Underground plans revealed for Bristol
Mayor Marvin Rees hopes to have a system built in 15 years
Last updated 12th Mar 2021
Bristol could have some form of underground system in the next 15 years.
The City Council has unveiled plans for a mass transport system featuring more bus routes and trainlines as well as a form of underground network.
They plan for it to be built over the next 15 years, with the undergound system alone budgeted to cost around ÂŁ4 billion pounds.
In a press briefing today (11/03) Mayor Marvin Rees suggested half the money would come from central government with the rest from a mix of private and public sources.
A map has been released of proposed routes as well as a video marketing the idea, but the final options for a mass transit system have not yet been finalised.
The West of England Combined Authority has invested ÂŁ1.5 million into exploring all avenues and a public consultation will be held on the ideas this summer.
As part of the plans Bristol Bridge could close to private traffic permanently.
If that were to happen the council says they could "connect rapid segregated routes through the city centre " and "create a central bus loop and a hub where different transport options meet".
"Upgrades to bus services, including new city centre bus lanes, have already started, and First West of England has doubled the number of route 2 buses crossing Bristol Bridge," a release on Bristol City Council's website reads.
There are also plans for:
- new bus lanes to connect the city to existing and proposed new park and ride sites
- connections between the rail network and new public transport routes
- new railway stations
"Our next goal is to bring in a mix of over and underground mass transit lines running separately to other traffic," the release continues.
"By increasing the use of public transport, we can build a case for government and private organisations to invest in a low carbon, reliable transport network."
They say this will:
- connect people in Bristol and the surrounding areas to each other, jobs, education and leisure
- help us meet the challenges of a growing population
- help us meet our environmental targets.
Last month we exclusively reported a tram network is being considered for the area and now Marvin Rees has confirmed that is the case.
"What we are showing you is a snap shot, and we're being direct enough to show you where we are at, but not predetermining which options we eventually take up, but what you've got is a very strong indication of the direction of travel.," he said.
"We're trying to get people to stop thinking about a London Underground big, heavy rail based option.
"We could be talking light rail, we could be talking about some sort of tram system, again that is segregated, or we could be talking about pods on rubber wheels.
"So it's not track based but basically follows a white line, driverless pods that follow white lines on the floor.
"The exact technology that we would be using is still yet to be confirmed."