Planning permission granted for restoration of Portishead line

The project to rebuild the 18.5km railway to Portishead near Bristol has been given the green light by transport secretary Mark Harper, who has signed a Development Consent Order. In a letter published by National Infrastructure Planning, Mr Harper says he is ‘satisfied that the costs of the scheme have been appropriately assessed’. It has been calculated that the reopened line will serve a catchment area of 50,000 people, and there has been a long campaign to reverse the withdrawal of passenger services between Parson Street station in Bristol and Portishead in September 1964.