News / Transport
Rees needs to stop underground ‘delusions’
Bristol’s Conservative group leader says that Marvin Rees needs to urgently put a stop to his “completely unrealistic” plan for underground sections of railway.
Mark Weston says that the mayor should instead commit to working with the West of England Combined Authority in order to attract government capital investment for the delivery “of a viable, modern and attractive public transport system”.
In a press release announcing the ‘silver’ motion for debate at the next full council meeting on November 14, the Tories said that Rees’ plans for a mass transit system based around major tunnelling under the city were “delusions”.
is needed now More than ever
Weston said: “Whilst I have always been reluctant to stymie ambitious plans for Bristol, there comes a point when one must recognise a fundamental truth – politics is the art of the possible.
“A major tunnel system was never going to be financially viable, with estimated costs ranging from a naively optimistic £4bn to a colossal £18bn and no doubt enduring endless years of construction.
“For some time now, the mayor has displayed an unfortunate tendency to treat his critics over this project with complete disdain. This is not a particularly endearing or productive way of conducting business.
“It is reported that around £2m has already been spent on various feasibility, geological, topographical and other surveys or studies to determine the best model for up to four key transport corridors.
“Since first advocating a Bristol metro or subway, the mayor has tried to modify and manage public expectations on this subject by turning it into something far more modest in scope and scale.
“However, it seems that even a hybrid engineering scheme which combines overground and significant underground parts is still rightly regarded as largely delusional and beyond reach.
“For example, it is still not considered a serious option worthy of further exploration by Dan Norris. This development should have put any more speculation around this matter firmly to bed.
“We believe mayor Rees needs to face up to this reality and work instead on helping to deliver a tangible transformational upgrade in public transport in our city.”
In his State of the City address in October, Rees said that Bristol’s mass transit system “has to include elements of underground in the densest areas”.
Rees said: “To hear some of the opposition voices who say underground is ‘pie in the sky’, you wouldn’t think London went underground in 1863, 160 years ago.
“I would say this: I understand that Bristol has failed to deliver big for so many years. People have become sceptical and cynical. But let’s not allow old failures to rob us of the ability to recognise huge opportunities when they are right in front of us.”
Main photo: Transport for London
Read next:
- Bristol underground would cost £18bn, secret report reveals
- Metro mayor vetoes plans for tube-style underground in Bristol
- Rees envisages ‘chaos’ on Bristol roads without underground
- Overground not underground, or overground with underground?
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