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The final £27.6m has been approved by the Government to build new stations at Portishead and Pill and re-open the line in 2028.
This paves the way for us to roll up our sleeves and start work in spring/summer next year.
Re-opening the line, which was axed in the 1960s during the Beeching cuts, will slash travel times in half and reduce car commuting.
It will connect 50,000 people back into the rail network with journey times of just 23 minutes into Bristol.
This will provide sustainable access to jobs and education and connect more people to opportunity, leisure, and nature, as well as create an estimated £43m in economic growth every year.
This new line is just one part of a wider £400m rail upgrade across the West of England, creating new stations and increasing train services to better connect communities.
Trains linking Portishead, Pill and Bristol Temple Meads will transform our region’s rail infrastructure and is a vital step towards better connectivity, greener transport, and economic opportunity.
Our partners at the West of England Combined Authority, Network Rail, the Department for Transport and our local MPs have all played an important role, working tirelessly alongside us to help us arrive at this important juncture.