Greater Bristol Metro Rail
The West of England Partnership and First Great Western are keen to promote a ‘Greater Bristol Metro’ style network of cross Bristol train services building on the work of the Rail Action Plan.
Potential features would include:
- Half hourly clock face services with separation of intercity, regional and local services
- Local network of cross city services linking Yate, Weston-super-Mare, Bristol Parkway, Bristol Temple Meads, Bath and other local stations
- Cardiff to Portsmouth inter-urban service and new all stations service Cardiff to Westbury
- New infrastructure, including Weston-super-Mare bay platform and Yate turnback
- Four car trains standard, with possible extension to six along with platform lengthening.
The concept of a ‘Greater Bristol Metro’ is a key part of our Route Utilisation Strategy evidence. Proposals have been included in the Great Western Route Utilisation Strategy - Draft for Consultation, September 2009. Enhanced services to Yate and Bath come out well. The case for services to Weston-super-Mare looks less strong.
The scheme will complement First Great Western’s proposed bid for 11 new four carriage trains on the Cardiff to Portsmouth route.
The Greater Bristol Metro would see half hourly services on the Yate to Weston-Super-Mare and Cardiff to Westbury via Bath and Bristol, along with new infrastructure and high capacity rolling stock.
In February 2009 the South West Region updated its transport funding priorities for the next 10 years and submitted this to Government (see major schemes information) This submission identified seven major transport schemes in the West of England to be brought forward to completion within the next 10 years, and a further four schemes for which construction would start during this period. Current timescales suggest that the physical work on the Greater Bristol Metro project would not start before 2017/18.
Click here for a briefing note on the Greater Bristol Metro