Portishead railway group AGM

Notes of report from James Willcock, MetroWest Phase One Project manager “The DCO (Development Control Order) decision and the way ahead.” In 2017 the estimated cost was £116 million. Revised since then to £152m plus. Brought down to £152m including factoring in inflation). The DfT (Dept Transport) have now taken on the delivery risk and will be awarding contracts. There were 989 documents needed for the DCO, submitted 3 years ago – the first 6 months were taken up by Public Examination, then should be 3 months to submit to Planning Inspectorate. Didn’t know why there was such a long delay. Two departments within DfT not talking to each other??

Currently there is a 6 week pause for any judiciary challenge, finishing Dec. 28th. Formal notices for compulsory purchase and public notices can now be drawn up. Not a lot of permanent compulsory purchase, but land will be temporarily required for construction/storage yards. Environmental mitigation in Avon Gorge has been going on for some years including growing saplings from the rare whitebeams, at least one of which has very low fertility. JW said they’d been out collecting seeds a few weeks earlier. During 2023 the full business case is documented, should get approval by May 2024 and contracts awarded July 2024. There’s a 2yr build, opening 2026. Original idea was for 2 trains/hour, but these would run at 55mph through the gorge and require very expensive civil engineering, also the level crossing at Ashton Gate would need very expensive traffic works. At 1 train/hour (18/day) @30 mph (as freight) less civil engineering and the Ashton Gate crossing problems can be mitigated. The full business case requires current market prices, even so the project does deliver value for money, journey time 23 minutes.

Example of work to be done - gardens in Pill that back on to the cutting (which has to be widened) will need massive underpinning as the slope will be steeper. DfT say 3 car platform length but GWR want 5 car lengths – still to be resolved. A member of the audience spoke about problems for people disembarking at Nailsea/Backwell, having to push buggies etc through carriages to get off.