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FRENCH CONNECTION IS BETTER BY FAR
18:00 - 29 November 2007
Despite being twice as far away and in another country, it is quicker
to commute to London from Paris than Portishead.
The Queen, Gordon Brown and other dignitaries were at the glittering opening ceremony of the £5.8 billion project.
Excitable talk focused on how journey times to Europe had been cut by 20 minutes, bringing European capitals closer to the continent's economic powerhouse, London.
Closer now, in fact, than North Somerset.
It is quicker to commute to London from Brussels than Backwell and from Paris, naturellement, than rail-less Portishead.
Brussels, 230 miles from London, is now only one hour 50 minutes away, 10 minutes quicker than the two-hour journey time from Nailsea and Backwell station, despite it being 100 miles closer to London.
The two hours and 15 minutes it takes to cover the 289 miles between Paris and London makes the French capital far closer to the financial epicentre of Europe than Portishead, only 128 miles from London.
The tortuous public transport journey from Portishead involves an hour's bus ride to Bristol, before a stroll across the city to Temple Meads and one hour 40 minutes on the train to get to London.
And while Eurostar passengers enjoy trains which are more modern, frequent and often cheaper than domestic services, commuters in North Somerset are grateful just to get a seat on local trains.
Alan Matthews, chairman of Portishead Railway Group, said it was frustrating that billions could be spent on one rail project, but the relatively small amount needed to reopen the Portishead line couldn't be found.
He said: "Money does need to be spent across the rail network but it does seem the Government is going for big, grandiose projects rather than the bread and butter.
"If we could reopen the Portishead line then as well as the main benefits of helping people get to work in Bristol and cutting local traffic, the world would be our oyster.
"Paris and the rest of Europe would be within reach of Portishead without having to pay the environmental costs of flying."
Mr Matthews said he couldn't give an exact figure on how much it would cost to reopen the rail line because it was very difficult to get it from rail companies as they deemed it commercially sensitive.
He added: "It is a lot less than many people would think. In the past, people opposed to the rail project have quoted silly numbers to scupper it.
"Only three miles of track have to be relayed, which we estimate would cost about £400,000 per mile."
Woodspring MP Dr Liam Fox said transport infrastructure was yet another area where the south west was underfunded.
He said: "It seems that anywhere beyond Bristol is forgotten territory.
"Somebody in Gordon Brown's office seems to have cut Britain off at Bristol."
Elfan Ap Rees, North Somerset Council executive member for transport, said the authority was working to secure investment on rail lines in the area.
He said: "It is frustrating. I'd love to catch a train to Paris from Weston rather than fly but it is still far quicker to fly.
"We are working with the other former Avon area councils on transport infrastructure and have a meeting with the transport minister next month and First Great Western in January.
"The problem is that there are so many different bodies involved, the Government, Network Rail and the train operating companies.
"Whenever we have a problem they all shrug their shoulders and seem to pass the buck."
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