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Current situation                   


  




 












The Chancellor announced that the ‘Restoring your Railways’ fund was cancelled. See North Somerset Council statement and PRG comment – News 29 July 2024


The project is not cancelled, but will be subject to a review by the Government.

PRG is organising a petition which has been passed to Sadik Al-Hassan, MP for North Somerset who has presented it to the House of Commons.


The Treasury spending review, of which the Portishead & Pill line reopening is one small part, is still under way and will continue until March or April next year. See News  Dec 2024.


North Somerset Council leaders have approved measures to start construction in 2025 – if the government agrees to fund the project.


West of England Mayor Dan Norris announced on 10 Feb that Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy has written to him with confirmation of a deal for the go-ahead. (WECA news item has been deleted.) See North Somerset News.


The West of England Combined Authority Committee approved the allocation of the £27m funding to enable the project to go ahead. (WECA news item has been deleted.)


The Government announcement on 4 June of £750m investment in transport for the West of England does not relate to the reopening of the Portishead line. The new funding is part of a five-year funding allocation from 2027/28 to 2031/32. See BBC article.


19 June 2025: Metro Mayor Helen Godwin said in an ITV West Country debate that ‘Government confirmation of the reopening of the Portishead Railway could be just days away’. See Bristol Live article …


8 July 2025: The Dept for Transport announced the green light for over 50 road and rail upgrades including the Portishead line. See DfT announcement. Initial work should start in Autumn 2025 with main construction starting in Spring 2026. Opening now expected in late 2027/early 2028.




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