Author: Carol Durrant
How could Severn Beach Line capacity be improved?
FoSBR support a higher frequency passenger service on the Severn Beach Line. How could capacity be improved?
Bristol Temple Quarter consultation
In early January 2023 a development framework was released for consultation by the Bristol Temple Quarter partnership. FoSBR joined a walking tour to understand how the new neighbourhoods will link to Temple Meads.
Remembering Julie Boston: 2
On Friday 9th December Bristol Amblers invited FoSBR members on a walk to celebrate Julie Boston who passed away in October. Julie was an enthusiastic ambler, and a founder member of FoSBR. The trip was scheduled to combine a train ride to Severn Beach, with a walk around Severn Beach. These elements happened, but with…
Rail usage figures for 2022
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) have released rail usage figures to 31st March 2022. With the easing of pandemic restrictions, a total of 990 million passenger journeys were made between April 2021 and March 2022. This is more than double the 388 million journeys made in the previous year (April 2020 to March…
Julie Boston 1934-2022
FoSBR are saddened to hear of the death of founder member Julie Boston. Julie died on 28th October 2022, at the age of 88, after a short illness. FoSBR was formed in 1995 as Friends of the Severn Beach Railway to protest against the potential demise of the Severn Beach line. Services on this single-track branch line in…
MetroWest: slow progress
In FoSBR’s Autumn 2022 newsletter , FoSBR member John Walker wrote a “Tale of two metros” comparing the Devon Metro with the Bristol area’s MetroWest project. He made the point that the Devon Metro has raced ahead, whilst MetroWest plods forward making slow progress. MetroWest continues to plod, and since September there have been updates…
Ocean Jubilee Bridge
The new Ocean Jubilee rail bridge was officially opened in May 2022. This replaced the bridge over the Stroudwater Navigation Canal in Stonehouse. It is part of a project to allow Stroud to be re-connected to the national canal network. This bridge is on the main Bristol-Gloucester line near Stonehouse. It crosses the canal south…
Air and noise pollution at Severn Beach
Residents of Severn Beach have recently written to the Minister of State for Transport, Grant Shapps, asking for support in removing intolerable levels of noise and air pollution at Severn Beach station. Mr & Mrs Calvert, who live close to the station, acknowledge that the approx. 2,500 residents of Severn Beach value and rely on…
Funding agreed for Portishead Railway
On Friday 29th July the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) voted to allocate an additional £10m funding for MetroWest Phase 1 (Portishead Line). This money, from the Investment and Transforming Cities Fund, will bridge the latest funding gap and allow the project to proceed. Escalating costs Projected capital costs for the re-opening of the…
FoSBR event to show support for Portishead rail re-opening
Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways (FoSBR) are planning an event on Saturday June 18th at 11.15am to show support for Portishead rail re-opening. We’ll meet in Pill, on the green space between Underbanks and Watch House Road. Please come along and show your support. FoSBR are very concerned about the latest twists and turns in the…