A long lost railway line in the west of England is officially being brought back to life.
Right now, the Somerset town of Portishead is one of the largest towns in the UK without its own railway station. But soon, that will no longer be the case. The area has just been granted the £27.6 million it needed from the government to build a new station and reopen its railway line to Bristol after more than 60 years.
The line from Bristol to Portishead closed way back in 1964 and the town has been without a direct train link ever since. When it reopens in three years, though, the town will get to enjoy hourly services going to Bristol Temple Meads in 25 minutes, chugging through the Avon Gorge and past the Clifton Suspension Bridge.
Work will could start on rebuilding the line as early as spring 2026, with the reopening expected in 2028. A second railway station will also be built in the nearby town of Pill – the line from Pill to Bristol has already been restored for freight trains but more work will be carried out to make it suitable for passenger vehicles.
Helen Godwin, the West of England mayor, said: ‘The West of England and North Somerset, with government backing and industry partners, will connect more people to opportunity, leisure and nature. We’re investing in jobs and economic growth. Local people will see and feel the difference from commutes being cut in half through train travel, and building this key transport infrastructure will unlock sites for much-needed new homes.
‘Pill and Portishead are two of the five new railway stations being built in the West over the next few years. But our ambition goes further. Delivering projects like the Bristol & Portishead Line now lays the foundations for a better transport system overall for the West of England, building the suburban railway network that other places take for granted.’
Speaking of trains...
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