Good News from ITV News, 11th February 2025
Passengers could be using a railway line for the first time in 60 years by the end of 2027 after an agreement was reached with the government over funding.
Construction on the Bristol to Portishead line is set to begin in the summer, the West of England Mayor has said.
The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) has invested £25m into the project to date.
The authority said the final £30m of funding, including a contribution from North Somerset Council, will be ratified at a WECA meeting in March.
Metro Mayor Dan Norris said the reopening of the railway, which was axed back in 1964 as part of the Beeching Cuts, would halve travel times, reduce car commuting by 5.5%, and "unlock an estimated £43million in economic growth each year".
It follows concern in July that the project could be scrapped after the new Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced there was a £22 billion hole in the country's finances.
As a result, she said on Monday 29 July that she would scrap the Restoring Your Railway scheme - which includes the Portishead to Pill train service.
However, thanks to funding from WECA and the local council, work to restore the line is set to begin this summer.
North Somerset MP Sadik Al-Hassan said: "The long-promised Portishead Railway Line was a vital and historic link connecting North Somerset to Bristol and the wider country.
"I am relieved that after 25 years of relentless campaigning, we have finally managed to achieve what many thought impossible.
"Since elected to Westminster last July this project has been my top priority with my first act in Parliament being the presentation of a Public Petition signed by thousands of North Somerset Residents saving the project from cancellation.
"I am immensely proud of the hard work of all campaign leaders, councillors, ministers and mayors involved and I look forward to seeing the first spades put in the ground this summer."