Reopening of the route from Bristol Temple Meads to Portishead is progressing as Phase 1b of the MetroWest programme. It is now fully funded and proceeding through the Development Consent Order process, which has been delayed by about four months due to Covid-19. (Source: Portishead Railway Group, August 2020.)

Delays due to the coronavirus crisis mean the first trains on the reopened Portishead line will not run until December 2024. “The development consent order examination for MetroWest phase one has commenced five months later than expected, causing a knock-on delay to the overall delivery program timescales.” – Councillor James Tonkin, North Somerset Council’s executive member for transport.

Source: Opening of Portishead railway line now delayed until 2024, by Stephen Sumner, on BristolLive website (November 2020).
The reopened line will include a new station at Pill.

Studies have shown that it is not feasible to build a new Ashton Gate station as part of MetroWest Phase 1, although a new station at Ashton Gate remains within the MetroWest new stations package.

The West of England Joint Transport Board has stated that implementing MetroWest Phase 1 will not rule out options for an Ashton Gate station. Network Rail has also confirmed that the scheme will be future-proofed to enable a new station to be developed when the funding and business case allow.

Source: Travelwest (view).
Trains along the reopened line will operate between Portishead and Bristol Temple Meads, with two trains per hour in each direction. The line will be operated by Great Western Railway.

Read about Stroudwater proposed station Read about Uphill proposed station Read about Long Ashton proposed station Read about Portishead planned station Read about Portbury proposed station Read about Pill planned station Read about Ashton Gate proposed station Read about Corsham proposed station Read about Saltford proposed station Read about St Anne’s Park proposed station Read about Portway planned station Read about Ashley Down (not Ashley Hill) planned station Read about Horfield proposed station Read about Chittening proposed station Read about Henbury planned station Read about North Filton planned station Read about Coalpit Heath proposed station Read about Charfield planned station Read about Thornbury proposed station
Click on a proposed station symbol Proposed station symbol to view the corresponding Reopen page.

Original map published by Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic licence. Reopen is a nonprofit venture and is not affiliated with FoSBR.

Further reading

MetroWest

Opening of Portishead railway line now delayed until 2024, by Stephen Sumner, on BristolLive website (November 2020)

Pill station

Portishead Railway – Wikipediaa

Portishead Railway Group

Portishead station