17.07.15
MetroWest set to scrap Henbury Loop in favour of cheaper spur
The councils leading the MetroWest project are expected to drop the idea of the ‘Henbury Loop’ because of its “very high financial risk” and are recommending a simple spur to Henbury instead.
Transport leaders from the four councils making up the West of England joint transport board are meeting today to discuss the recommendation.
The Friends of Surburban Bristol Railways (FOSBR) accused the local authorities of a “lack of ambition” in ditching the Loop from Henbury to Avonmouth and Severnside.
A detailed report explains the reasoning behind the decision, arguing that the Loop options also have “high levels of performance risk and also require significant platform capacity at Temple Meads”, whereas the Spur options would “prove to be less of a constraint in capacity terms (particularly at Bristol Temple Meads)’, [and] can operate in isolation with a far smaller performance risk (than the Loop).”
Although the Loop would generate an extra 8,000 passengers a year, it would cost nearly twice as much as the £60m Spur option (once longer-term revenue support is taken into account), which has a much better cost-benefit ratio – above 2.0, the threshold for Local Growth Fund money.
(Option A Yate refers to a half-hourly service to/from Yate, extending existing services that terminate at Parkway to Yate; Option B Glos refers to half-hourly service to/from Yate, extending existing services that terminate at Parkway to Yate, Cam & Dursley and Gloucester)
The report says: “The Phase 2 Henbury Spur option can be built so that it could be converted to a Loop operation in a future, separate phase of the MetroWest programme which, as with all future rail options, will continue to be subject to business case and funding.
“Options based on a Henbury Spur are deliverable and meet the project’s objectives; if Constable Road were to be removed from Phase 2, the project could be delivered within the current budget. Constable Road could be delivered in a future, separate phase of the MetroWest programme once again being subject to value for money tests and funding pressures.”
(WBS refers to wider benefits. Source of all diagrams and maps: West of England LEP Joint Transport Board)
MetroWest Phase 1
Aims: Reopen the Portishead Line, half hourly train services for the Severn Beach Line, more trains serving Keynsham, Oldfield Park, Parson Street and possibly Bedminster subject to further technical work.
Costs: New train services could start operating from May 2019. This is subject to funding and meeting all the regulatory and technical requirements. The indicative capital costs for Phase 1 are expected to be £58.2m.
MetroWest Phase 2
Aims: Half-hourly train services to Yate and hourly services on a reopened Henbury Line with two new stations at North Filton and Henbury. New station at Ashley Down.
Costs: Estimated: £42.3m. We anticipate that Phase 2 would be funded by local councils and from 2021 by the Department for Transport’s devolved major scheme funding with additional funding for development costs from the Local Growth Fund.
Below map, which shows the MetroWest scheme at its fullest and as originally conceived, courtesy Railfuture Severnside:
