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On Tuesday the Department for Transport (DfT) announced planning consent for the project.
This announcement is a major milestone and now means the project, part of the MetroWest programme, can move forward to delivery.
The line closed in 1964 and re-opening it will connect 50,000 residents to the rail network.
It is the first passenger railway scheme in the country that will re-open a branch line, to achieve consent via a Development Consent Order (DCO).
The DCO includes planning consent, environmental consent and the compulsory acquisition of land and is required before nationally significant infrastructure projects can be built.
Once completed, the expected journey time into Bristol will be 23 minutes, so provide a reliable alternative to the A369/M5 Junction 19.
The DCO decision follows an agreement between ourselves, the Combined Authority and the Department for Transport to collectively pledge £35.58m in additional funding to the project.
The additional funding and start of construction remains subject to a decision on the project’s Full Business Case in 2024.
Over the next 18 months the project will complete its detailed design, undertake ecology enabling works and, finally, submit its Full Business Case to funding decision makers (the Department for Transport, the Combined Authority and us).
We and the West of England Combined Authority are committed to continuing the work needed to finally make Portishead rail a reality.