THE COST of Phase 1 of Bristol’s MetroWest scheme is now estimated at between £106.4 and £116.4 million, leaving a funding gap of up to £58.6 million.
The figures were contained in a report to the West of England Combined Authority’s (WECA’s) Scrutiny Committee. Phase 1 of the scheme includes reopening the Portishead line and half-hourly local services on the Severn Beach line and between Bristol and Bath. The original intention was to deliver these improvements in May 2019, but a phased approach has now been adopted with the Severn Beach and Bath improvements to be introduced in 2020 followed by a reduced scope Portishead reopening with an hourly service planned for December 2021.
The WECA is promoting the idea of extending the Bath services to Westbury, which would obviate the need for a turnback at Bathampton, saving around £3 million from the first phase cost.
REDUCED SCOPE
The original funding package for Phase 1 was £57.8 million, but a fresh look at costs by Network Rail led to an estimate of up to £175 million for introducing a full half-hourly service on the reopened Portishead line. This led to a reduced scope proposal being developed to provide only an hourly service alongside the other impr…
