New images reveal train stations that will boost access to an underrated British seaside town

If your only association with Portishead is trip hop, that could be about to change, because the eponymous seaside town in Somerset is getting some much-needed TLC. 

In April, the Portishead Open Air Pool reopened after a £1.3 million makeover. Having welcomed al fresco swimmers since 1962, the makeover kitted it out with new changing rooms, extra showers and a refurbished cafe serving coffees, sandwiches, ice creams and all sorts of homemade cakes. Now, the town is about to get much easier to visit thanks to the revival of a long lost railway line.

Portishead is currently one of the largest towns in the UK without its own railway station. The Portishead Line, which ran between Bristol and the seaside town, has been closed to passenger services since 1964. 

Plans to reinstate the line got the green light last year, with £27.6 million of government funding granted to bring it back to its former glory. Recent developments in the plans include newly-released renderings of what the station in Portishead and neighbouring Pill will look like once complete. 

Niall Spencer, senior sponsor for Network Rail's Great Western route, said: ‘There's now visible progress right across the route, from bridge upgrades and site clearance to preparations for the new stations themselves. It's exciting to see this long-awaited railway taking shape and moving another step closer to reconnecting local communities with the rail network for the first time in more than six decades.’

The railway will provide hourly direct trains from Portishead to Bristol Temple Meads. With journeys estimated to take around 25 minutes once the line is up and running, it’ll cut travel time in half. The vintage route isn’t just quick, but scenic too, running under the iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge and through the Avon Gorge. 

Set to be completed in 2028, the project is estimated to cost £200 million in total. Services are set to be operated by Great Western Railway (GWR).

Did you see that Brighton’s seafront will be transformed by a £22 million makeover?

Plus: this major UK train operator is giving away free tickets for summer family trips.