Gorge. Main construction is due to start in April and project partners have scheduled public information sessions in late March to share details and progress.