As a former Bristolian I was interested to read
the article “Airport rail link would boost West economy” (Western Daily Press, June 25).
Bristol Airport chief executive Robert Sinclair was quoted as saying:
“such a project would not be straightforward”.
I think that is putting it mildly!
Building a railway from sea level at Temple Meads to Bristol
Airport, which at 623ft is the second highest civil airport in the UK, would be
a huge feat of engineering and enormously expensive. Barrow
Hill and Backwell Hill are formidable natural obstacles to overcome even before
reaching the Lulsgate massif itself.
It is worth remembering that Brunel chose to avoid this barrier
of hills when building the Bristol to Exeter railway. If today’s railway engineers and
administrators find reopening the
Portishead to Bristol railway for passenger trains a difficult and lengthy
process, building a rail link up to Bristol Airport would, I suspect, be quite
beyond them.
Now that the South Bristol Link Road meets the A38 it might
be wise to put aside ambitious schemes for a Temple Meads/Airport rail
link. Travellers heading for the Airport
are just as well served by hopping off their train and jumping on a coach.
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| This view from Winters Lane, which runs alongside the western end of Bristol Airport's runway, illustrates how high up the Airport actually is. One can see Clevedon, the Severn Estuary and the Welsh Hills beyond. |
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