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Joint Local Transport Plan (JLTP) 3 response

Date: October 2010

The formal response to the Joint Local Transport Plan 3 from FOSBR is below:

 

The Joint Transport Team

West of England Partnership

Wilder House

Wilder Street

Bristol bs2 8ph                                                                                               2 October 2010

 

Dear Sirs,

Draft Joint Local Transport Plan 3 (2011–26)

I write on behalf of the Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways (FOSBR) in response to the consultation on the draft Joint Local Transport Plan for 2011–26 (JLTP 3). I refer in particular to the draft Public Transport Supplementary Document (June 2010), which deals with local rail services at paras 6.26–38.

Supported policies

FOSBR supports the following aims set out in JLTP 3:

·      Reopening the Portishead Branch to passenger services (para. 6.30). We should like to see added here explicit mention of the following intermediate stations:

–      Ashton Gate;

–      Pill.

·      Delivering the enhancements recommended in Network Rail’s Great Western Route Utilisation Strategy (GW RUS, March 2010) (paras 6.27–8). Reinstatement of the fourth track between Temple Meads and Parson Street and of the third and fourth tracks between Temple Meads and Filton is particularly important.

·      Reopening for passengers the Henbury Loop (para. 6.31). We suggest that the following new stations should be considered:

–      Filton North;

–      Henbury;

–      Hallen.

·      developing the Greater Bristol Metro for half-hourly services across Bristol (para. 6.29): see below.

The Greater Bristol Metro

We support the Greater Bristol Metro, but suggest that the concept needs more precise definition. Paragraph 6.29 refers to ‘half hourly cross Bristol train services to link Yate, Weston-super-Mare and Bath Spa with through services to Cardiff and Westbury and, potentially, to Chippenham, Gloucester, Taunton and the Severn Beach Line’.

With the exception of Yate and the Severn Beach Line, however, all these destinations are already linked to Bristol by a half-hourly service. What is currently lacking is a half-hourly service at some of the intermediate stations. For example, Keynsham has only an hourly service, and the service at Bedminster and Parson Street is sometimes less than hourly.

JLTP 3 should list by name the stations which would receive a half-hourly service under the Greater Bristol Metro scheme. In addition to the major stations which already enjoy such a service (or better), we suggest that the following local stations should have (at least) a half-hourly service:

·      Between Yate and Weston-super-Mare (most stations from Nailsea to Weston already have two trains per hour, but the service at Bedminster and Parson Street is no more than hourly at some times of the day. It may be that Lawrence Hill and Stapleton Road should have a fifteen-minute service, since they are also served by Severn Beach Line trains):

–      Yate;

–      Filton Abbey Wood;

–      Stapleton Road;

–      Lawrence Hill;

–      Bedminster;

–      Parson Street;

–      Nailsea & Backwell;

–      Yatton;

–      Worle;

–      Weston Milton.

·      Between Temple Meads and Bath:

–      Keynsham;

–      Oldfield Park.

·      On the Severn Beach Line, in addition to Lawrence Hill and Stapleton Road (the GW RUS suggests through services between Clifton Down and Bath (p. 172); when the Henbury Loop is open, we suggest an hourly service to each of Severn Beach and Bristol Parkway via Henbury, providing a half-hourly service to Avonmouth):

–      Montpelier;

–      Redland;

–      Clifton Down;

–      Sea Mills;

–      Shirehampton;

–      Avonmouth.

These suggestions are supported by the GW RUS. In fact, the map on p. 165 of the GW RUS (attached) envisages (after reopening of the Portishead line) three trains per hour at Stapleton Road, Lawrence Hill, Bedminster, Parson Street, and stations to Weston-super-Mare.

Whether half-hourly or more frequent, the Greater Bristol Metro service should run at clock-face intervals. It should consist of through trains between local stations in north and south Bristol, the Severn Beach Line, and Bath.

Station reopenings

We are disappointed that the draft JLTP 3 says little about reopening railway stations in greater Bristol. The draft mentions the possibility of new stations in connection with the Portishead and Henbury projects and supports reopenings at Charfield and Corsham (para. 6.37). However, it does not suggest reopening any stations on existing lines in greater Bristol.

In this respect JLTP 3 contrasts with the rail policies in the Bristol Local Plan (December 1997), pp. 94–6, which are rather more detailed. In addition to Hallen, Henbury and Filton North, the map on p. 95 and Policy M11 of the Local Plan, which has been saved, proposes the following new stations on existing lines:

·      Ashley Hill;

·      Horfield;

·      Winterbourne;

·      Charfield;

·      Saltford;

·      Newbridge;

·      Bathampton;

·      Flax Bourton.

We suggest that JLTP 3 should include a similar map showing stations proposed for reopening. In addition to the above, FOSBR’s map of proposed new stations (attached) includes Thornbury, and the following stations on existing lines:

·      Portbury Park and Ride;

·      St Anne’s Park;

·      Long Ashton;

·      Uphill.

Ashley Hill and Horfield, on the line between Temple Meads and Parkway, are particularly important in view of Network Rail’s plans to increase the number of tracks on this stretch from two to four, as already mentioned. This quadrupling will make these new stations possible, but they need to be planned into the work from the beginning, and it is essential that local authorities take the initiative on this. The case for Ashley Hill is especially strong: it is close to the Bristol Rovers and Gloucestershire County Cricket grounds, with their planned developments, and the City of Bristol College’s Ashley Down Centre.

Interchange

We suggest that the section on Interchanges (paras 6.44–8) should include plans for developing bus-rail interchange at specified local stations. There are many journeys that can be made more efficiently by combining rail and bus than by using one mode on its own. Taking the Severn Beach Line as an example, interchange is possible at Lawrence Hill (for St George and Kingswood), Stapleton Road (for Stapleton and Frenchay), Montpelier (for the Gloucester Road), and Clifton Down (for Westbury-on-Trym). The WEP should encourage such journeys by providing appropriate signage and enabling through ticketing.

An example of good practice

We suggest that JLTP 3 should include, as an example of good practice, the successful story of the enhanced service on the Severn Beach Line that was introduced in May 2008. Since then, ridership has gone up by 60%, as measured by ticket sales: see the statistics on the Severnside Community Rail Partnership’s website. This suggests that investment in local rail services will be met with a favourable response from the public.

Finally, we suggest that the key rail elements in the plan, such as the Greater Bristol Metro and the enhancements recommended in the GW RUS, should be given greater prominence in the main part of JLTP 3, as well being mentioned as its Public Transport Supplementary Document.

Conclusion

There is great potential for developing Bristol’s suburban rail network. Passenger numbers at Bristol area stations more than doubled between 1994 and 2005; they have increased by a third again since then; and are predicted to increase by at least another 30 per cent in the next ten years.

JLTP 3 sets the pattern for public transport in the area for the next twelve years. FOSBR urges that it should include a specified Greater Bristol Metro, with a half-hourly service at all local stations, and plans for  station reopenings, whether as medium- or long-term aspirations.

Yours faithfully,

Brendan Biggs

Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways

Attached: maps from Bristol Local Plan, GW RUS, FOSBR website.