Plans to reopen the railway to Portishead near Bristol are going ahead. The scheme had been included in the Restoring Your Railway programme, but this was scrapped by the government in July 2024 on economic grounds. West of England Combined Authority Mayor Dan Norris held new talks wtih rail minister Lord Hendy before the weekend, and the minister has now confirmed that the scheme has been revived.  It is hoped that construction can begin this summer, and passengers could be travelling on the line again by the end of 2027. The service was recommended for withdrawal in the 1963 Beeching report, and the last passenger trains ran to Portishead in September 1964, although the line continued to be used for freight until 1981. A spur to Royal Portbury Dock was built for freight in 2002, while the abandoned line to Portishead town still exists, although it has been blocked by at least one new road. The council said bringing back the Portishead trains will mean that the travelling time into Bristol when compared with road will be cut by half. It has also estimated that car commuting will be reduced by 5.5 per cent, and that the line will help to achieve an estimated £43 million in economic growth each year. Mayor Dan Norris said: ‘This is a massive moment for the West of England: one that generations have eagerly waited to see. This is great news for residents, businesses, and our environment, and a truly red-letter day for our fantastic region. The Bristol and Portishead line was a victim of historic rail cuts, but today, with a Labour government and a Labour mayor, we’re delivering the latest stage of my “reverse Beeching” plan. I’m delighted to confirm that this project is now finally steaming ahead.’ A further £30 million is needed, and this is set to be confirmed next month by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority Committee. This includes a contribution from North Somerset Council. What do you think? Please click here  to send an email to Platform at Railnews. Moderated comments will be published on this site, and may also be used in the next print edition.

Transport groups have a long history, and they are still playing a major part in the industry at the moment. Whether they will still be doing so in Britain in a few years from now is another matter. At present, to take just two examples, FirstGroup runs Great Western Railway and the open access operators Hull Trains and Lumo. It also has majority stakes in Avanti West Coast and South Western Railway. Transport UK has East Midlands Railway and the majority of Greater Anglia, Merseyrail and West Midlands Railway. Both these groups also run buses. FirstGroup’s last accounts show that its revenues come from trains and buses – in that order. In the year to 30 March 2024 rail revenue was £3,738 million while buses turned over £1,012 million. Adjusted profits from rail were £143 million, and from buses they were £84 million. Open access train services – Hull Trains and Lumo – made a significant contribution, because they accounted for just over a quarter of the rail profits. Between them, open access rail and First’s buses made a profit of £121 million, while train operators with DfT contracts made a profit of £106 million. In other words, without the DfT rail contracts First’s profits would have been almost halved last year. And yet First will soon have to manage without those contracts, because the government intends to renationalise the remaining former franchises within the next couple of years, so transport groups like First have been concentrating – hard – on open access, particularly since the election and the Labour landslide. No wonder, then, that the Group’s chief executive Graham Sutherland said in December: ‘Growing our open access rail portfolio is a key priority for FirstGroup.’ He is not the only one. Apart from First’s ambitions to extend Lumo to Glasgow and also provide new services to Paignton and Rochdale, there are also outstanding applications for more open access routes from Virgin and, rather remarkably, Alstom, which is better known for building trains than operating them. It is almost a year since Alstom unveiled its vision for new open access train services between London and Wrexham, echoing the old Wrexham & Shropshire operation owned by Arriva which ceased trading in January 2011. Alstom, which is working in partnership with SLC Rail, sees its Wrexham services using part of the West Coast Main Line and arriving at London Euston rather than Marylebone, five times a day. Virgin, meanwhile, is proposing as many as five open access routes, also starting from its old home at London Euston, to places such as Manchester, Rochdale (or Preston), Liverpool, Birmingham and Glasgow. If Virgin and Alstom both gained approval for their separate schemes, they would need something like 80 paths a day between them on the West Coast Main Line between London and Rugby. This could mean a veritable capacity crunch, and the possibility seems to be worrying transport secretary Heidi Alexander, who wrote to the Office of Rail and Road on 6 January this year voicing some reservations about the sudden boom in open access applications. She is concerned about the lower track access charges paid by open access operators (bearing in mind that the infrastructure is funded by taxpayers) and also the capacity of the network. That was in early January. Since then, FirstGroup has hosted an event at which it highlighted the merits of open access, but it has just emerged that the Department for Transport wrote to the Office of Rail and Road a week ago, setting out its updated views of more open access. Basically, the verdict from Horseferry Road is thumbs down. Applications are mostly not being supported, mainly on the familiar grounds of lack of capacity and revenue abstraction. In some cases (Virgin’s, in particular) applications seek to use unoccupied paths which currently belong to contracted operators. Such operators are set to be steadily renationalised, starting with South Western Railway in May, so Virgin is not really up against the First/Trenitalia operator Avanti West Coast, but the future state railway manager Great British Railways, and the DfT is having none of it, saying: ‘We do not believe that the quantum of paths sought is feasible or realistic and note that the WCML already operates at close to capacity, particularly into/out of London Euston.’ It goes on to add: ‘This application is also at odds with work already underway as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade and Manchester-focused projects included as part of the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline. The business cases for these projects, which have been agreed to and announced by Ministers, are predicated on the efficient delivery of financial and passenger benefits by DfT-procured services.’ ‘DfT-procured services’ will, of course, soon be Great British Railways services. Only one of the current open access applications has managed to survive the bleak stare of the DfT, which says it is ‘supportive in principle of WSMR’s proposals to operate new Open Access services between Wrexham General and London Euston, subject to further assessment by Network Rail of performance impacts.’ As for the rest, we don’t think so. The ORR makes the final decision, but the DfT’s views surely cannot be disregarded. The result is that transport groups may look increasingly overseas, and particularly to mainland Europe, where some of them are already running local train and bus routes. First Rail’s Steve Montgomery hinted that First could be poised to cross the Channel at FirstGroup’s open access presentation. National Express went abroad after selling the c2c franchise in 2017, and it now runs a number of train services on the continent. Will Virgin run from Euston again? The odds against it seem to be all but overwhelming now. (A full, illustrated version of this essay forms the feature in the February print edition of Railnews, published Thursday.) Would you like to add a comment? Please click here  to send an email to Platform at Railnews. Moderated comments will be published on this site, and may also be used in the next print edition RN336, published 13 February.

Train services in north west England have been badly disrupted after a car crashed on to the railway in a cutting at Salford. A man is reported to have been injured, although not critically, and he has been arrested on suspicion of drinking and driving. Overhead wires were damaged in the incident, and Network Rail has been working to remove the wrecked car and repair the damage. The railway through Eccles has been blocked, and National Rail has warned that services are affected on many routes. National Rail is reporting disruption on Northern services between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Airport, between Wigan North Western and Manchester Victoria, also between Chester and Leeds, and Manchester Victoria, on TransPennine Express services Liverpool Lime Street and Hull, Manchester Victoria and Newcastle, and also between Lancaster and Manchester Airport, and on Transport for Wales between Llandudno and Manchester Airport and Manchester Oxford Road, and also between Holyhead and Manchester Airport. It is not thought that train services can be restored before 20.00 tonight.

Regulated train fares on Transport for Wales will rise by an average of 4.6 per cent on 2 March, but some fares will increase by as much as 6 per cent. The average increase will be the same as in England, but transport secretary Ken Skates has blamed the continued existence of regulated fares on privatisation. Transport for Wales will be applying different increases to each category of regulated fare. Anytime Day Return fares and Off Peak Return fares will both increase by 6 per cent but Seven-Day Season tickets will increase by 3.5 per cent and Anytime Day Singles by 3 per cent. Mr Skates pointed out that many passengers are using Pay-As-You-Go, and so regulated fares do not apply to their journeys. He explained: ‘We understand that any increase in fares is unwelcome for passengers, but we have tried to keep the increase as low as possible. It is also important to recognise that the increasing majority of passengers no longer use these regulated products. ‘They are a vestige of the privatised railway, established to ensure that private operators could not drive huge increases in fares to maximise their profits at the expense of passengers outside the control of Governments. It is my hope that with the progress of rail reform, the return of railway services into the public sector that this will see the end of the need for regulated rail fares with public sector operators prioritising value for money for passengers. ‘This is already the case in Wales with Transport for Wales with the introduction of Pay As You Go ticketing.  Alongside this Transport for Wales are also offering airline style demand responsive Advance tickets. These are now available up to five minutes before departure and offer the best value for longer rail journeys.’

Plans to double the frequency of trains between Par and Newquay in May as the first stage of the £56 million Mid Cornwall Metro have been delayed until later this year. The work on MCM has already included the reinstatement of a second platform at Newquay for local trains, while intercity trains will continue to use the existing, longer platform. Work to lay a 400m passing loop on the branch at Tregoss Moor between St Columb Road and Roche has now begun, while another passing loop nearer Par will also be lengthened to 400m, so that 10-car Intercity Expresses will be able to use them. Construction at Goss Moor, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, is being carried out at night when no trains are running, but the pace will be stepped up to 24 hours a day from 24 February until 23 March, when trains to Newquay will be replaced by buses. Work will also take place on Ponts Mill viaduct, that carries the railway over the River Par. The more frequent service had been set to start with the May timetable, but Network Rail said it is now expected to be launched later this year, while work is continuing on the installation of digital signals. The hourly Newquay services are set to continue beyond Par to St Austell, Truro and Falmouth Docks next year, connecting the north and south coasts of Cornwall. Network Rail industry programme director Bogdan Lupu said: ‘We’ve made great progress so far to bring Mid Cornwall Metro to life and this next phase will take us even closer. Our work will bring more trains to Newquay, improve the environment and boost the local economy.’ GWR head of strategic service development Matthew Barnes said: ‘We welcome the steady progress being made to deliver this scheme. These upgrades will make the track improvements necessary for us to provide more, and better, services. ‘This paves the way for us to run our first Mid Cornwall Metro trains which will provide coast-to-coast connectivity between Newquay and Falmouth via Par and St Austell. ‘Once the infrastructure works and operational preparations are complete, the first step will see us double frequency on the line between Newquay and Par, followed by the start of coast-to-coast services at a later date.’ Do you have a comment on this story? Please click here  to send an email to Platform at Railnews. Moderated comments will be published on this site, and may also be used in the next print edition RN336, published 13 February.

HS2 has awarded the contract to build the substructure foundations at Birmingham Curzon Street station to civil engineering specialist MPB Structures. The contract is the first in a series of major awards at the site, which is being managed by main contractor Mace Dragados Joint Venture. Around 140 people from MPB started working at Curzon Street in January, but news of the contract has only now been released. The work includes removing 65,000 cubic metres of earth, using around 17,000 cubic metres of concrete to install 417 pile caps, and over 4,700 tonnes of reinforcing steel to make the station’s ground beams. They will also be waterproofing the new concrete structures, building drainage and also constructing the attenuation tanks to store rainwater for recycling. HS2’s project client director for Curzon Street Dave Lock said: ‘This contract award marks the next stage of our construction programme to build the flagship Curzon Street station, and we’re delighted to have MPB on board. Further contracts will be awarded in the coming months as we move towards starting on the main station structure next year.’

A review has been ordered after winter weather caused serious disruption on the Merseyrail network because of snow and sub-zero temperatures. Some passengers were stranded on board one train for over three hours on 9 January after ice on the third rail had caused it to stall, while all services were cancelled for two hours, which caused further problems for the rest of the day. Now Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram has appointed an established transport leader to review the rail industry’s plans for winter, and also to consider whether lessons have been learned from previous years. Vernon Everitt is transport commissioner for Greater Manchester, and also a non-executive director on the Board of Transport for Wales. He was previously Transport for London’s managing director for customers, communication and technology. The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s Transport Committee has also heard from the Mayor as well as representatives from Merseyrail, Network Rail and train manufacturer Stadler. Councillor William Shortall said: ‘It’s winter every year. Will we be sitting here saying the same thing again?’ Stadler’s head of metro and tailor made projects Matthias Hämmerle said the trains recently delivered by his company could cope with minus 25C, but without effective contact with the conductor rail they would ‘shut down’, although installing batteries on more units would help, while ghost trains run overnight can also keep the third rail clear. Mayor Steve Rotheram said: ‘The recent disruption on our rail network was completely unacceptable and had a significant impact on our residents who rely on trains to get to work, school and important appointments. ‘With the appointment of Vernon Everitt to lead this independent review, we’re taking a thorough, impartial look at how the rail industry plans for and responds to extreme weather. Vernon brings with him a wealth of experience in the transport sector, and his expertise will be invaluable in ensuring we learn from this and improve our winter preparedness.’ The findings of the review will be presented to the next transport committee on 20 March. Do you have a comment on this story? Please click here  to send an email to Platform at Railnews. Moderated comments will be published on this site, and may also be used in the next print edition RN336, published 13 February.

Train services on the Brighton Main Line are being disrupted by a landslip between Three Bridges and Gatwick Airport, and passengers are being advised to check before travelling. Work to repair the damage began last night, but Network Rail warned that one running line had been obstructed by the work, although the other three remain open. Rain is being blamed for the slip, at Tinsley Green, which was first reported a week ago and affects a 30m stretch of the line. Network Rail has been talking to local residents and businesses about the increased noise from the site which will be heard when steel piles, 6m long, are driven into the embankment this week. Engineers will also be installing a steel beam to the back of the sheet pile wall and attaching anchors into the ground. The second phase of work will be carried out from the bottom of the embankment, when the slope will need to be rebuilt with new material, although this part of the work is expected be less disruptive to train services.  Network Rail’s Sussex route director Lucy McAuliffe said: ‘We know that there’s never a good time to close any tracks on the railway, but the Brighton Main Line is a crucial link between the south coast, Gatwick Airport and the capital. Repairing this landslip now will stop it getting worse. ‘It is a challenging site to work on, and we are very mindful of our neighbours. But by doing this work as safely and as efficiently as possible, we can get the railway fully reopened as soon as we can.’ Govia Thameslink Railway warned that some of its trains will be affected. Customer services director Jenny Saunders said: ‘Regrettably, these significant and essential repairs that Network Rail must make to the embankment will continue to disrupt our service. ‘Trains may be delayed and be busier than usual, especially during the morning and evening peak. Please check our websites and online journey planners such as nationalrail.co.uk for the latest travel information before setting off.’ Do you have a comment on this story? Please click here  to send an email to Platform at Railnews. Moderated comments will be published on this site, and may also be used in the next print edition RN336, published 13 February.

Alstom has launched its own celebrations of Railway 200 with a preliminary event at Derby, as a curtain raiser to a special three days at the start of August when the Litchurch Lane works will be opened to the public for the first time in half a century. More than 50 items of rolling stock, both historic and modern, will be on display, and Alstom said it will be the largest gathering of its kind ever seen in this country. A complicated programme of special workings will be needed for all these vehicles to reach Litchurch Lane, and this is being worked out by Network Rail and Alstom staff at Derby. Yesterday’s event was attended by Railway 200 programme manager Emma Roberts, Derby South MP Baggy Shanker, GB Railfreight CEO John Smith, railway enthusiast Pete Waterman and Alstom’s European region president Gian Luca Erbacci. In addition, the King was represented by the Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire, Colonel John Wilson. The rolling stock will include an LNER A4, a Southern Railway Merchant Navy class locomotive, a number of diesel locomotives and several multiple units. The oldest of these units will be a preserved Class 507, recently retired from Merseyrail, which will be accompanied by an Alstom-built Pendolino as well as a pair of Class 701 and Class 720 units built at Derby last year. Alstom’s Gian Luca Erbacci said: ‘The Greatest Gathering, presented by Alstom for Railway 200, is a unique opportunity to celebrate not only the incredible progress of the past two centuries but also the bright future of rail.’ The August event will offer rides along the Derby test track, while a variety of narrow-gauge trains will be in operation. There will also be a Model Railway Village, fairground attractions, street food and live music which Alstom said will add to the festival atmosphere. Derby is to be the headquarters city of Great British Railways, and legislation to create GBR is expected later this year. Emma Roberts of Railway 200 said: ‘Our railways are here for everyone. They bring friends and family together and enable us to enjoy new opportunities and experiences. It’s wonderful that Alstom is marking Railway 200 with this fun-packed festival for everyone to enjoy, in Derby, the new home of the railway.’ Tickets for the August event go on sale today, at £30 for adults and £15 for children under 16. All profits will go to charity. Do you have a comment on this story? Please click here  to send an email to Platform at Railnews. Moderated comments will be published on this site, and may also be used in the next print edition RN336, published 13 February.

The Chancellor’s plans for long-term economic growth have been welcomed by rail industry observers, because they include substantial investment in railways, but one transport campaigning group said it was ‘disappointed’. Deputy chair of the National Infrastructure Commission Julia Prescot said: ‘The Chancellor’s speech recognises that half measures on infrastructure will no longer cut the mustard. Accelerating investment in line with the Commission’s existing recommendations is essential: the government’s ten-year strategy in June, and its planning bill, must now give investors and contractors a clear picture of what happens next so they can invest in their skills and supply chains in anticipation. ‘The green light to unleash the Oxford to Cambridge corridor’s full economic potential is welcome after a number of false starts and I’m pleased the government’s ambition matches the scale of transformation we envisaged in our original report in 2017. It is essential that the transport, water and housing constraints on economic growth in one of the UK’s most productive areas are removed, and filling in the gaps on East West Rail, improving strategic roads and concerted action to secure the region’s water supplies are significant steps forward. The government’s compelling vision for the corridor must now be turned into a comprehensive economic plan.’ Mott McDonald transport market lead for UK and Europe Thomas Knight added: ‘The Chancellor’s announcement is an important step forward in providing clarity about key investment decisions which will drive economic growth and improve connectivity across the UK. Mention of crucial projects such as East West Rail, West Yorkshire Mass Transit and the A428; which we are proudly helping to plan and deliver, demonstrates the government’s understanding of the need for infrastructure investment to support growth. These schemes are vital for improving regional connectivity, reducing congestion, and supporting sustainable development. ‘The government presenting a clear path from planning to delivery with commitment to cutting down red tape will mean these projects can be delivered more quickly, while still prioritising community and environmental needs. ‘By prioritising infrastructure projects, the government is demonstrating a clear commitment to creating a more connected, resilient and sustainable future. We’re pleased to continue our collaboration with the government and other stakeholders.’ However Silviya Barrett from the Campaign for Better Transport said: ‘The commitment to build around existing and any future railway stations is very welcome and something we have long campaigned for. As is the commitment to improve rail links between Oxford and Cambridge, but we are very disappointed that the line will not be electrified. The Government has missed a trick here. Few countries in Europe have built any non-electrified track in recent years and not committing to a fully electric East West Rail looks like a failure to future-proof the project.’ Do you have a comment on this story? Please click here  to send an email to Platform at Railnews. Moderated comments will be published on this site, and may also be used in the next print edition RN336, published 13 February.