10-year rail delivery plan

Providing people with access to jobs and services from stations that are step free and on trains that are ‘turn up and go’ style, fast and frequent, clean and carbon neutral

The joint Network Rail and West of England Combined Authority 10 Year Rail Delivery Plan 2020 to 2030 aims to enhance local rail services. It will restore confidence in the rail network following Covid-19, assist economic recovery, rebuild passenger numbers, increase freight carried by rail and support the West of England’s key growth locations for housing and jobs. All of this will require new infrastructure. With long lead in times some proposals will take longer than 10 years to deliver so this is as much a development plan as a delivery one but this is the start of the transformation of our local rail network. Following on from this work the 25 Year Strategic Outline Business Case will review the longer term aspirations for rail and establish a 25 year programme and funding strategy to 2045.

The 10 Year Rail Delivery Plan will develop and deliver services and infrastructure over two five year periods

Delivery 2020 to 2025 – existing schemes

• MetroWest, Portway, Bristol East Junction remodelling and Bristol Temple Meads eastern entrance, new roof and rewiring.
• Pipeline Projects, the New Stations Fund including Charfield and potentially subject to development some of the Restoring Your Railway ideas

New schemes to develop and deliver 2020 to 2030 and beyond

• Develop and deliver 2020 to 2030: extension of MetroWest to the south – Weston-Super-Mare and Taunton/Exeter, Worle/Weston-super-Mare parkway, Temple Meads passenger and capacity enhancements, step free access across the network and completing electrification between Temple Meads, Bristol Parkway and Chippenham.
• Develop for delivery 2030 to 2045: Temple Meads new platforms 0 and 1, enhanced “turn up and go” up to four trains per hour style services for Cardiff to Portsmouth, Severn Beach to Westbury and Henbury and Portishead lines, future East-West-North connections including Bristol to Oxford, loading gauge enhancements for key freight routes and improved services Bristol to Yeovil. Major capacity enhancements will be required including Bristol West, line doubling on the Severn Beach line, Westerleigh Junction and Swindon to Didcot.
• Schemes that could come forward during 2020 to 2030: rolling stock plan, Saltford and Ashton Gate stations and subject to development Restoring Your Railway ideas including St Annes Park station.

The 10 Year Rail Delivery Plan will be kept under review and updated periodically as necessary.