Call for electrification

FOSBR has recently been contacting local MPs to put the case for electrification of the Great Western Mainline. We think this is vital for the economy in the Bristol area and would have a major impact on the attractiveness of rail for long distance and local journeys. Electrification would enable improved journey times to London AND a half hourly service across Bristol. This is because Network Rail proposes that the track between Parson Street and Temple Meads and Temple Meads and Filton would return to being four tracks again. Even if electrification doesn't happen we want the quadrupling to go ahead. The lines are at capacity so without it there can be no improvements to local services.

I am writing to you on behalf of Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways (but also as my MP) to ask that you put pressure on the government to proceed with the electrification of the Great Western Mainline. I (or another FOSBR committee member) would also like to speak with you about this please.

As well as bringing new services to London this will enable more services to run through Bristol because the scheme includes the quadrupling of the mainline between Temple Meads and Filton - a notorious bottleneck. Should electrification not proceed we hope that you will urge that the quadrupling of the mainline and the long-overdue Bristol area resignalling will still do so.

At the moment there are only two tracks between Parson Street station in Bedminster to Temple Meads and from Temple Meads to Filton. These are already running at full capacity and act as a bottleneck which cause delays and prevent extra services being run or new stations being opened. Network Rail have said that four tracks are needed for electric services and to cater for current and future demand. We trust that you will put pressure on the government to deliver these essential improvements. Without these extra tracks there will be no hope of improvements to rail services, such as half-hourly services or the reopening of the line to Portishead, for at least ten years.

There is considerable demand for new train services. Network Rail said that demand in the Bristol area has not been affected by the recession and is likely to increase by at least 40 % by 2019. Passenger numbers have more than doubled in the Bristol area in the last ten years. In order to cater for demand Network Rail recommended more trains running between Bristol and London, Avonmouth and Bath, to Portishead, and across the region but noted that these would not be possible without the extra track.

We note that capital spending on transport has done relatively well in the spending review and welcome the fact that Network Rail's financial settlement over the next five years is unchanged, and hope that this is a sign that the government recognises the need for investment in rail rather than roads. I hope you and the government will also bear in mind that half-hourly rail services are the norm in other English cities but this has not been possible here due to the lack of investment in rail infrastructure. The Bristol area resignalling has been repeatedly postponed and we trust that this will be rectified as part of electrification. If electrification does not proceed the quadrupling and resignalling must because without it Bristol has done badly in terms of public transport investment.

Earlier this year FOSBR members passed a resolution calling upon MPs of the West of England Partnership (WEP) area to campaign for the improvements to services and infrastructure set out in the Network Rail Utilisation (RUS) strategy. The resolution also called on the Government to proceed with the Great Western electrification plans and the measures set out in the RUS: to reopen the line to Portishead as part of the Greater Bristol rail Metro; to quadruple the tracks between Parson St and Filton Abbey Wood; to proceed with the long delayed resignalling of Bristol Temple Meads. FOSBR believes such rail projects would put the region in a strong position to benefit in a sustainable way as the economic recovery begins.

We hope that you and our other local representatives will continue to put pressure on the government so that Network Rail's vision for the region's railway becomes a reality in the near future.