There’s railway excitement in the air across North Somerset—and not just for the big trains!

National World - LocalTV

This week, the government gave the green light to the one hundred eighty-two million pound reopening of the Portishead line, which first closed in nineteen sixty-four. It’s a long-awaited move that will reconnect thousands of residents to Bristol’s main rail network, boosting local transport and cutting car journeys on the A369.

Transcript

00:00There's railway excitement in and across North Somerset, and not just for the big trains.

00:06Hot on the heels of a major government investment to reopen the long-closed Porters Head Railway,

00:12councillors are now turning their attention to a much smaller track in Clevedon.

00:17This week, the government gave the green light to the £182 million reopening of the Porters Head line,

00:26which first closed in 1964.

00:29It's a long-awaited move that will reconnect thousands of residents to Bristol's main rail network,

00:36boosting local transport and cutting car journeys on the A369.

00:41But at a council meeting, the attention briefly shifted from full-size trains to a 15-inch miniature one.

00:49Councillor Luke Smith asked about the future of Clevedon's tiny railway at Salthouse Fields,

00:55a seaside favourite that's been silent for the past couple of years.

01:00The miniature line first opened in 1952 and runs in a loop next to Clevedon's Marine Lake.

01:07Once a summer staple for families, the railway has been closed recently, with its concession due to lapse this summer.

01:14Smith asked if there's any plans to bring back to life the railway line.

01:19The council leader responded warmly, calling the day a celebration of railways

01:25and saying that they'd be open to any way of reviving the Salthouse miniature train.

01:31Bristol and its surrounding areas have a rich railway pass and a future that could be just as dynamic.

01:38The region is already home to Temple Meads, one of the oldest railway stations in the world.

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