Portishead railway line

By Portishead People | Friday, August 06, 2010, 07:00

I N reply to David Wood’s letter about the Portishead railway line, I am totally opposed to reopening it.

His mention of £30 to £40 million is quite ludicrous. A matter of good money after bad.

His disparaging remarks concerning Doctor Beeching are ridiculous and insulting.

The closure of the line in 1965 was fully justified. It was running at a loss then and it would be uneconomical to consider such a stupid idea and is beyond comprehension.

Dr Beeching should be congratulated on his decision, as it was a failure in 1965 and certainly would be an uneconomical move 45 years later in 2010.

At present, part of the line is used to carry freight from Portbury Docks; this is a sensible idea.

In conclusion, I really feel British Rail in the present recession should not contemplate reopening a passenger service between Portishead and Bristol.

I really feel the track should be ripped up and a cycle path implemented. This would take some of the cyclists off the roads.

I hope common sense prevails or we will see the track either ripped up or used partly for the freight train from Portbury Docks.

John Maggs,

Weston-super-Mare.

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Comments

I think if the cost were to be paid for by Portishead residents as a top up on the council tax the real demend will be very very clear. No way would we want to pay for and continue to fund a loss making line.
I travel in and out all the time and it is clear, most cars are heading on to the M5 and not into Bristol, so a train to remove traffic to a place where little of the traffic goes.
I would love to have a railway but the simple economic are not there unless we all pay, may be a level % tax on the profit on house sales that a railway would generate would be.

By rrblowin at 12:57 on 18/04/11
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I think Mr Maggs must be living in the past I suggest he tries to get out of Portishead on a morning he cant he lives in Weston Super Mare so why is he writing an article on the Portishead Railway the mind boggles and I hope common sense will prevail and they open the line

By Iangrw at 10:33 on 15/04/11
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I think Mr Maggs must be living in the past I suggest he tries to get out of Portishead on a morning he cant he lives in Weston Super Mare so why is he writing an article on the Portishead Railway the mind boggles and I hope common sense will prevail and they open the line

By Iangrw at 10:33 on 15/04/11
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Mr Maggs, you have successfully reinforced the local view that some/many residents of W-S-M (most notably including our beloved NS Council) lack any appreciation of issues affecting towns other than their own! Of course it's only natural to focus on the place of your residence, but a little empathy for a rapidly increasing population just up the road would be nice! Are you running for NS Council next time round by any chance?
My commute to work is to Filton and I cycle a few times a week from Spring to Autumn (when not doing the school run before/after work), using the cycle path around the docks car parks and alongside the old railway line. I am firmly of the belief that it would be a travesty to tarmac over the line with a cycleway, or bus lane. Studies by a former rail scheduler/planner (for the railway support group) have shown that a Portishead rail link would be easily accommodated along the Portbury line and I'm sure many city centre workers would love a car-free commute along the Avon Gorge. My wife would, for one, and it would be a really nice way to take the family in to Bristol on days off/ weekends. It would ease congestion, reduce commuters' carbon footprints and fuel costs, reduce wear and tear on cars and the road surfaces and make commutes of those for whom the train isn't a practical alternative a whole lot less frustrating. Okay, so I have a glass-half-full attitude to life and believe in the rail as a viable solution, but with our ever growing population, it has to be a good idea doesn't it?!

By Aysh74 at 23:59 on 14/04/11
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Bring the rail link back and have one whole carriage just for bikes. I think people would be falling over themselves to use it. BTW Mr Maggs , have you lived in Portishead recently?

By hotflyer882 at 12:09 on 13/09/10
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