Nailsea and Backwell Railway Station - Future

Future

First Great Western declined an option to continue the Greater Western passenger franchise (of which services at Nailsea and Backwell are a part) beyond 2013, citing a desire for a longer-term contract due to the impending upgrade to the Great Western Main Line. The franchise was put out to tender, and it was announced in March 2012 that Deutsche Bahn, First Group, National Express and Stagecoach had pre-qualified. The winner was expected to be announced in December 2012, with the new franchisee taking over in April 2013, however, it was announced in July 2012 that the franchise would be extended due to the late issue of the Invitation to Tender (ITT). The ITT was eventually released at the end of July, but the process was halted and later scrapped due to the fallout from the collapse of the InterCity West Coast franchise competition. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin MP stated that he would aim to negotiate an agreement to extend the current First Great Western for at least two years. The coming years will see the introduction of new Intercity Express Trains, capacity enhancements and smart ticketing.

The station currently has a free car park with 120 spaces, but this is frequently full by 7:30am on weekdays, leading commuters to park on local roads, prompting complaints from Backwell residents. There are plans to extend it by 200 spaces, supported by Nailsea Town Council, First Great Western and environmental groups. The scheme is described as "necessary" by North Somerset Council, as the current lack of spaces limits the number of people who can feasibly use the station for commuting, since Nailsea is too far from the station to be an easy walk so people are likely to use a car to reach the station. That peak passengers fill the car park then means there are no spaces for offpeak users, limiting leisure travel. The scheme is expected to cost £500,000 at 2010/11 prices, using money from the Local Transport Plan and Community Infrastructure Levy. There were worries that extending the car park could cause parking charges to be introduced, against the backdrop of Nailsea having free parking. The plans for extension of the car park by 180 spaces were approved by North Somerset Council on 17 April 2012. The plans include a parking charge of £1.50 per day for peak travellers (£1 for off-peak use) with season tickets at reduced rates available. Work is expected to be complete by 2015.

There is no wheelchair access to the southbound platform, and the ramp to the northbound platform is steeper than 1 in 12. Furthermore, there is a large height difference from the train doors to the platform. However, in 2011 the government announced a £37.5 million scheme to improve stations under an "Access For All Mid-Tier programme", of which £1,023,000 is to go towards building new ramps at Nailsea and Backwell.

With the coming upgrade to the Great Western Main Line, the main line from London to Bristol is due to be electrified. However, the electrification will not extend beyond Bristol to Weston-super-Mare, so Nailsea and Backwell will continue to be served by diesel trains. This could entail the removal of direct London services, as electric trains would not be able to operate beyond Bristol. Services could however continue using bi-mode trains, which have electric engines that can be powered by either electrified tracks, or by on-board diesel generators. The group Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways supports the electrification continuing to Weston, as does MP for Weston-super-Mare John Penrose.

Nailsea and Backwell is on the Weston-super-Mare/Yate corridor, one of the main axes of the Greater Bristol Metro, a rail transport plan which aims to enhance transport capacity in the Bristol area. Railfuture in the South West has called for the station to be used to serve Bristol Airport via a bus link.