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The station site in 2013 viewed from footbridge. © SEG.
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SEG Home > Saltford Station Campaign > Campaign Archive Saltford Station Campaign: Campaign ArchiveWe have recorded here just some of the stories and pictures from the start of SEG's campaign for the reopening of our railway station. Latest stories first. WECA bid to government re. Saltford Station unsuccessfulDecember 2021 The bid for £50k by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) to the DfT "restoring your railway" fund to help pay for up-to-date feasibility work on a Saltford Station was unsuccessful. Supportive letters were sent from the leader of B&NES Council and also from the WECA Mayor. There were concerns raised with potential congestion on the line and how a Saltford Station would fit in with wider regional developments. This is very disappointing but the station campaign is waiting news of the next steps from WECA, for example whether WECA is prepared to fully fund the feasibility study itself so as to help ensure the Metro West project can include Saltford in the provision of better rail service availability. WECA bid to government: Saltford StationMarch 2021
SEG's independent Saltford Station campaign is pleased to report that the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), that is responsible for strategic transport projects in this sub-region, has made a bid to the Department for Transport's "restoring your railway (RYR)" fund. This is seeking £50,000 towards the cost of £70,000 to develop the business and feasibility case for opening a station at Saltford as part of the MetroWest project. MetroWest will provide half-hourly local train services across the Bristol-Bath sub-region. The Saltford station study will cover the areas required to establish whether the station is feasible, and if it is, what the next steps in its development should be. These areas include:
The WECA bid has been backed by local MP Jacob Rees-Mogg. The bid follows a vote of Bath and North East Somerset Council in October 2019 supporting the opening of a Saltford station. Cllr Dine Romero (Lib Dem), leader of B&NES Council, said "The (Saltford) project matches the aims of B&NES Council which supports this bid enthusiastically; I too strongly support this application by WECA." Cllr Alastair Singleton, a Saltford ward councillor (Lib Dem), said "This is excellent news. This shows that the idea of a Saltford station is being taken very seriously by WECA." The WECA bid is welcomed by Saltford Parish Council and the Saltford Station Campaign, who have been actively supporting the re-opening of Saltford Station for many years. Both Saltford Parish Council and the Saltford Station Campaign view the bid as a strong, positive step towards the re-opening of Saltford Station potentially at its former site. The Parish Council particularly welcomed the cross-party and cross-organisational support from WECA, B&NES, and Saltford's MP for developing the business and feasibility case for opening a station at Saltford as part of the Metro West project. The Saltford Station Campaign view this bid as a significant step towards making the re-opening of Saltford station a reality. Cllr Neil Butters, joint B&NES cabinet member for Transport said "I would like to congratulate Saltford Parish Council, Cllrs Duncan Hounsell and Alastair Singleton, and the people of Saltford for their achievement so far. A re-opened Saltford station would take many cars off the road, reduce carbon emissions, and lead to a pleasant environment. This station project has my full support." The WECA bid makes clear that the development of a station would take a minimum of 5 years if there was sufficient line capacity. If a Saltford station was dependent on signalling enhancements the minimum time for delivering the station would be ten years. WECA railway funding bidFebruary 2021 B&NES Council Cabinet Member Cllr Neil Butters, announced at the B&NES Council full council meeting on Thursday 21st January, that the West of England Combined Authority is expected to submit a bid to the Department of Transport's 'Restoring Your Railway' fund. Saltford Parish Council has responded by writing to WECA and our local MP, Jacob Rees-Mogg, expressing support for this grant bid. Jacob Rees-Mogg, who is known for his continuing support for re-opening Saltford Station, replied to SPC stating that he would be delighted to support the WECA bid. WECA has confirmed that it will be submitting a bid to the DfT's 'Restoring Your Railway' fund for Saltford station by the DfT deadline of 5 March 2021. Joint Local Transport Plan 4 includes Saltford stationJanuary 2020 The draft Joint Local Transport Plan 4 (JLTP4) - led by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), working with B&NES, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire councils - was launched on 28th January. The plan looks at transport up to 2036. It sets out how WECA "aims to achieve a well-connected sustainable transport network that works for residents, businesses and visitors across the region; a network that offers greater, realistic travel choices and makes walking, cycling and public transport the natural way to travel." The plan includes an intention to consider a new rail station at Saltford and to "undertake further work to assess options to provide bus priority on the approaches to Saltford before a decision on a Saltford Bypass is made". A road bypass has been strongly resisted by SEG and the Parish Council. The JLTP consultation is now closed. The full version of the JLTP4 and its associated Summary Report can still be accessed via the Travelwest website. Saltford station - latest situation from WECA etc. given at public presentationJanuary 2020 An audience of 50 residents and others interested in re-opening Saltford station including the B&NES Council Cabinet member for Transport, Cllr Neil Butters, attended the talk on Saltford station by Saltford Parish Council Cllrs Chris Warren and Duncan Hounsell on Sunday 5th January at Saltford Hall. Chris Warren gave a talk on the history of Saltford's railways and Duncan Hounsell described SPC's actions to achieve the re-opening of Saltford Station, and the latest updates about making this a reality for the future. Duncan Hounsell quoted from the latest position of WECA (West of England Combined Authority) on the re-opening Saltford Railway Station:- "Saltford is included as a potential new station in the West of England's draft Joint Local Transport Plan 4 (JLTP4) 2019 to 2036 because WECA recognises it has a role to play in tackling existing and future transport challenges particularly around Bath. As with all our new station proposals, they must be feasible, deliverable and demonstrate a good business case with funding identified and secured. The current costs for Charfield station (which is comparable to Saltford with requirements for two platforms, accessible footbridge, shelters and access routes) are put at between £14m and £20m. "There are major network capacity issues on the railway line between Bath and Bristol and finding the capacity to stop trains at a new station is going to be challenging. The Greater Bristol Area Rail Feasibility Study (GBARFS) commissioned by the Department for Transport and WECA looked at future services and stations and the infrastructure/capacity required to deliver them. The study found that the new infrastructure required to deliver enhanced MetroWest services on the line to Bath Spa could provide the additional capacity required to enable additional stops at Saltford. It also suggested that it may be possible to introduce a skip-stop pattern (i.e. miss out stops at Keynsham or Oldfield Park) to facilitate a stop at Saltford. This would, however, create an irregular service pattern at each of the stations. "The findings of GBARFS will now be used to draw up a 10 Year Delivery Plan and 25 Year Strategic Outline Business Case with Network Rail for rail investment in the West of England. Saltford will be part of this work as a possible future station site. In terms of station location previous work has focused on the previous station site. As part of the work on the 10 Year Delivery Plan and 25 Year Strategic Outline Business Case we may need to consider other possible locations for Saltford." The text of Duncan Hounsell's talk can be downloaded from this link:- The text of a similar talk by Chris Warren during the Saltford Festival in June 2017 is published on this website and can be downloaded from this link:- Saltford's Railways: Past, Present and Future - Free talk!December 2019
To mark 50 years to the day of the closure of Saltford Station, Saltford Parish Council has organised a free illustrated talk by Cllrs Chris Warren and Duncan Hounsell. Attendees will be able to find out about the history of Saltford's railways, SPC's actions to achieve the re-opening of Saltford Station, and the latest updates about making this a reality for the future. All are welcome, there is no need to book. The talk starts at 2pm on Sunday 5th January 2020, in Saltford Hall. Council sets path to re-opening Saltford StationOctober 2019 Bath and North East Somerset Council has given overwhelming backing to a re-built Saltford Station and has set out a path to achieve it. The Liberal Democrats tabled amendments to a Conservative motion which were accepted and voted through at the meeting of the Council at the Guildhall on 10th October. If the Greater Bristol Rail Feasibility study due this year confirms that Saltford Station is a potentially viable project, the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) will be asked by B&NES Council to take the project forward and consider how it might be funded. Saltford Parish Council will be kept fully informed of developments. A Higher Level Output Assessment on Saltford Station received by the previous Lib Dem run Council in 2014 concluded that there we would be at least £770,000 annual revenue from a Saltford Station on the current site and room for 144 car parking spaces. Cllr Neil Butters, Lib Dem joint cabinet member for transport services, said "You can be sure we will be pursuing this project at the West of England Transport Board with full vigour." Cllr Duncan Hounsell (Lib Dem, Saltford) said "A re-opened station is not just about providing Saltford's commuters a gateway to the awaited half-hourly Metro West services but also playing a part in reducing road traffic and pollution in Bath, and helping to address the climate emergency by reducing car use. There is a strong case for a Saltford Station to be championed by WECA." SEG asks station question to B&NES Council election candidates (2nd May local elections)April 2019 SEG has asked the candidates representing the main political parties competing for Saltford votes in the 2nd May B&NES Council local election six questions. These were addressed to the candidates asking for their view and that of the party they represent should it control B&NES Council after the election. Here's the answer to our station question from the Lib Dems and Conservatives (The Labour and Green parties have not responded but their candidates live in Bath, not in the Saltford ward):- 5. Do you and your party agree with and support Saltford Station being rebuilt on its original site and if so what will you and your party do to help bring forward the re-opening of our station without further delay? LIBERAL DEMOCRATS PARTY RESPONSE:- Liberal Democrats will continue to work towards a better public transport system, including a station at Saltford. The footprint of the original Saltford railway station is intact and is larger than at Keynsham station. It is in a good location to act as a transport hub with its connections to other forms of transport. Liberal Democrats, when last in power 2011-15, put Saltford station on the MetroWest rail project map, commissioned two reports from consultants, and conducted a public consultation in Saltford on the proposed station. We earmarked £250K in the 2015 budget to take the Saltford station project to the next stages of project development. That money was never spent by the Conservative administration at B&NES. Our first priority is to identify why there has been no apparent progress in the last four years. We will work with Network Rail and the train operating companies to make a station at Saltford a reality and not just an aspiration. A key step is to ensure that the new West of England Combined Authority (WECA) recognises Saltford station as affordable, achievable, and in line with its aims. CONSERVATIVE PARTY RESPONSE:- The Conservative administration of Bath & North East Somerset Council is working with the West of England Combined Authority and Network Rail on bringing back a train station to Saltford. We have asked Network Rail to look again at Saltford and anticipate they will report back to us in the coming months. You can make your own choice on who you think will best serve the interests of helping to get Saltford station re-opened after 2nd May. SPC and SEG seek inclusion of Saltford Station in West of England Transport PlanFebruary 2019
Pictured here are Saltford Parish Councillors Cllr Duncan Hounsell, Cllr Adrian Betts, Cllr Phil Harding (also Chair of SEG), and Cllr Chris Warren (also Leader of SEG's Station Campaign) at the launch of the West of England's Joint Local Transport Plan (JTLP) 4th consultation at Somerdale Pavilion on Monday 11th February. During the morning's consultation event they pushed the case for re-opening Saltford Station on the existing site as part of the JLTP. The draft plan and consultation questionnaire can be found at www.travelwest.info/JLTP. The consultation closes on 20th March. Saltford Parish Council responds to West of England Mayor re. Saltford StationFebruary 2019 We reported in November (2018) that Saltford Parish Council had sent a public letter (that can be downloaded here as a pdf) to a wide range of recipients including B&NES Council Leaders, our MP, First Great Western, Network Rail, West of England Combined Authority (WECA), and the local media expressing its frustration at the lack of information and misinformation from B&NES Council and WECA concerning the future re-opening of Saltford Station. A response to SPC's letter was received from Cllr Tim Bowles, West of England Mayor, in January 2019. Cllr Bowles stated that following his and Cllr Tim Warren's (Leader of B&NES Council) discussions, their intervention had ensured that a new railway station at Saltford will feature in a map of transport improvements in the Joint Local Transport Plan. The Joint Local Transport Plan will be open for public consultation in January 2019. To read Saltford Parish Council's comprehensive response of 29.1.2019 to Cllr Tim Bowles's letter, which has been copied to over 20 relevant people and organisations, download it here (pdf). The reply includes how SPC will respond to the Joint Local Transport Plan (referred to as JLTP4 in the letter) as well as the actions and information requested by SPC following the close of the consultation. Parish Councillors will discuss further actions to achieve the re-opening of Saltford Railway Station at the next SPC meeting on 5th February. Saltford Parish Council seeks progress on stationNovember 2018 On 19th November Saltford Parish Council sent a public letter to a wide range of recipients including B&NES Council Leaders, our MP, First Great Western, Network Rail, West of England Combined Authority (WECA), and the local media expressing its frustration at the lack of information and misinformation from B&NES Council and WECA concerning the future re-opening of Saltford Station. This lack of progress is despite the excellent business case in the 2014 'Saltford Station: Feasibility Study' prepared by CH2MHill. The letter can be downloaded here: SPC station letter 19.11.2018 (pdf, opens in new window). Progress on MetroWest infrastructureNovember 2018
The business case for re-opening Saltford station depends on the success of the MetroWest rail project which is planned to bring half-hourly train services criss-crossing the Bristol-Bath sub-region. An essential piece of infrastructure to give capacity for MetroWest has now been put in place. This is the re-instatement of 4 tracks at Filton Bank between Bristol Temple Meads station and Bristol Parkway station (see photograph above). The additional track will allow local commuter trains to run alongside faster inter-city and cross-country services. Saltford station campaign signs Railfuture's letter calling for a fund for rail reopeningsApril 2018
Saltford station campaign leader Chris Warren has today (10th April) signed Railfuture's open letter to DfT that welcomes the Government's pledge to grow the railways, which featured prominently in the recent "Strategic Vision for Rail". The letter points out that many communities want to see a larger rail network and there is demand for new and reopened rail links across the country. It says that such investment can bring many benefits including better access to vital services and jobs, making new housing and other development more sustainable, and reduces pressure on the roads. But rail projects are difficult to deliver. Despite good will and a strong business case, many local authorities lack the skills and resources to take projects through a long and expensive development process. To ensure that the Government can deliver on its commitment to grow the railways the letter calls on the Government to establish at the earliest opportunity a 'network development fund'. Administered by the Department for Transport, the fund would pay for project development for new and reopened stations and lines which reach an agreed standard with the best projects joining a pool of national projects to be taken to full development and implementation. The letter etc. can be found from this link: www.railfuture.org.uk/article1781-Rail-reopening-fund. Station Campaign site meeting with B&NES Cabinet Member for TransportFebruary 2018
On 31st January 2018 the B&NES Cabinet Member for Transport, Cllr Mark Shelford, met with Station Campaign Leader Chris Warren and SEG Chairman Phil Harding at the Saltford Station site to see the site itself and discuss progress on re-opening the station. Cllr Mark Shelford said B&NES Council was fully in favour of re-opening railway stations like Saltford's where this is feasible but Network Rail had to confirm that space could be made for a half-hourly stop at Saltford in the rail timetable; such advice had not been provided. He agreed to write to Network Rail to ask if the rail timetable could accommodate a half-hourly stop and would do this as soon as the Station Campaign provides its documentary evidence received from Network Rail that provision at the site for a re-opened station had been made in its planning for the site. B&NES feasibility study for a 'Bath tram'June 2017 B&NES Council is to undertake a preliminary study looking at the feasibility and potential of introducing some form of light rail 'tram' system in Bath. The decision to carry out the study comes in response to suggestions from the public, made over the past year, for a review to take place looking at the possible use of trams or a light rail system in the city. Improving the area's transport network is one of the Council's top priorities, and whilst the introduction of a tram system does not currently form part of the Council's formally adopted Transport Strategy, the authority has said it keeps an open mind to suggestions to improve transport that could be taken forward in future. As a result, this short scoping study will look at the feasibility of using a light rail system as a sustainable form of transport in the city. The feasibility study will be completed within this financial year (2017/18). Footnote from our history project:
The history of railways at SaltfordJune 2017
On 12th June the leader of SEG's Saltford Station campaign Chris Warren gave an interesting and well-received talk on the history of railways at Saltford. Chris's talk was part of the Saltford Festival (10-18 June) that includes lunchtime talks on a range of topics for each weekday of the festival. You can download the text of his talk here: The history of railways at Saltford by Chris Warren (pdf). 2017 General Election - local candidates back Saltford StationMay 2017 For the 2015 General Election members will recall that SEG's station campaign, which takes a politically neutral stance, enjoyed support from the local Parliamentary candidates of all three main political parties for the objective to re-open the station on the existing site. We can report that this cross-party support has been repeated by the 2017 candidates for the 8th June General Election. In alphabetical order:-
Robin Moss (pictured above), the Labour Party candidate for NE Somerset has told SEG of his support for re-opening the station on the current site: "A project to take cars off the A4 and so improve air quality in the village must be supported."
Our local Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg (pictured above with Saltford Station campaign leader Chris Warren in 2015) has been a long term supporter for the re-opening of Saltford Station.
Showing her support for the re-opening of Saltford station is the Liberal Democrats' 2017 General Election candidate for NE Somerset, Manda Rigby, seen pictured here at the station site with Chris Warren. New West of England Mayor backs re-opening of stations & protecting green fieldsMay 2017 Those backing our campaign to re-open Saltford station and our strongly held view that the Green Belt surrounding Saltford should be protected from development will wish to note that the West of England Plan in the election manifesto for newly elected West of England Mayor Tim Bowles includes two statements of particular relevance to Saltford:
The A34/46 Link Road in Tim Bowles' manifesto's West of England Plan of
if implemented has the potential to divert traffic between Southampton/Portsmouth and Bristol/Avonmouth away from the A4 through Saltford. Mayoral Candidate backs the reopening of Saltford stationMarch 2017
West of England Regional Mayoral Candidate Stephen Williams (Lib Dem, formerly MP for Bristol West and coalition government minister) visited Saltford on 6th March 2017 to discuss his backing for the reopening of railway station at Saltford as part of the MetroWest project. He is pictured here (centre) at Saltford station site with Chairman of Saltford Parish Council and station campaign leader Chris Warren (left) and Adrian Betts (right), Chairman of Saltford Parish Council's Planning Committee. Potential for Saltford station as an additional stop being testedDecember 2016 After discussions and lobbying of B&NES Council the Saltford station campaign team learned on 1st December from B&NES Council's Divisional Director of Environmental Services that within the timetabling work for Metro West Phase 1 the potential for Saltford Station as an additional stop within this part of the GWR network is being tested. We shall report on this again when we hear further news. Saltford Station questions and answers at the B&NES Cabinet meeting, 14th NovNovember 2016
Two questions concerning Saltford station were asked by Councillor Neil Butters (Lib Dem) for the B&NES Cabinet meeting on 14th November. The answers from Cabinet member for Transport, Councillor Anthony Clarke (Cons), are shown here also:- Q 12. I understand that the MetroWest Phase1 GRIP 3 Timetable Analysis remit specification only proposes a sensitivity test for "inclusion of call at the proposed Saltford Station". Was it an officer or a Cabinet member who made the decision to exclude Saltford Station at the outset from the substantial study? A.12.This was an officer decision taken at the MetroWest Phase 1 project board. I and the Leader have met with both GWR and the Saltford Parish Council to understand the technical challenges with this work. It is very frustrating that it is still not clear that a timetable is possible that would support a new station at Saltford. This difficulty has been discussed with the Parish Council on a number of occasions. A new station to serve the communities in and around Saltford is included within the Joint Transport Vision published by the West of England; this is something for which I have personally argued. Q 13. Has any Cabinet member contacted GWR and/or Network Rail directly seeking progress of the timetable analysis in relation to Saltford? A 13. As noted above I regularly meet with GWR and at the last six or so occasions I have specifically requested that time-tabling work should be undertaken. Officers have also requested the information. Great Western electrification projects deferredNovember 2016 Four electrification projects planned as part of the Great Western upgrade programme have been deferred, Transport Minister Paul Maynard confirmed in a written statement to Parliament on 8 November 2016. This includes deferment of the Bath Spa to Bristol Temple Meads upgrade programme, i.e. the route through Saltford. Paul Maynard said he had decided to defer the projects because the benefits expected by passengers, including the introduction of new rolling stock providing more capacity, could be achieved without requiring costly and disruptive electrification work. He said this was expected to save between £146m and £165m in the current regulatory control period which runs to 31 March 2019. Station Campaign questions B&NES Council's commitment to stationAugust 2016
In an article in the 4th of August edition of local newspaper The Week In Saltford Station Campaign leader Chris Warren says he has been overwhelmed at the support from the majority of the community in Saltford to the campaign to reopen Saltford station but raises his concern that support has not been forthcoming in action, rather than words, from B&NES Council. Of particular concern is the omission of Saltford from the MetroWest timetable studies. The campaign will be stepping up its efforts to encourage B&NES Council to match the support given to re-opening the station by our local MP Jacob Rees-Mogg. Two representatives met with B&NES Council Leader Tim Warren on 10th August where an assurance was given that B&NES Council would pursue investigations for timetable space for a half-hourly stop at Saltford in the context of the new MetroWest service. The article can be found on page 20 of The Week In (issue no. 434, 4.8.2016) from this link: The Week In, Issue 434 (pdf on external site). B&NES Council maintains its aspiration to open a station at SaltfordFebruary 2016 The following is an extract from B&NES Cabinet background papers for its 10th February meeting (Metro West Phase 1 Update Report):- "The Council has an aspiration to open an additional station at Saltford, which can potentially be achieved after Metro West Phase 1 has been implemented. However, it is dependent upon the Metro West Phase 1 project delivering a workable timetable that will improve services at Keynsham and Oldfield Park to a half-hourly frequency. Unfortunately, the above GWR timetable work for Phase 1 has been delayed by a couple of months. As soon as this work has been completed the Council can then continue to undertake further feasibility work on the Saltford Station proposal." SEG submits comments for West of England Joint Transport StudyJanuary 2016 On 27 January 2016 SEG submitted comments to West of England Joint Transport Study. The local councils of Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire were seeking people's views on how and where transport should be provided over the next 20 years as part of the Joint Spatial Plan. Our comments were as follows:- Saltford Environment Group strongly supports the development of the Metro West rail project and re-opening a railway station at Saltford as part of Metro West. Saltford Environment Group recognises that transport congestion and a reduction in air quality is already a major problem at peak periods for existing settlements and communities. Saltford is a typical example as it has high levels of traffic congestion at peak times and part of the A4 through Saltford has been designated an Air Quality Management Area due to periodic and dangerously high levels of Nitrogen Dioxide from vehicles. For that reason, improved transport solutions should be developed to cope with existing problems quite apart from serving new housing developments all of which should be located close to public transport and main centres of employment to reduce commuting times and distances. To help encourage healthier lifestyles and less use of the car, especially for commuting, we recommend that the creation of more cycle paths and the joining together of existing cycle paths should be a priority for all local authorities in the West of England. More locally to Saltford, a cycle path along the Keynsham bypass (A4) should be a priority to enable cyclists to safely use that route into Brislington and Bristol whilst moving east towards Bath a cycle path from Saltford along the A4 to join the cycle path from the Globe Inn along the A4 dual carriageway would be a worthwhile project to implement. Parish Council and Saltford stationJanuary 2016 At its monthly meeting on 5th January Saltford Parish Council unanimously agreed the following request that it would put to B&NES Council: Saltford Parish Council reminds B&NES Council of its role since 2011 as the official promoter of the station and asks B&NES Council to make an effective and renewed commitment to engage with the West of England Local Transport Body, GWR and Network Rail to seek the re-opening of Saltford station and to make every effort to secure a place for Saltford station in the Metro West timetable. Saltford Parish Council notes that the public leaflet produced by the West of England Partnership Metro West - Investing in our local rail network (June 2014) stated that a Saltford Station could be in Metro West phase 1 subject to the business case. Saltford Parish Council therefore wishes to express its concern that B&NES Council did not seek to include Saltford Station in the current Metro West timetable studies being carried out by GWR on behalf of the West of England Local Transport Body. Saltford Parish Council wishes to express its dissatisfaction that reasons given for this include comments on time-table constraints which would have been better determined by Saltford actually having been included in these studies. Saltford Parish Council notes that while alternatives need to be considered as part of the Department for Transport's TAG (Transport Analysis Guidance) process and also to fulfil a past resolution of B&NES Council, there remains a consensus that the existing site is the preferred site option. Latest campaign situation reportDecember 2015 The Saltford station campaign team's latest situation report (briefing paper) brings together the recent positive developments towards getting our station reopened. The report can be found on this page under Campaign Resources. Important rail electrification newsDecember 2015 At the Network Rail in Saltford on 15th December at St Mary's Church Hall information was shared with residents about the planned works at and near Saltford as Network Rail continues to prepare for the electrification of the main-line. Passengers will notice structural changes to the platform and canopies at Keynsham station beginning in January 2016. Keynsham station and the line itself will be closed from 2nd to the 10th of April 2016 whilst the track bed and platforms are lowered and foundations laid for the overhead electric pylons. Replacement buses will operate throughout this period. Fortunately, and thanks to Brunel, Saltford Tunnel underneath Tunnel House is high enough to accommodate the overhead cables and gantries without requiring additional engineering work. The Network Rail website with more information concerning this work is at www.networkrail.co.uk/great-western-route-modernisation/. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Our thanks go to Parish Council Chairman Cllr Duncan Hounsell for providing this information. Station Campaign and Parish Council addresses B&NES Scrutiny Panel (16.11.2015)November 2015 On 16th November Chris Warren for the Station Campaign and Duncan Hounsell as Chair of the Parish Council spoke in public time to B&NES Council's cross-party Communities, Transport and Environment Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel to inform them about Saltford Station and to seek their assistance in their scrutiny role. They asked that there be no unnecessary delay or insufficient pressure from B&NES Council on the half-hourly timetable question and that consultants be commissioned to take the project forward to GRIP stages 3 and even 4. They made the point that this not only about providing Saltford's commuters a gateway to the half-hourly Metro West services, but also playing a part in reducing road traffic into Bath and contributing to the economic development of this area. The democratic mandate given in the Parliamentary, Council and Parish Council elections last May to reopen the station was highlighted and also the point that B&NES urgently required solutions to its chronic transport problems, especially with Bath's new Enterprise Zone and the riverside development nearing completion. Without alternatives to the private car, Bath was close to becoming stifled by traffic and its detrimental effect on air quality leading to public health issues. Saltford Station Campaign scoops national awardNovember 2015
Saltford Station Campaign has received a national award at the Railfuture conference "Rail Resurgence in the West of England" held at the Mercure Hotel, Redcliff Hill, Bristol, on 7th November. Railfuture is the leading national pro-rail campaigning organisation. The campaign received the Oliver Lovell Award (in memory of the Cotswold Line Promotion Group founder who died in 2013) for "Best New Group" and this was presented to Chris Warren of the Saltford Station Campaign by Christian Wolmar, President of Railfuture. Chris Warren said "I was absolutely delighted to receive this award on behalf of the Saltford Station Campaign. To be recognised by Railfuture is just reward for all our hard work. This award gives the campaign a further boost. I ask the new B&NES Council to take the re-opening of the station to the next stage of project development without undue delay." Cllr Duncan Hounsell, Chair of Saltford Parish Council, said "I congratulate the Saltford Station campaigners on this national award. The Parish Council fully supports the re-opening of Saltford Station which would give villagers a gateway to the half-hourly services of the Metro West rail project." Judges' comments: "Campaign shows a sound knowledge of the rail industry and grasp of technical detail, good engagement with stakeholders' buy-in, cross-party support, a strong environmental message, and a good chance of success." SEG's station campaign meets with B&NES CouncilSeptember 2015
Representatives of SEG's Saltford Station Campaign, Chris Warren (Campaign Chair), Phil Harding (SEG Chair) and Rob Taylor (Campaign team member), had a constructive first meeting with the new Conservative administration at B&NES on 1 September to discuss the next steps in taking forward the ambition to reopen Saltford railway station. Present from B&NES Council were Cllr Tim Warren (Leader of the Council), Cllr Tony Clarke (Cabinet member for Transport), and Peter Dawson (Group Manager Transport & Planning Policy). Matthew Barnes from First Great Western was also present. SEG underlined the democratic wish of Saltford for re-opening our station, expressed most recently in the Saltford Parish Council (76% turnout) and B&NES Council elections (May 2015) where all 11 elected Parish Councillors and the two elected ward Councillors for B&NES had taken a pro Saltford station stance as a priority issue in their election campaigns. The meeting agreed that a decision was required from Network Rail to show that timetable provision of a half-hourly peak time service stopping at Saltford could be made within the existing and proposed long distance InterCity services. That information should be known by Christmas 2015 in the context of the current MetroWest feasibility work and discussions. A half-hourly service at peak times was required for making the financial case for reopening Saltford station; once this is known then B&NES Council would be in a position to proceed with GRIP (Governance for Railway Investment Projects) stages 3 and 4. The notion of an alternative site for the station in the Green Belt was discussed. SEG reminded the meeting that (a) the elected Conservative B&NES Councillors and Saltford Parish Councillors were against Green Belt development, and (b) the GRIP process would ensure the optimum site was chosen. SEG also showed Network Rail's schematic plan for the signalling infrastructure work at the station site which included provision for the construction of the station (see plan above). Since the meeting with B&NES Council on 1st September Network Rail, in response to an approach by Saltford Parish Council, has said that the responsibility rests with B&NES Council as a member of the West of England Partnership for seeking inclusion of Saltford in the timetable development for MetroWest. The Parish Council and SEG have asked B&NES Council at Official and Member level to pursue this so that work on GRIP 3 and 4 can proceed without further delay. Re-signalling project at Saltford station siteJune 2015
Residents might notice some limited construction work taking place at the Saltford station site (see picture). Network Rail has assured the Parish Council that: "The construction, which is for the Bristol re-signalling project, has been positioned to allow for the Saltford station." "Network Rail is aware of the third party aspiration to reopen a station at Salford. As part of our planning for electrification and other infrastructure enhancements, we endeavour to take into consideration such future aspirations to ensure that our works do not preclude or incur additional works to enable these ambitions to be achieved. Therefore, I can confirm that the current signalling works will not preclude the re-opening of Saltford Station." New Parish Council votes unanimously to back the re-opening of Saltford stationMay 2015 On Tuesday 19th May the newly elected Saltford Parish Council voted unanimously on the following motion:- "Saltford Parish Council supports the principle of re-opening Saltford Station whilst mindful to address any concerns. Saltford Parish Council welcomes the fact that £250,000 has been included in the budgets of B&NES Council in order to take the project development forward to Network Rail's GRIP stages 3 and 4. Saltford Parish Council asks that B&NES Council commission this development work at the earliest opportunity. Saltford Parish Council's preferred site is the existing site. This Council does not wish to place any constraints on this development work but asks that it is consulted about options before final decisions about Saltford Station are eventually made." B&NES Council votes to fund next steps for Saltford stationFebruary 2015 On 17th February the full B&NES Council took the vote for the 2015/16 budget as recommended by the Lib Dem Cabinet and this was passed. The good news for our campaign to reopen Saltford station is that the £250,000 within the budget for taking the station forward to Network Rail's project design stages GRIP 3 and 4 (£100,000 in 2015/16 and a further £150,000 in 2016/17) has thus been approved. Cross-party support for Saltford stationJanuary 2015 With the 2015 General Election now only a few months away, it is important to remind our supporters that the station campaign is politically neutral and we enjoy support from all three main political parties for the objective to re-open the station on the existing site. The support we have received (in alphabetical order by political party) is shown here:- Conservative
The petition was delivered by campaign members to our local MP, Jacob Rees-Mogg, at the House of Commons on 19th April 2012. He then formally presented our petition to the House of Commons that evening at 6.38pm; and in his statement to the House he urged "the Government to take all possible steps to ensure that Saltford station is re-opened". Jacob has also told the campaign that he was happy to make any representations on the campaign's behalf. On 6th January 2015 he said: "I support the efforts of the Saltford Environment Group who have been championing the reopening of Saltford station for a number of years. There are numerous benefits for the local community in reopening the station, including the possibility of reducing the cost of the commute to Bristol or Bath, simplifying logistics for local businesses and reducing traffic on the roads." In May 2012 B&NES Councillor Mathew Blankely (Cons) told Radio Bristol's Steve Yabsley "how proud we all are in Saltford" of Saltford Environment Group's "outstanding work... the campaign has gone from strength to strength." On 8th November 2014 the leader of the Conservative Group of B&NES Councillors, Cllr Tim Warren, made the following statement to the station campaign: 'We are fully supportive of opening a train station for Saltford and the surrounding community. However, whatever location is decided upon, the concerns of residents over traffic, access and parking issues will need to be addressed. As a party, we are committed to reducing traffic congestion.' Labour
Todd Foreman, Labour Parliamentary Candidate for North East Somerset, met Chris Warren, Duncan Hounsell and Phil Harding of our Saltford Station Campaign during the summer to hear the case for the reopening of Saltford Railway Station and to see the Bath Hill site. Todd, on hearing the news in November 2014 that B&NES Council was proposing to fund stages 3 and 4 of Network Rail's GRIP (Governance for Railway Investment Projects) process, said: "I support reopening the train station at Saltford. Having visited the site, I have seen first hand how opening a station in Saltford is feasible and makes good sense. Many residents in and around Saltford commute to Bath or Bristol, so opening the station in Saltford will give residents more options to use public transportation." Some Saltford commuters currently have to drive to Keynsham station to use the train service from there and some of our residents collect/deliver rail passengers at Keynsham. Todd said: "A station in Saltford would also be good news for Keynsham, as it should relieve some of the pressure on traffic and parking around Keynsham's train station." Liberal Democrats
Wera Hobhouse, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for the North East Somerset Constituency, has given her full backing to the campaign to reopen Saltford railway station as part of MetroWest. Wera said: "Improving public transport and making sure that people have easy access to it, is a key ambition for Liberal Democrats in Saltford. To reopen the railway station and incorporate Saltford into a new improved link between Bristol and Bath is a fantastic plan. This project is gathering more and more support and it has my full backing!" On 4th November Cllr David Bellotti, B&NES Lib Dem Cabinet Member for Community Resources, at the B&NES Budget Fair meeting in Bath said that the Council was "very committed to Saltford station" and announced £250,000 in the proposed Lib Dem budget for 2015/16 to take the reopening of Saltford station forward to Network Rail's GRIP (Governance for Railway Investment Projects) stages 3 and 4. Railway Development Society supports Saltford Station CampaignDecember 2014 We are extremely grateful to the Railway Development Society (the society campaigns as 'Railfuture') that has shown its strong support for the Saltford Station Campaign by generously donating £100 to the campaign. Railfuture is an independent campaign for a better passenger and freight rail network - website is at www.railfuture.org.uk. SEG addresses B&NES Cabinet on Saltford station before it votes to take project forwardDecember 2014 Chris Warren (Station Campaign Leader) and Phil Harding (SEG Chairman) addressed the B&NES Cabinet on 3rd December. They made the following key points:- Station has cross-party support SEG's station campaign is grateful for the support received from B&NES Council, the Cabinet and from all three main political parties for the shared ambition to re-open the station on the existing site. SEG welcomes the inclusion of £250,000 in the Council's 2015/16 budget for taking the station forward to Network Rail's project design stages GRIP 3 and 4. Existing site is the best option SEG remained convinced that reopening the station on its existing site was the best option. SEG was aware of proposals to site the station further west, to a remote location close to the Keynsham boundary and Keynsham station. Two stops, so close together was almost operationally impossible, which could mean a combined Keynsham and Saltford station. Such an option would therefore require closure of Keynsham station. A road from the A4 would need to be built to give access plus a large car park would also be required, all on Green Belt land. It would generate thousands of unnecessary car journeys from both directions, would lead to a time consuming campaign against the closure of Keynsham station, the second time it would have faced this threat, and would be counter to the key objective of transferring commuters from road to rail. But, in addition to its existing users, Keynsham station was ideally located for the new housing development of 700 dwellings at Somerdale. A new station west of the existing site would require new access roads, a significant loss of Green Belt land and incur higher construction costs including the considerable disruption to the railway in order to blast and excavate the rock cutting to allow construction of platforms. The Green Belt "gap" between Keynsham and Saltford would also be put under much greater threat of development. Parking and safe access Reservations concerning reopening the station at its existing site were primarily to do with parking and safe access from the A4 without causing congestion. Those issues could be mitigated through careful design by highways experts. The station site was sufficiently large for over 140 car parking spaces while surveys of potential local users showed that the overwhelming majority of residents would walk rather than drive to the station. Good communications provide better outcomes B&NES Cabinet was asked to maintain momentum by not letting the next stage of design and feasibility work be delayed by the Council elections in May and that the Council and its consultants work closely with Saltford's community on the designs and proposals for the station and car parking before final decisions were made. A positive transport facility fit for the 21st Century We share a common desire to deliver a new station that would be welcomed as a positive transport facility fit for the 21st Century benefiting Saltford, Metro West and the wider community. Cabinet votes to take the project forward During the Cabinet's subsequent discussion of this agenda item, the leader of the Council, Cllr Paul Crossley, reminded the meeting that all 65 B&NES Councillors supported the opening of Saltford station. The Cabinet voted unanimously to take the project forward; this excellent decision is welcomed by the Station Campaign. Deputy Prime Minister and Saltford stationNovember 2014
The Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg took time on his whistle-stop tour of the area on 27th November to hear about the progress of the campaign to re-open Saltford station as part of the vision of the Metro West Rail project. The funds to enable phases 1 and 2 of the Metro West project to go ahead are coming mainly from the Government's £1bn City Deal for Bristol announced by the Deputy Prime Minister in July 2012. The Deputy Prime Minister is pictured here at the Guildhall in Bath with Saltford residents Farida Wilson and Duncan Hounsell. "Saltford station - bringing it back"November 2014 On 12th November Duncan Hounsell, representing the station campaign, addressed the B&NES Cabinet at their monthly meeting. In acknowledging the support for our station from the Council and several surveys having shown that a large majority of people in Saltford want the station re-opened, he said: "The re-opening of Saltford station is not just good for Saltford's hard-pressed commuters but plays a part in reducing congestion along the A4 Corridor. Saltford station will make a contribution to the emerging Transport Strategies for Bath and for Keynsham. The campaign slogan has been "Saltford station - bring it back". This should now be, with this support from B&NES Council, "Saltford station - bringing it back!" B&NES Council Cabinet back Saltford station with 2015/16 budget proposalsNovember 2014
On 4th November Cllr David Bellotti, B&NES Lib Dem Cabinet Member for Community Resources, at the B&NES Budget Fair meeting in Bath said that the Council was "very committed to Saltford station" and announced £250,000 in the proposed Lib Dem budget for 2015/16 to take the reopening of Saltford station forward to Network Rail's GRIP (Governance for Railway Investment Projects) stages 3 and 4. These stages involve much more detailed work on costs, design and finance. The first 4 GRIP stages are about planning and the final 4 are concerned with implementation. This strong backing from the B&NES Cabinet is an important milestone in our long and popular campaign to reopen the station. The 2015/16 Budget will be voted upon by the full Council on 17th February 2015 and once approved work on GRIP stages 3 and 4 can proceed in the new financial year. We anticipate cross-party support for this aspect of the 2015/16 Budget. On 8th November the leader of the Conservative Group of B&NES Councillors, Cllr Tim Warren, made the following statement to the station campaign: 'We are fully supportive of opening a train station for Saltford and the surrounding community. However, whatever location is decided upon, the concerns of residents over traffic, access and parking issues will need to be addressed. As a party, we are committed to reducing traffic congestion.' MetroWest gets boost from announcement of 'Filton Four Tracks' projectOctober 2014 Network Rail announced on 30th October the doubling of the railway lines between the Bristol's two main stations, Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway. Known as the 'Filton Four Tracks' project, the work forms part of Network Rail's Great Western Route Modernisation Programme to modernise and transform the Great Western Main Line from London Paddington through to Swansea. Under a separate programme of work, this route will also benefit from electrification and a new fleet of faster, quieter and greener electric trains by December 2017. Andrew Haynes, Network Rail's project director for the west of England, said: "This is an exciting time for the growing city of Bristol. For the last two years we have been working closely with the city council to make sure this project becomes a reality and it's great news that we are now only a matter of weeks away from the start of work on this vital upgrade. The doubling of the tracks between Temple Meads and Parkway stations, together with our work to electrify the Great Western Main Line, will mean that passengers, residents and businesses in Bristol will benefit from an increase in services, reduced journey times and quieter, greener trains. All of this will help us to meet an increasing demand for rail travel and to continue to drive economic growth in the region." Work to double the railway lines will begin in December 2014 and will be undertaken by Taylor Woodrow, following the award of a £33m contract by Network Rail. Restoring the lost tracks at that part of Bristol will support the new faster electric services to London and South Wales, and new capacity for growing the local MetroWest passenger and extra freight services. This is important and positive news for the successful implementation of the MetroWest project on which the case for reopening Saltford's station depends. Rail industry expert backs Saltford stationOctober 2014
Station Campaign leader Chris Warren met up with Christian Wolmar (pictured left), the award winning writer and broadcaster specialising in transport and author of a series of books on railway history, at a transport lecture in Bristol during October at which Christian was a guest speaker. Christian was very enthusiastic about the plans for reopening Saltford station which he felt was just the sort of forward-thinking measure required to help solve growing traffic congestion in the Bristol-Bath area. He said: "I was struck on my recent visit to Bristol to deliver the Will Straw Lecture on how disjointed the transport system is in the region... Schemes like Metrowest are an attempt to reduce car dependence in a region where traffic jams are legendary and public transport poor. They are vital to the economic future of the area. Reopening stations such as Saltford would widen the benefits of such investment and enable many more people to take advantage of non motorised transport. Modern cities across the world have realised that the key to economic development and regeneration is the encouragement of public transport use. In order for Bristol to compete with other areas, making these improvements is not an option - it is essential". Parish Council asks B&NES to continue to support our stationOctober 2014
During the autumn B&NES Council will be considering the latest report from the consultants CM2Hill exploring the feasibility of the station; B&NES Council Cabinet will discuss the report at their December meeting. The next stage of taking the project forward will include more detailed work on costs, technical issues, and design for re-introducing this important piece of transport infrastructure. With just one abstention, on 7th October Saltford Parish Council supported a motion expressing its wish that B&NES considers the Higher Level Output Assessment report and takes the station project to stage 3 of Network Rail's GRIP (Governance for Railway Investment Projects) process for railway development. This reflected the Parish Council's resolution overwhelmingly passed in September 2011 supporting the station campaign and asking B&NES to act as "promoter" of the new station in negotiations with Network Rail which B&NES subsequently agreed to do in April 2012. Network Rail is now a central government body in the public sectorSeptember 2014 Network Rail has been re-classified as a "central government body in the public sector". The new classification was implemented from 1 September 2014. This follows the Office for National Statistics (ONS) announcement in December 2013 that, following a review, Network Rail would be classified this way. This was an independent statistical decision taken by ONS in light of the European System of National Accounts 2010 (ESA10) manual from Eurostat which came into force across the EU from 1 September 2014. Network Rail owns and operates Britain's rail infrastructure. Network Rail advised the station campaign last month that there is passive provision for a reopened station at Saltford and this will not be affected by the electrification of the Great Western Mainline or by associated electricity distribution and re-signalling work at Saltford. Strong show of support for reopening Saltford stationAugust 2014
A large group of Saltford residents gathered at the former station site on Saturday 23rd August to remind B&NES Council that there is overwhelming support for reopening the railway station in Saltford.
Once reopened, the station will be able to provide a regular train service for Saltford when the forthcoming Metro West project provides a half hourly service across the Bristol-Bath sub-region. Saltford station latestAugust 2014 The latest report by Halcrow consultants on Saltford station based on a "High Level Output Assessment" (HLOA) using sophisticated computer modelling should be available to members of the public soon. B&NES Council will be considering the report during the autumn. The Council will then make an important decision on funding the next stage(s) of the GRIP (Governance for Railway Investment Projects) process and that decision is linked to a decision, also required, on the continuing funding contribution by B&NES for the Metro West Rail Project as a whole. We can advise that during August Network Rail confirmed to the station campaign that there is passive provision for a reopened station at Saltford and this will not be affected by the electrification of the Great Western Mainline or by associated electricity distribution and re-signalling work at Saltford. Following misleading and inaccurate comments from an opponent to the reopening of Saltford station in a local publication, we thought it might be helpful, especially for our newer members, to summarise the strength of support in the village behind the station campaign that has been shown:- Majority in favour of station Following a positive public meeting about a reopened station attended by 140 residents in July 2011, in September 2011 the Parish Council voted overwhelmingly to support the station campaign whilst being mindful of the need to ensure any concerns of local residents were addressed. During November 2011 over 2,000 signed the village petition in favour of reopening Saltford station with support in at least 65% of households. Approximately 30% of householders were unavailable to participate in the 2011 petition when the petition team called but of those residents that did speak to our petitioners, well over 90% supported the campaign. This high level of support led in turn to B&NES Council agreeing to be the official promoter of our station in April 2012 and the B&NES Cabinet voting unanimously in June 2012 to fund the development of the business case for a reopened Saltford station. Throughout this period and subsequently, key members of the campaign team maintained close working contact with the Metro West project that incorporates Saltford station so that Saltford residents will be able to take advantage of the forthcoming half hourly service between Bristol and Bath. To make sure residents' concerns and opinions are known, B&NES Council carried out a consultation event in February 2014 to which all households received an invitation from the council and of the 370 questionnaires returned, nearly 70% wanted a station in Saltford. Further background and other information about our campaign to reopen Saltford station can be found on this page. Huge benefits of reopened Saltford railway stationAugust 2014 Regular visitors to our website will be aware of the strong support in Saltford for the reopening of Saltford station - see April 2014 story below "Consultation shows strong support for Saltford station". The following is a letter published in the Bristol Post (link) on 5th August (2014):- Reader's letter: Huge benefits of reopened Saltford railway station B&NES Council has commissioned two reports on Saltford Station. The first was a basic report by consultants Halcrow in March 2012. The latest is a much more detailed study by Halcrow called a "Higher Level Option Assessment" (HLOA) which used the sophisticated computer modelling of the Metro West Rail project and Network Rail's timetabling software. This report was completed in July. It should be available to members of the public soon and B&NES Council Cabinet will be considering the report's findings at its September meeting. Figures provided in advance at the public exhibition held in February suggested that a reopened station has space for at least 144 car-park spaces and the station would generate annual income of £770,000 from fares. The capital cost could be met in a number of ways which do NOT involve the council tax payer - for example, devolved transport funding to the local area. If the money is not spent at Saltford, it will be spent elsewhere. The amount of money spent on the consultant's work by B&NES Council is put into perspective by the £3 to £4 million pounds of council tax paid annually by Saltford's house-owners. This work on the early stages of project development could unlock millions of pounds of investment to benefit Saltford's commuters and businesses. The informal consultation survey carried out by B&NES Council showed 69% in favour of reopening a Saltford Station with 21% against and 10% not having a view. The congestion on the A4 in peak times made worse by the Kelston road closure shows how Saltford should not rely on road transport alone for its transport needs. A reopened Saltford station is part of the vision for the Metro West rail project for the Bristol-Bath region. A network needs stations. The good news is that Crossrail and other developments still allow for time-table stops at Saltford. Duncan Hounsell, Saltford TravelWest: Saltford station could be in phase 1 of MetroWestJuly 2014 The TravelWest leaflet "MetroWest - Investing in our local rail network" (June 2014) makes reference to Saltford station in Phase 1. TravelWest brings together the West of England Councils on transport matters. The leaflet states: Stations at Ashton Gate and Saltford The leaflet states that Phase 1 will be funded by the local councils and the Department for Transport's devolved major scheme funding. They expect the cost of Phase 1 to be about £45 to £55 million (2019 prices) and that services will start operating in May 2019. Consultation shows strong support for Saltford stationApril 2014 The results of the Saltford residents' consultation survey carried out by B&NES Council on the possible reopening of Saltford Railway Station have been released by B&NES Council. 370 questionnaires were returned. 68.9% (255) wanted a station at Saltford and 20.5% (76, i.e. less than 2% of the village population) did not, with 10.6% (39) not having a view. If a station was to be provided, 62.7% (232) said that they would walk to it and 10.8% (40) said they would cycle whilst 11.7% (43) said they would drive. Of these 43, 23 said they would look to park at a station car park and 20 said they would look to park in the street. Reasons for using the station included "Going to work" (30.8%), and "Leisure" (36.2%). Replies were mainly from residents aged 35 upwards. The questionnaire was given out at the public exhibition held by B&NES at Saltford Hall on 25th February (2014) and was also made available online. Rob Taylor, a Saltford resident and member of the Station Campaign, said "The majority desire a station and this survey demonstrates a potentially dramatic change from car to rail in the way that Saltford commuters get to work." Cllr Paul Crossley, leader of B&NES Council, said at the B&NES Cabinet meeting on 9.4.2014 "This administration is committed to Saltford Station should it prove feasible and is the will of the residents of Saltford." Chris Warren, leader of the Saltford Station Campaign, said "The positive results of this BaNES survey will feed into the report by consultants*. I firmly expect that the work of the consultants will lead to a decision to take the project onto the next stage of detailed study." *B&NES expects to receive the consultant's report in early summer 2014. The consultation findings are in line with the station campaign petition of our village during November 2011 which revealed support in at least 65% of Saltford's households for the reopening of Saltford railway station. Approximately 30% of homes did not participate in the 2011 petition as either the house was empty (e.g. for sale) or the occupants were away when the petition team called, despite return visits. Of those residents that did speak to our petitioners, well over 90% supported the campaign. You can download the consultation results here: Saltford station consultation Feb/Mar 2014: initial results report by B&NES (pdf - opens in new window). Large attendance at Saltford station consultation eventFebruary 2014 Future-proofing transport with a lasting legacy for Saltford
It is estimated that over 500 Saltford residents attended the public consultation drop-in event on 25th February 2014 at Saltford Hall. The event took place following SEG's request in autumn 2012 to B&NES Council to hold a village-wide consultation on the idea of reopening Saltford's railway station, that was closed in 1970, as part of the proposed Bristol Metro rail network. Council transport officers were present to answer questions from residents about the proposals. Carefully designed and implemented, the station would be a positive asset for our village. Speaking before the event, Chris Warren, the station campaign leader said: "I am delighted that the consultation event is taking place. This is one more step forward towards the reopening of the station. It would be crazy for half-hourly Metro West services to pass through Saltford without stopping". B&NES were seeking views on how often residents might use the station, how they would get there (e.g. walk, bus, cycle, or drive) and what approach should be taken to manage vehicles wishing to park at the station. B&NES have published the exhibition panels on their website at www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/parking-and-travel/transport-plans-and-policies/saltford-railway-station. An online version of the questionnaire for submission by Saltford's residents was available until the submission deadline of 26 March 2014. After an analysis of the questionnaires by B&NES, a report will be produced to show the outcome of the consultation and the consultant's report. The conclusions of the report will be considered by the Cabinet in due course in order that a decision can be taken whether to fund further work on the business case for the station. SEG's information sheet making the case for reopening Saltford station and answering key questions/concerns can be downloaded here (word doc, opens in new window): Saltford station campaign talks to RailfutureFebruary 2014 On 22 February 2014 Duncan Hounsell, a spokesperson for the Saltford Station Campaign, gave a talk on the campaign and the case for reopening the station as part of the Metro West Rail Project to the Severnside branch of Railfuture, a national independent organisation that promotes a better passenger and freight network. Railfuture-Severnside Secretary, Nigel Bray, commented "Recent decades have seen a tremendous growth in the popularity of rail travel locally. The trends give every confidence that a station at Saltford would be a success". Pictured at the Railfuture event below are (left to right): Nigel Bray, (Secretary, Railfuture Severnside), Cllr Dr Anthony Clarke (B&NES Council), Duncan Hounsell (Saltford Station Campaign), Cllr Neil Butters (Chair of B&NES Council) & John Hassall (Chair, Railfuture Severnside).
Updating the Saltford Rail Station Study 2000 by Steer Davies Gleave for B&NES (June 2013)In 2000 the transportation consultants Steer Davies Gleave carried out a desk-based study into a rail station at Saltford for B&NES Council. Duncan Hounsell has produced a response paper to that study for the station campaign and compares its conclusions in 2000 with the position in 2013. You can download the paper here: Steer Davies Gleave 2000 - Updated sitrep by Saltford Station Campaign (doc). Metro West - Station Campaign addresses B&NES Cabinet (April 2013)This is a shortened version of the 3-minute speech by Duncan Hounsell of the Saltford Station Campaign to the B&NES Cabinet on 10th April 2013: "The West of England Local Transport Body (LTB) (comprising B&NES Council, Bristol City Council, North Somerset Council, South Gloucestershire Council and the Local Enterprise Partnership) was formed in March as a prerequisite to receiving devolved major transport funding from the Department for Transport. At its meeting on 13 March 2013, it prioritised schemes against criteria of affordability, minimum cost threshold, and deliverability. The top two priorities agreed were the Greater Bristol Metro phases 1 and 2. The "new stations package" (including Saltford station) has also reached the agreed project shortlist. Construction at Saltford is estimated by the LTB to take place in the period 2018/19 to 2023/24 but earlier should other funding opportunities become available and subject to a business case. The new stations will form part of the Greater Bristol Metro project or "Metro West" as it is to be called." "The Metro West rail project which includes Saltford Station is included in Network Rail's Business Plan for Control Period 5 (2014-2019) and Network Rail Specifications (Western). This is the first time that Metro West and a station at Saltford has appeared in public rail industry documents. A station at Saltford also appears in the "refresh" or update of the West of England Partnership's Joint Local Transport Plan (JLTP3)." "It was in June last year that B&NES Cabinet agreed a budget of £100,000 to undertake a High Level Option Assessment for Saltford Station to develop the business case and take Saltford to GRIP level 2 of Network Rail's 8-stage process for railway development. There has been a short delay in commissioning this work because of uncertainties around the awarding of the GW Rail Franchise, and changes to the Core Strategy." "We are delighted that you are set to approve, this evening, expenditure of £124,000 as B&NES's contribution to the development of Phase 1 of the Metro West which includes half-hourly rail services for Keynsham, Oldfield Park and Bath Spa. The Saltford Station Campaign asks you to keep on-track, on time, and with green lights showing. Thank you for your support for Metro West and the reopening of Saltford Station." Saltford station and the new West of England Local Transport Body (March 2013)On 13 March 2013 the West of England Partnership formed a Local Transport Body to receive devolved funding from the Department for Transport and ensure it is devoted to local transport improvement schemes to address the present and anticipated local transport needs of the West of England. It will agree this through an evidence based prioritisation process. Saltford station is within the shortlisted schemes to follow the priority programme of the Greater Bristol Metro phases 1 and 2 in the 2015-2019 period. There is also the possibility that projects like our station could be brought forward; the Station Campaign team are keeping a close watch on developments. The West of England Partnership Joint Local Transport Plan was also refreshed (updated) on 13th March and it now includes a specific reference to Saltford station. This is important as an objective of the Core Strategy (that sets the economic and planning strategy for this area's development from now until 2029) is to "Deliver well connected places accessible by sustainable means of transport" and the Joint Local Transport Plan (including proposals for the Greater Bristol Metro Scheme) is a key document within the Core Strategy. B&NES to investigate other possible locations for a reopened Saltford station (March 2013)At the full B&NES Council meeting on 4th March 2013, the Conservative Group moved an amendment headed "Changes to Core Strategy - Land at Keynsham East" as follows: "To request that Cabinet investigate all possible locations for a reopened Saltford Station, including those with adequate parking facilities and which could also be accessible to residents of East Keynsham." This amendment was accepted by the LibDem Group. The Saltford Station Campaign, while unaware that this amendment had been tabled, was already aware of the proposition. The Station Campaign has no problem with all possible locations being considered but the focus at this time is the existing Saltford station site on Bath Hill. We feel that good access on foot for the majority of Saltford's residents is an important consideration. The Core Strategy is the economic and planning strategy for this area's development until 2029. Great Western franchise update (January 2013)The Department for Transport (DfT) announced on 31 January that it had scrapped the bidding competition for the Great Western rail franchise. It is awarding First Great Western a two year extension to its current contract and this will run to end 2015 by which time the electrification of the line by Network Rail will be well underway. The franchise competition was suspended on 3 October 2012, following the discovery of significant technical flaws in the way the rail franchise process was being conducted. DfT halted the award of the West Coast rail franchise pending the completion of two reviews: (i) where the West Coast franchise competition went wrong, and (ii) a wider review of the whole franchise process including the Great Western franchise which was paused until the reviews were completed. It is not anticipated that the cancellation of the Great Western franchise process will prevent the Greater Bristol Metro project from proceeding. It is hoped, therefore, that this should not affect unduly the reopening of Saltford station - the station campaign group has maintained that work on reopening Saltford station need not wait for stage 2 of the Greater Bristol Metro project; there is a large, ready and willing customer base in Saltford ready to use the station. Bristol's Mayor backs Saltford station (December 2012)On 12 December 2012 George Ferguson met with Duncan Hounsell and Chris Warren of the Saltford Station Campaign at the first meeting of the West of England Joint Transport Executive since George Ferguson's election as Mayor of Bristol. He told the Saltford station campaigners "I am a great supporter of the Greater Bristol Metro Rail Project. A reopened Saltford station can be part of that."
George Ferguson said at the meeting that he looked forward to working with the neighbouring local authorities on transport issues on a basis of equal status and mutual respect. The Mayor heard an update on rail developments including the Greater Bristol Metro Rail Project and the new stations package. Duncan Hounsell said "The meeting was told that the Greater Bristol Metro project is expected to contribute £153 million to the local economy by 2030, and that fresh calculations show the cost-benefit ratio for the scheme to be excellent." Chris Warren said "A Greater Bristol Rail Metro network, along the lines of the London Overground system, needs stations. Reopening Saltford station is firmly part of the Metro plans." B&NES Council agrees to hold consultation on station (November 2012)B&NES Council Cabinet agreed on 14 November to the request from the Saltford Station Campaign for a public consultation in Saltford on the reopening of our station. B&NES will undertake a consultation on the proposal once they have a better understanding from the work of their consultants of the size and cost of providing car parking for the station. They expect to receive the consultant's report in early 2013. B&NES Council has commissioned consultants to work through stages 1 (output definition) and 2 (pre-feasibility) of Network Rail's GRIP ('Guide for Rail Investment Projects') process for railway development. This work for Saltford is expected to be completed in March. The GRIP process envisages a pause for reflection after stages 1 and 2. The promised public consultation will follow later once all the issues are fully understood. Following the second public meeting held on 25 October 2012 concerning the proposed re-instatement of Saltford station where a range of views were expressed by residents, the campaign put a formal request to B&NES Council's Cabinet. The campaign asked B&NES Council for a detailed information sheet on the facts and issues surrounding the proposals with a consultation to be put to the residents of Saltford. Our original petition of the village in November 2011 revealed a significant majority of households in favour of the station. The Saltford station campaign wants residents to be as fully informed about the proposed new station as is reasonably possible and for all residents to have the opportunity to give their views to B&NES Council. This way we can ensure that the overall design and implementation of the station can mitigate or overcome any potential problems as much as is practically possible and deliver what is in the best interests of the wider community of Saltford. Saltford station and non-car access to the River Avon (October 2012)B&NES Council's Economic and Community Development Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel held an 'Inquiry Day' on 31 October 2012 at the Guildhall to discuss the recommendations contained within the River Corridor Report that was produced to advise Cabinet on the future role that the Council can play in its potential role as a force for regeneration for economic, social, and environmental purposes. The Saltford station campaign was represented by Duncan Hounsell who addressed the panel to highlight how our reopened station in conjunction with the new Bristol Metro service would provide useful non-car access to the River Avon's leisure facilities. The River Corridor Group website is at www.rivercorridorgroupbath.co.uk. 2nd Public meeting about Saltford station (October 2012)Around 200 attended the second public meeting in Saltford Hall about the proposed reopening of Saltford railway station on the evening of 25th October 2012. Organised by Saltford Parish Council this gave residents an opportunity to express their concerns and aspirations for the station. Chaired by Nigel Hutchings, Regional Affairs Director of GWE Business West, the panel taking questions from the audience comprised: B&NES Council cabinet member for transport Cllr Roger Symonds, B&NES Transport & Planning Policy Group Manager Peter Dawson, Saltford Station Campaign leader Chris Warren, B&NES ward councillor for Saltford Cllr Mathew Blankley, and Saltford resident Reg Williams. There was robust questioning of the panel from residents who expressed concerns, for example, over car-parking and the safety of vehicle access from the A4. At the end of the Question Time session, many hands went up to indicate that they would be regular users and would walk to the station when opened. The station campaign felt this was another step forward on the journey towards our reopened station whilst recognising that further consultation with residents was necessary. It was an important and useful opportunity to hear the views of those residents who have concerns so that where possible these can be addressed with the re-instatement of our station to ensure that we have a community asset providing modern integrated transport solutions for the village. Greater Bristol Metro and the new 'City Deal' - good news for our station (July 2012)Details of the new 'City Deal' were announced during a ministerial visit to Bristol by Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, on 5th July 2012. The West of England will be able to invest its own resources in critical infrastructure projects that maximise growth and will retain 100% of business rate growth in five Enterprise Areas for 25 years. This business rate income will be pooled into a £1bn economic development fund which will invest in more projects that maximise growth. The important news that affects our station is that control over transport budgets will be given to council leaders who will need to set up a region-wide transport authority to co-ordinate and implement transport policy. In return, the Government will give the West of England a 10 year allocation of "local majors funding" to deliver the Greater Bristol Metro; greater control and freedom to deliver the Bus Rapid Transit Network, including the ability to recycle savings locally; and new powers over rail planning and delivery. The West of England Partnership (WEP) Joint Transport Executive Committee put together the proposals for the £100M Greater Bristol Metro scheme and this incorporates the opening of new lines (e.g. Portishead to Bristol) and several new stations including Saltford station. This is very encouraging news for our campaign; the metro's half-hourly train service between Bristol and Bath will strengthen the business case for reopening our station. Bristol's £100m Metro rail bid for Government cash includes Saltford station (June 2012)The following are extracts from the Bristol Post story published on 22nd June 2012 (full story on the 'This is Bristol' website www.thisisbristol.co.uk):- "A £100million bid to make Bristol's Metro rail dream a reality has gone to the Government. Passenger trains from Bristol to Portishead and new stations in Horfield, Ashley Down and Saltford are among the items on the shopping list of transport leaders who have put the Greater Bristol Metro Rail bid together. The plans have been handed to the Department for Transport at the same time as ministers and civil servants decide who will run the region's rail services over the next 15 years and what levels of service they will have to provide." "The West of England Partnership - made up of Bristol and its three neighbouring councils - launched an official campaign at the start of the year to see improvements to local services included in the new franchise." "The funding bid has come as the first steps are taken to create a new transport company to oversee and run train services in the Bristol area... There would also be cash available for the Henbury Loop in the north of Bristol, improvements to Bedminster station and new stations at Saltford, Horfield, Ashley Down and Ashton Gate." The Saltford Station Campaign team made several representations to the West of England Partnership (WEP) Joint Transport Executive Committee concerning the inclusion of Saltford station in the Greater Bristol Metro project and the Dept. of Transport's consultation on the Great Western Franchise. We are delighted to see Saltford station included in this important railway project for the Greater Bristol area. B&NES Council Cabinet votes for Saltford station! (June 2012)
On the evening of 13th June representatives of the station campaign delivered a copy of the station petition to the B&NES Council Cabinet which then voted unanimously to allocate a budget of £100,000 to undertake a 'High Level Option Assessment' of a reopened station at Saltford, i.e. to develop the business case. In order to develop the business case for the new station the Council shall engage experts to work with Network Rail and the new operator for the Great Western Franchise. An initial £100,000 (funded from the Council's Revenue Budget Contingency) will be invested to develop the business case to the next stage, 'High Level Option Assessment' (GRIP, 'Guide for Rail Investment Projects', stage 2), with a further £150,000 to £200,000 (for which further approval will be required) to take the project to Detailed Design (GRIP stage 4). Initial studies completed for B&NES Council by consultants have provided enough evidence for the Council to work formally with the rail industry and to build up the business case for reopening Saltford station. The business case will take into account economic, social and environmental impacts. Consultants have established that there is capacity on the line between Bristol Temple Meads and Bath Spa for a new station at Saltford. Independent computer modelling suggests that a reopened station will produce new net revenue for the railway. This important and welcome Cabinet decision on 13th June follows the announcement by the Liberal Democrat administration of B&NES Council on 23 April 2012 concerning the Council's role as "Promoter" for the reopening of Saltford station. The following is from that announcement:- The Liberal Democrat administration of B&NES Council has instructed officers to put Saltford station into the Council's Forward Plan. This first step will lead to the Council being the "Promoter" of the project. Funding will be identified to get the project to Network Rail's 'GRIP 4' stage of development at which time funding for the construction of the station will need to be identified. Funding could come from a number of different sources. Construction could be funded by Network Rail, by the rail franchise operating company, by the Council, or through Department for Transport funds. The administration aims to get to this stage as soon as possible. Saltford Station can be delivered with the increased cross Bristol services (1/2 hourly frequencies) delivered as part of the 'Bristol Metro' project. This will give the potential for one additional station between Bristol and Bath, namely Saltford. The timescale for delivery was always assumed to be 2019 - 2023. However we have not waited for this timescale. We have already commissioned Halcrow to look at the possibility of opening this station. Their report which we will publish shortly will take us past the First 'GRIP' stage, as we know where the station will be located, required to deliver this project. This important support from B&NES Council including its decision to be "promoter" is a major milestone in our campaign; we are extremely grateful to Council members and officers. The strong cross-party support for reopening Saltford station from the Council and its Lib Dem administration together with our MP, Jacob Rees-Mogg (who presented the petition to Parliament on 19th April 2012), is much appreciated. Petition details: Key photographs and details of the impressive support in the village for the station shown by the petition can be found lower down this page. PETITION (& results)(Carried out November 2011. Delivered to Parliament on 19 April 2012 and to B&NES Council on 13 June 2012)
The Saltford Environment Group's station campaign petition of our village during November 2011 revealed support in at least 65% of Saltford's households for the reopening of Saltford railway station. Approximately 30% of homes did not participate in the petition as either the house was empty (e.g. for sale) or the occupants were away when the petition team called, despite return visits. Of those residents that did speak to our petitioners, well over 90% supported the campaign. The petition raised a total of 2,028 signatures in support of reopening the station. Of the 2,028 supporters who signed the petition, 13% (261) said they would be daily users and 25% (511) said they would use the station weekly. The remaining 1,256 would be either occasional users or could not say how often they might use the station. Once the rail service from a reopened Saltford station is up and running we would anticipate an even higher level of usage than indicated by the petition responses. This does not include other potential users such as students from Bath Spa University or residents of other villages nearby.
The petition was delivered by campaign members to our local MP, Jacob Rees-Mogg, at the House of Commons on 19th April 2012. He then formally presented our petition to the House of Commons that evening at 6.38pm; you can read his statement to the House here: Hansard extract: Saltford Station 19.4.12 (doc - opens in new window). The petition was also presented to the B&NES cabinet on 13th June 2012 who then voted to work formally with the rail industry and, as station "promoter", to build the business case for reopening Saltford Station. A huge thank you to all the 30+ petition volunteers and to everyone who signed to support this important campaign.
Two platforms more likely than "Platform Road" design (single platform) for a new Saltford station (June 2012)Early on in our campaign we looked at the possibility of a "Platform Road" design (one platform + loop line) for the reopened station. We thought that this might have the potential to give Saltford a station design that is more cost-effective than a 2 platform alternative. We saw practical advantages for the rail operator as it would provide the means to divert trains out of the main line rail traffic during times when the re-positioning of priority trains is required. However, we understand from rail industry experts that this would not be feasible as it would generate additional and significant track and signalling costs and may have the effect of reducing capacity; the simple two platform design (one for each direction) with a footbridge is the most likely layout for Saltford. Supportive letters (April 2012)We should like to thank all those who have written letters of support to local newspapers, politicians and key organisations since the campaign was first launched in 2011. For reference, to see our most recent document giving advice and contact addresses for such letters, click here to download: letter writing guidance (version April 2012) (word doc, opens in new window). Great Western franchise specification (April 2012)The Department for Transport has consulted on the specification that will be provided to shortlisted bidders for the next Great Western franchise starting 2013 (and running for 15 years). The deadline for submitting consultation responses was 31st March 2012. It was anticipated that the successful bidder would be announced in December 2012, with the contract commencing in April 2013. [Later Update: However, this has been delayed due to problems with the rail franchise process leading to a review of that process.] In addition to the Station Campaign itself, Don Foster MP (Bath), the West of England Partnership, Bath & North East Somerset Council, Saltford Parish Council, Bath Spa University, South West Transport Network, Transport for Greater Bristol Alliance and others responded to the consultation in favour of reopening our station. A big thank you to all who submitted supportive responses. Campaign addresses West of England Joint Transport Executive Committee (March 2012)Campaign representatives attended the West of England (WEP) Joint Transport Executive Committee public meeting on 7.3.12 and presented our briefing paper making the case for reopening the station. Duncan Hounsell, on behalf of the campaign, said we welcomed the findings by WEP's consultants that there was capacity on the network to provide an additional stop for Saltford and that WEP's response to the Dept. of Transport's consultation on the Great Western Franchise would include our station as a priority in the Bristol Metro Project. He said there was a large, ready and willing customer base in place now for the station's reinstatement to be brought forward sooner rather than later. Key support for station (March 2012)Bath Spa University has expressed its key support (Feb & Mar 2012) to the campaign:- "Our travel survey taken in November 2011 showed that approximately 24% of staff and approximately 14% of students travel from Bristol and Keynsham... Provision of a station so close to the University would contribute to providing another sustainable travel mode for staff and students and visitor... We consider the economic, environmental and
social case to reopen Saltford railway station to be very strong." This important support helps to further strengthen the economic case for our station. There are 4,600 students and staff on the Newton Park campus each weekday which is approximately 1.5 miles from the station. The number of residential places there is set to rise from 400 to 900. A mini-bus link to and from a reopened Saltford station would be an alternative for many students and staff who currently drive to the site from Bristol through Saltford. Also students in residence could use the station to travel into Bristol for social activities. The creation of a cycle-path is another possibility, linking the station with the campus. In addition, Bath Spa University Students' Union President, Richard Bigwood, has issued a public letter on 29.2.12 showing the union's strong support. The union says the station would allow access to cheaper accommodation outside of Bath for staff and students and offer part of a solution to the lack of supply of affordable housing in Bath. The letter can be downloaded here: Bath Spa University Students' Union support letter (pdf - opens in new window).
Original campaign leaflet (November 2011)You can download the original leaflet that was distributed to all homes in Saltford during November 2011. The leaflet gives information on the what, why now, positive financial impacts, opportunities etc that the campaign promoted at the time. Click here:- Campaign information leaflet (Nov 2011) (pdf, opens in new window) Saltford signalman Dave Boston on Radio Bristol (Sept 2011)
Radio Bristol DJ and local celebrity Steve Yabsley (pictured left) recorded an article on 12 September 2011 about Saltford Station with Chris Warren and interviewed Dave Boston (pictured right) who was the signalman at Saltford box for four years in the 1950s. Dave also operated the 'box at the famous Bath Junction where the Somerset and Dorset Railway joined the Midland line. Dave recalled his time operating the signals in and around Bath and gave an idea of what a lovely spot Saltford Station was (see our archive & photo gallery where you can also see Dave operating the signal box in the 1950s). Chris was able to tell Steve all about the campaign to reopen Saltford Station and the benefits it would give to the village and surrounding area. The recording was broadcast by Radio Bristol on Monday 19th September 2011. First campaign meeting held 6th September 2011, Saltford HallOver 30 campaign supporters attended the Parish Council meeting before the campaign meeting to make representations to the Council about the importance of bringing back Saltford Station as an investment for Saltford's future. The Parish Council voted by an overwhelming majority to support our campaign whilst being mindful of the need to ensure any concerns of local residents were addressed and to ask B&NES to consider acting as the promoter of a station in negotiations with Network Rail and that B&NES prepares a 'Project Inception Report' for Network Rail at the earliest opportunity. The Parish Council voted unanimously to ask B&NES to do all in its power to protect the site from any site development that may adversely affect the possibility of the reopening of the station. The campaign meeting then re-convened in another room in the hall to discuss plans and logistics for the campaign including the establishment of a working group and arrangements for a petition. The campaign was delighted with the backing given by the Parish Council in passing the resolutions of support. First public meeting held on 26th July 2011:
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Our other key supporters as previously reported include Saltford Parish Council, Corston Parish Council, Sir Graham Watson MEP and local MP Jacob Rees-Mogg who has advised the campaign of his support and that he was happy to make any representations on the
campaign's behalf. In May 2012 B&NES Councillor Mathew Blankely (Cons) told Radio Bristol's Steve Yabsley "how proud we all are in Saltford" of Saltford Environment Group's "outstanding work... the campaign has gone from strength to strength."
